Advice for Hiring Managers Be precise about the problem you need the hire to solve. A vague brief like “strong risk manager” or “high-quality audit VP” will underperform in this market. The better brief is something like: “needs to stand up operational resilience testing across critical services,” or “must partner front office and legal on Consumer Duty/product governance,” or “needs credibility with engineering and security teams in tech audit.” Precision improves both attraction and assessment. Price specialist roles realistically. If the role needs a scarce mix of subject-matter expertise, stakeholder gravitas and delivery experience, it should not be benchmarked against a broad generalist median. This is particularly true in technology risk, cyber, sanctions/ financial crime-adjacent compliance, and IT audit. Market-wide salary guides continue to show meaningful premiums at the specialist end. Move faster than you think you need to. “Employer-led market” does not mean “candidate- indifferent market.” The best people still disappear quickly, especially when they are already employed and only mildly open. Tighten interview stages, align stakeholders early and communicate clearly after every step. Survey data across risk, compliance and audit all point to a market where hiring is possible, but getting the right person is still difficult. Do not underestimate flexibility. Hybrid policy is now one of the few non-cash levers that genuinely changes acceptance and retention outcomes. If your policy is materially tighter than peer firms, assume it is shrinking your candidate pool unless the brand, package or mission is exceptional. Finally, hire for trajectory as well as coverage. In 2026, the strongest teams will be the ones that mix proven operators with people who can adapt to AI, data-led control environments and increasingly cross-functional governance issues. The regulatory direction of travel points toward control functions that are more digital, more integrated and more evidence- led.
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