The fight for payments and fintech talent is no longer just between startups and scaleups. Big Tech is in the ring - and it’s throwing its weight around. Companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, and Meta aren’t just dipping a toe into payments, crypto, or embedded finance. They’re building teams, launching products, and pulling top talent from across the ecosystem - often before you’ve even had a chance to make your move. So how can other firms compete? It starts with understanding what you’re really up against - and where your edge might lie.
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Big Tech salaries can be hard to match - especially when they come with equity, performance bonuses, and generous perks. For many candidates, it’s not just about the number. It’s about the perceived value of the package, the long-term potential, and the security that comes with a big-name brand.
There’s no denying the gravitational pull of working for a household name. It opens doors. It boosts CVs. It feels “safe.” Particularly for candidates making the jump from traditional finance or early-career roles, the promise of stability carries weight.
Big Tech can afford to be specific. Their hiring teams know exactly what they’re looking for - and they’re not afraid to wait. That can leave other organisations fighting over a smaller pool of candidates with in-demand skills (especially in AI, cloud infrastructure, security, and regulatory technology).
From plush offices to career development platforms and internal mobility, Big Tech has the infrastructure to back up its promises. The narrative of working with “the best in the business” still holds sway for many.
The good news? You don’t have to beat Big Tech at its own game. You just need to offer something it can’t.
Candidates - especially the best ones - care about what they’re building. They want to make an impact. In smaller or mid-sized firms, product teams can see the direct results of their work. A new feature ships, and it matters. A risk model is improved, and fraud drops. That kind of impact is addictive.
While Big Tech can offer scale, many candidates find the layers of hierarchy stifling. Organisations that offer faster decision-making, more ownership, and the ability to grow laterally and vertically - quickly - can win candidates that want autonomy and growth.
You may not have Google’s budget, but you might have better tech. Working on modern infrastructure, using new languages, or building from scratch appeals to engineers and product minds alike. The chance to build, not maintain, is a strong draw.
It’s no secret that many of the tech giants are pulling employees back into the office - often multiple days a week, with limited flexibility. That doesn’t sit well with everyone, especially top talent who’ve grown used to remote-first environments and better work-life balance. You have an opportunity to lead the way here. Remote-friendly, async-capable, and built around outcomes - not presenteeism - offers the kind of modern working culture that attracts high-performers who want autonomy over where and how they work.
So how do you turn these advantages into action?
What makes your company different - and why should someone choose you? Don’t try to sound like Big Tech. Talk about your mission, your people, your pace of growth, and the real impact new hires can have. Candidates care about culture - show them what it’s really like to work with you.
You may not offer Google-level salaries, but you can still build competitive packages. Consider:
Big Tech is known for lengthy, complex hiring processes that can stretch across multiple rounds, weeks of silence, and a maze of internal approvals. That creates friction - and frustration. For companies looking to compete for talent, this is an opportunity. Move faster. Ditch the unnecessary hoops. Make it easy for great candidates to say yes. A clear, candidate-focused hiring journey not only sets you apart - it sends a strong signal about your culture and how you do business.
If you can’t always hire the perfect candidate, grow them. Upskilling programs, internal mobility, mentorship, and leadership pathways all signal that you’re invested in your people. PaymentGenes Academy, for example, supports clients in training early-career hires and developing specialist talent in compliance, AI, and more.
The best candidates aren’t applying - they’re being approached. Build talent pipelines. Engage with passive candidates. Leverage specialist recruitment partners who understand both the technical skillsets and the nuances of payments and fintech hiring. The earlier you start the conversation, the better chance you have of winning talent before Big Tech comes knocking.
Yes, Big Tech is a formidable competitor. But it doesn’t own the market.
Your ability to attract and retain top talent comes down to how well you tell your story, how thoughtfully you treat candidates, and how seriously you take the art of hiring. That’s where you can outperform even the biggest players.
At PaymentGenes, we work with ambitious companies recruiting across the payments and fintech space to build high-performing teams - fast. If you’re looking to compete more effectively for top talent, let’s talk.
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Breaking into the payments and fintech industry isn’t just about ticking the right boxes on your CV - it’s about connecting with the right people, showing up in the right places, and knowing how to tell your story. I’ve worked with hundreds of candidates over the years, many of whom weren’t the “obvious choice” on paper - but they landed their dream roles because they knew how to build relationships, learn from others, and stay visible in the right networks. That’s the real secret. If you’re serious about launching or accelerating your career in this space, networking isn’t optional. It’s your bridge into a world that moves fast, values innovation, and is always hungry for curious minds and bold thinkers. Here’s how to build and use that bridge.
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Crypto, blockchain, and Web3 companies aren’t just reshaping financial services - they’re changing what careers in tech and fintech can look like. Whether you’re a developer, designer, marketer, or compliance expert, this is one of the most exciting, fast-moving corners of the job market. But how do you break in? At PaymentGenes, we work with some of the world’s most innovative payments and crypto businesses. We’ve helped engineers become founding CTOs, product managers transition into Web3 strategy roles, and compliance professionals find their niche in decentralised finance (DeFi). And here’s what we’ve learned: getting a job in crypto isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s about understanding the space - and showing up ready to add value.
Let’s be honest - talking about money can feel awkward. Even seasoned professionals sometimes stumble when it comes to salary negotiation. But if you’re working in FinTech or Payments, your skills are in high demand. And that means you’re valuable. We speak to talented professionals every day - senior engineers, compliance leads, product strategists, data specialists - who aren’t always sure how to position their worth in today’s fast-moving market. It’s not about confidence, it’s about strategy. And that’s something we can absolutely help with. With the right preparation and a bit of guidance, salary negotiation becomes a positive, empowering step in your career growth. Here’s how to do it well.
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