If there’s one thing we've learned from working in FinTech recruitment, it’s that the competition for top talent is relentless. The industry moves fast - new startups emerge, established players expand, and the demand for specialised skills continues to outstrip supply. But while the war for talent rages on, the real winners aren’t just those offering the highest salaries - they’re the companies that truly understand how to attract, engage, and retain the best people. So, how do you ensure your organisation stands out as a destination for top FinTech talent? Let’s break it down step by step.
Before you even think about hiring, take a step back and ask yourself: Why would a top candidate choose to work here?
A strong employer brand isn’t just a flashy careers page or a few LinkedIn posts - it’s the lived experience of your employees. It’s how people talk about your company when you’re not in the room. If your culture doesn’t encourage growth, innovation, and engagement, no amount of job advertising will fix that.
Tip: Ask your employees what they love about working for you - and what they don’t. Use that feedback to refine your employer value proposition (EVP).
Many hiring teams assume that if a candidate declines an offer, it’s because they got a better deal elsewhere. In reality, a poor recruitment process is often the culprit. The best candidates won’t wait around if your hiring process is slow, unclear, or disengaging.
Put yourself in a candidate’s shoes:
Actionable Step: Run a recruitment process audit - from application to offer acceptance - to identify bottlenecks, unnecessary steps, or poor communication touchpoints.
Too often, hiring managers jump into recruitment without a clear, unified understanding of what they’re actually looking for. The result? Misaligned expectations, confused candidates, and wasted time.
Pro Tip: This shouldn’t be a one-off exercise. Embed structured role definition into your hiring process to ensure every position gets the same level of clarity.
If you’re relying only on job postings and applications, you’re missing out on some of the best candidates. The strongest FinTech talent is often passive, meaning they aren’t actively applying but would consider the right opportunity.
Reality Check: If you’re struggling to access the right candidates, ask yourself whether your talent pipeline is proactive enough - or if you’re just waiting for applicants to come to you.
Let’s be honest - internal HR teams are stretched thin. Between managing existing employees, handling compliance, and juggling multiple vacancies, they often don’t have the bandwidth to execute a highly strategic hiring process.
This is where specialist human capital partners can be game-changers.
If your internal team is overwhelmed, outsourcing key hiring functions can improve speed, quality, and overall candidate experience.
Attracting talent is only half the battle - keeping them engaged is just as critical.
A candidate may accept an offer, but if they feel disconnected before day one, they’re at risk of dropping out before they even start. Worse, a bad onboarding experience can lead to high early turnover.
Dissatisfaction with Onboarding: A recent study by Cognexo found that over half (54%) of office-based employees expressed dissatisfaction with their onboarding experience. The primary reasons include a lack of structure (31%), discrepancies between the advertised role and actual job responsibilities (21%), and confusion about daily tasks (20%).
Hiring is just the beginning. If you want to build a truly engaged workforce, you need to listen, adapt, and improve - constantly.
Retention isn’t just about keeping people - it’s about making them want to stay.
Attracting and retaining top FinTech professionals requires a holistic, strategic approach. From building a compelling employer brand to refining recruitment processes and engaging employees long-term, every step matters.
If you’re looking to scale your hiring strategy, ensure strong candidate engagement, or build an agile recruitment model, let’s talk.
Contact PaymentGenes today to explore how we can help you win the battle for top FinTech talent.
Experience industry-leading Payments Recruitment & Executive Search, making you consistently hire and employ disciplined payments & FinTech expertise.
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