Key Takeaways
01. Career confidence is up - but earned, not assumed.
The majority of professionals feel positive about their job market prospects, which means the best candidates are already evaluating their options. To secure them, offers needs to be compelling from the first conversation - on compensation, culture, and career trajectory. Posting a role and waiting is not a hiring strategy in this market.
02. Keep AI out of the interview room.
Most candidates are comfortable with AI doing background screening and logistics work, but strongly opposed to AI interviewers. Use technology to move faster behind the scenes, then invest that time saved into making the human interactions count. The hiring decision is a relationship decision, and candidates are evaluating you at every touchpoint.
03. Salaries are on an upward curve - and candidates know it.
Salaries are increasing, more professionals received a pay rise in the past year, and compensation expectations for a move are high. Conduct regular compensation reviews against live market data, not historical precedent, and build a process for proactive adjustments before people reach the point of looking externally. Reach out to Selby Jennings for current benchmarks.
04. Strong market performance does not guarantee bonus satisfaction.
Bonus participation and size are both up year over year, but satisfaction has dipped slightly where expectations have risen alongside market performance. Firms that want to hold onto high performers should ensure direct links between individual contribution and variable pay, and communicate these frameworks openly.
05. Flexibility is a baseline, not a benefit.
Hybrid working schedules have stabilized, but expectations around some degree of remote flexibility remain firm. Firms pulling back on flexibility should expect it to register in both attraction and retention metrics, particularly in functions where remote work has been standard practice. Roles with genuine on-site requirements should say so early and clearly.
06. Progression is accelerating - and salary expectations are following it.
A generational leadership transition is creating real upward movement across the industry. That is creating more promotion activity, but also higher compensation expectations from professionals who know their skills are in demand. Building a faster, more data-informed offer process is one of the highest-leverage hiring improvements available right now.
07. A third of your workforce is unhappy - and the market is active.
Dissatisfaction at this level, combined with high mobility confidence, can easily become a retention emergency. Proactive pulse checks, manager-level conversations about compensation and progression, and genuine follow-through on what you hear will effectively reduce attrition.
08. Counter offers rarely fix the real reason someone left.
Most professionals who receive a counter offer still leave. Compensation-driven departures are the most recoverable; those driven by career progression, trust, or culture almost never are. The most effective counter offer strategy is the one that never needs to happen: understand what your people value, address concerns before they become decisions, and identify flight risks early enough to act on them.
Summary
In the current financial services talent market, confidence is up, compensation is trending higher, bonus pools have grown alongside market performance, and a generational transition in leadership is creating real movement across every function and seniority level.
For firms that are hiring well, offering competitive packages, and actively managing their culture, this is an excellent environment to build high-performing teams. For those that are not, the same conditions make attrition an increasingly urgent problem. For professionals, skills in financial services are in demand, and the market is rewarding those who know their value and are willing to act on it.
Selby Jennings specializes in placing mid-to-senior financial sciences and services professionals across the USA and around the globe. Whether you are a firm building out a team or a professional exploring what the market holds for you, our consultants have the sector knowledge, the data, and the network to help you navigate the market with confidence. Reach out to the Selby Jennings team for expert support on your next move.
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