eFinancialCareers

Some recruiters are pulling back north of the border even while others are building up. So what’s the real picture for Scotland’s financial services hirers?

Recruitment firm Poolia closed its Glasgow office two to three months ago and is now running its Scotland hiring out of its London office.

And while recruiter Robert Walters has retained its office in Scotland, it has admitted to being “less active” in the country than it once was.

Yet Darwin Rhodes and Michael Page are still going for growth in the Scottish market.

“We are certainly expanding. Five years ago we had four people and now we have 34,” says Mike Leeman, manager of Michael Page Financial Services’ Edinburgh office.

“We see a lot of opportunities out there, but it’s interesting that some operators have clearly been unable to get a foot-hold in the market,” he adds.

Growth areas at the moment include, perhaps unsurprisingly in the current climate, risk and compliance regulators, adds Leeman.

“That is an expanding area, definitely. We are seeing more and more demand there,” he says.

Darwin Rhodes opened a new office in Glasgow last month, after buying rival Beck Cowan, specifically to target the financial services and accountancy markets.

The four-strong office is led by Beck Cowan owner Onker Singh, who coincidentally used to work for Robert Walters.

“Glasgow’s financial services industry has been consistently growing over the past five years and we expect to see this continue,” says managing director James Gregory.