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In our latest spotlight on the Compliance market, we caught up with Caroline Doyle, who is one of MERJE’s newest recruits.
Caroline, who joins us as Principal Consultant - Governance, specialises in Compliance and has been working in recruitment for over a decade. She started out as a resourcer and progressed through the ranks organically, in particular enjoying the people element of the role and building lasting relationships with clients and candidates.
Her professional background is Compliance recruitment across the London Insurance market, a fast-paced area within the market that is constantly evolving.
You only recently joined MERJE, what are your first impressions of the company, people and culture?
My first impressions of MERJE are positive. They bring a modern style of recruitment and have an easy going but adult culture with an element of trust from the senior management team that gets results from consultants across the board. The consultants are hardworking and passionate about what they do.
During your 11 years in recruitment, what notable changes have you seen across the industry?
During my time in recruitment, I have seen significant changes, one being that client relationships are more personable - rather than transactional - which, in turn, brings long term gain.
The 8am to 8pm working routine is a thing of the past and cold calling is seen as old school recruitment. Recruiters have had the chance to step up and prove themselves post-Covid with the industry going through a recruitment boom. This has created a more even relationship, rather than one based on recruiter sales. In tandem with this, technology has evolved and virtual meetings are now the norm bringing more collaboration.
Recruiters have seen a much more relaxed way of working with the hybrid model being successful across the industry giving a much better work life balance. Companies are now more focused on general output rather than KPIs and recruiters have proved they can work from anywhere with the right tools.
The hiring process has changed and remote interviewing is now the expectation from the majority of candidates. We are still very much in a candidate-driven market and companies are having to review their compensation, benefits and culture in order to attract and retain talent and source passive candidates.
What’s happening in the world of Compliance recruitment right now?
Compliance recruitment is ever-evolving and, in the past year, we saw a demand for conduct risk professionals with consumer duty coming into play. This demand is now starting to wane and we have a higher need for Compliance monitoring and regulatory professionals with horizon scanning being at the forefront of a lot of teams within the Insurance space.
Many firms are building their Compliance function with workloads increasing. We are also seeing a demand for Financial Crime with the economic downturn driving more fraud.
This has resulted in Insurance firms offering significant pay increases to attract Compliance professionals in an ever-competitive market.
Any top tips for hiring managers in the current climate?
In a candidate-driven market, hiring managers need to move quickly to secure talent. The interview process should be smooth and efficient with feedback being provided ASAP.
We also need to be open to location based/hybrid working and be mindful of underpaying people in what is already a challenging market.
It is crucial now to have a USP to attract the right talent, this should be promoted wherever possible. Additionally, from a recruitment perspective, it is a much smoother and effective process to work with no more than two specialist agencies in order to retain a polished search.
Meeting with recruiters is also a great help as it helps us understand team fit and company culture so we can deliver the right candidate for your organisation.
What are your ambitions for MERJE’s Compliance offering?
Currently we have a focus more on the Retail Insurance side of the market and I would like to build out the Compliance desk with a focus on the Lloyds of London market, bringing new business that will benefit all divisions.
I am also noticing a high demand for company secretaries. This is something I will be looking to develop, together with general Compliance.
Has the Compliance market been impacted by the current economic conditions? If so, do you see recovery happening soon?
Yes, we have seen a shift across the Insurance market for Compliance hires. This is partly due to the current climate and the reluctance for companies to hire.
Additionally, many companies are going through a recruitment freeze or trying to hire internally with the view to cut costs. It is also due to candidates not moving which is creating less opportunities. In fact, the great resignation seems to have now come to a natural end.
We are now starting to see some confidence in the market with companies coming out to agencies again and candidates moving on organically.
Best MERJE moments so far?
Filling my first role with the team.
Getting to meet the wider team and enjoying a lovely spa day in Manchester.
Receiving my thoughtful birthday card and gift.
Lots of office laughs with my lovely London team!
Our quickfire round:
What’s your favourite podcast? Wednesdays We Drink Wine
Who’s your dream dinner date? David Beckham
What’s your desert island disc? The Cranberries
Any summer holidays planned? Mykonos and Majorca
Looking for the next step in your Compliance career? Or maybe you're in need of exceptional Compliance talent to join your team? Get in touch with the MERJE experts for the best hiring support and advice.
