We explore the most current developments and trends influencing the tech talent market in 2025, as part of our recent partnership with Pioneer Search, a top tech and transformation recruiter for the London Market and Specialty Insurance industry.
As we move further into 2025, leadership teams across London’s Specialty Insurance sector face unprecedented challenges when it comes to tech talent. Rapid digital transformation, ongoing cost pressures, evolving hybrid work models, and regulatory uncertainty are reshaping the landscape – forcing businesses to rethink how they attract, engage, and retain the specialist skills that drive growth and resilience.
Traditional hiring approaches no longer suffice. Instead, companies must adopt smarter, more flexible talent strategies that balance financial discipline with the need for high-impact expertise. From executive leadership roles to contract specialists and permanent hires, the demand for niche skills in areas like cyber security, data engineering, cloud, and AI continues to grow – even as organisations navigate tighter budgets and shifting workforce expectations.
Drawing on insights from Pioneer Search’s senior recruitment leaders, this article explores the key trends shaping executive, contract, and permanent hiring within the tech space, highlighting what today’s market behaviours mean for business leaders tasked with building agile, future-proof teams.
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Executive Summary
Mark Warburton
Managing Director – Pioneer Search | Community Manager – Nexus Connect
The technology recruitment landscape in the London Specialty Insurance market has entered a more complex and cautious phase. Following the post-pandemic boom, the market has gradually stabilised, but that stability is built on shifting ground.
Businesses are juggling contradictory pressures: cost discipline versus digital transformation needs, hybrid work expectations versus leadership's push for in-person collaboration, and talent shortages in niche areas despite broader headcount reductions.
In 2024, employers contended with rising employment costs, evolving hybrid models, and political uncertainty, most notably, the Labour Party’s proposed Employment Rights Bill. These factors have introduced caution into hiring strategies. Many organisations have slowed permanent recruitment, preferring more flexible resourcing models while keeping strategic transformation goals in focus.
At the same time, the need for technical excellence is undiminished. Roles in architecture, cyber security, data engineering, and cloud remain critical and highly sought-after. Companies that embrace adaptive workforce planning, fractional leadership, and cross-sector skillsets are best positioned to lead.
As we move through 2025, the focus will sharpen on value-driven hiring: people who deliver tangible outcomes within leaner, more cost-aware teams.
The following expert-led insights from Pioneer Search’s leadership team detail how these trends are playing out across executive, contract, and permanent recruitment markets.
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Executive Search Hiring Summary
Jon Rogers
Director – Executive Search – Pioneer Search | Community Manager – Nexus Connect
The executive hiring market remained subdued through 2024, shaped by delayed decision-making and increased scrutiny from US based stakeholders in global insurance groups. Many senior roles were left unfilled after leadership exits, resulting in a strong cohort of experienced, but temporarily underutilised professionals.
Key Trends
- Fractional and interim roles are rising, offering transformation expertise without long-term cost exposure.
- Boards are prioritising leaders with digital change experience and strong business-technology fluency.
- There is a shift toward impact-driven roles; titles matter less than measurable delivery.
The Year Ahead
- Transformation demand is expected to pick up from Q2 onwards, particularly in Change, Technology, Data, and Operations.
- Trust and networks are becoming central to senior appointments, with retained partnerships and referrals driving activity.
- Leadership soft skills such as remote team management and cross-border collaboration will define high-performing executives.
In-Demand Senior and Executive Profiles
- Fractional CTOs/CIOs, strategic thinkers who can also execute
- Transformation Programme Leads, especially with Blueprint Two or complex data platform backgrounds
- Data-Led Change Leaders, able to embed analytics into business decision-making
- Enterprise Architecture Heads with end-to-end modernisation expertise
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Contract & Interim Hiring Summary
Pratap Vara
Director – Contract Recruitment – Pioneer Search | Community Manager – Nexus Connect
In a climate of economic headwinds and elevated employment costs, contractors continue to offer businesses the flexibility and focus they need to deliver transformation initiatives without the long-term liabilities of permanent hiring.
Key Trends
- Employers are leaning on contractors for delivery-critical projects, often pausing permanent hiring in parallel.
- Day rates remain strong for niche skills, though competition and negotiation are increasing.
- Confidence around IR35 determinations has improved, with the market witnessing more outside IR35 determinations.
Looking Ahead to 2025
- Growth in contract hiring is expected across mid-size insurers and scale-ups, particularly for regulatory and transformation programmes.
- Tactical resourcing will dominate, favouring short-term, outcome-driven engagements.
- Contractors who offer hybrid flexibility and demonstrable delivery success will continue to be in high demand.
In-Demand Contract Skills
- Cybersecurity Experts, especially in Cloud Security, IAM, and AppSec
- Data Engineers, skilled in Azure, Snowflake, and complex ETL frameworks
- Cloud Architects with Azure and AWS experience remain highly sought-after
- Tech Business Analysts, particularly with experience in underwriting, claims, or regulatory change
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Permanent Hiring Summary
Alex Holliday
Director – Permanent Recruitment – Pioneer Search | Community Manager – Nexus Connect
The permanent job market in 2025 is stable but cautious. Salary expectations have recalibrated after the post-pandemic inflationary surge, and hiring is now driven by strategic value, not volume. Employers are more selective, prioritising roles that unlock efficiency, innovation, or compliance advantages.
Key Trends
- Hiring cycles are longer and more deliberate, with a sharper focus on budget alignment and ROI.
- Hybrid working remains a baseline candidate expectation, even as leadership pushes for more office presence.
- Permanent teams are increasingly supported by contract resource during peak transformation periods.
Looking Ahead to 2025
- Demand will grow for professionals who can support system modernisation, automation, and AI integration.
- Cross-functional skills and adaptability will be key, especially in hybrid or matrixed environments.
- Employers will favour candidates who combine technical acumen with business context, capable of operating in lean, agile teams.
Highly Sought-After Permanent Skills
- AI & Automation Engineers, particularly those streamlining underwriting and claims processes
- Data & Analytics Leaders, able to span Operations, Finance, and Risk
- Software Developers skilled in C#, .Net, Azure, and low-code platforms (e.g., Power Platform)
- Cloud Migration Specialists with Azure leading the way in EC3
- Business Analysts with strong regulatory transformation experience (Blueprint Two, DORA)
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Closing Summary
As we navigate 2025, the Specialty Insurance tech talent market demands agility, strategic focus, and a deep understanding of evolving workforce dynamics. Whether balancing cost pressures with digital transformation ambitions, adapting hiring approaches for hybrid models, or securing scarce specialist skills, leadership teams must be equipped with timely insights to make confident decisions.
This evolving landscape requires a smarter, more flexible approach to talent–one that goes beyond traditional hiring models to unlock real value and drive business outcomes.
For those looking to deepen their understanding and gain actionable intelligence, the 2025 Tech Talent Salary Guide from Nexus Connect powered by Pioneer Search offers an exclusive, detailed breakdown of salary ranges, contract rates, and the latest trends shaping inside vs. outside IR35 decisions. It also features expert analysis from Pioneer Search’s recruitment specialists to help you optimise your hiring strategies in this competitive market.
Whether you’re facing challenges recruiting hard-to-find tech talent or aiming to elevate your tech and change functions, this guide is an invaluable resource to help you stay ahead of the curve.
Download the guide today to access these insights and ensure your recruitment decisions are informed, strategic, and aligned with market realities.
Alternatively, you can reach out directly to the Pioneer Search team to discuss your specific recruitment and talent needs.
