The Intermediary – February 2026 - Flipbook - Page 78
B RO K E R B U S I N E S S
Opinion
Full-time HR is
no longer optional
I
n financial services, HR is no
longer a back-office support
function. Increasingly, it is
being treated as a core part
of business performance,
governance and risk
management. Until the robots
take over, people remain central
to regulated businesses, which is
why more firms are now employing
full-time HR managers rather than
relying on outsourced support or
part-time administration.
At Loans Warehouse, this became
increasingly clear during 2025. With
a workforce of around 40 employees,
the demands of recruitment, employee
relations and wellbeing had grown
significantly, both in volume and
complexity. For directors focused on
growth, performance and regulatory
obligations, maintaining oversight
of employment law developments
and workforce risk alongside core
business responsibilities has become
increasingly challenging.
Across the sector, employees are
now far more informed about their
statutory and contractual rights,
supported by easier access to external
advice and guidance. While this
greater awareness can promote
fairness and transparency, it has
also led to a higher volume of formal
processes being initiated earlier
in the employment relationship.
According to ACAS, requests for
early conciliation have risen steadily
year-on-year, with tens of thousands
of claims raised annually, many
within the first year of employment.
A significant proportion of these
cases relate not to serious misconduct
or long-term performance issues,
but to misunderstandings,
communication breakdowns or
mismatched expectations.
This environment is also one of
the reasons many businesses are
increasingly exploring automation
and artificial intelligence (AI). That
interest is not purely about efficiency.
Reducing people-related friction and
risk is becoming a strategic priority in
its own right, particularly in highly
regulated sectors.
The shi has been particularly
noticeable over the last two decades,
according to Ma Tristram, cofounder of Loans Warehouse. “Having
owned Loans Warehouse for two
decades, I’ve seen a real change in
employee expectations, not just
around pay and progression, but
flexibility, wellbeing, communication
and how quickly issues are escalated
formally,” he said. “Employment
rights and processes have become far
more complex, and in many cases
heavily weighted in favour of the
employee, even at the earliest stages of
employment. That means businesses
When a cohesive people strategy clicks into place, organisational performance strengthens
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The Intermediary | February 2026
LESLEY WHITE
is head of HR and recruitment
at Loans Warehouse
have to operate with far greater
structure, documentation and
consistency than they did years ago.”
Post-pandemic workforce dynamics
have also evolved. Many organisations
are reporting higher levels of
turnover, shorter average tenure
and increased expectations around
flexibility. In financial services,
where continuity, accountability and
competence are critical, these trends
can introduce operational risk if not
managed properly, particularly where
HR support is limited or stretched
across multiple priorities.
Employee expectations have
shied as well. Across the sector,
staff increasingly view HR as a
source of guidance, reassurance and
clarity, particularly around fairness,
wellbeing and process. That shi is
pushing firms away from reactive,
transactional HR support and towards
consistent, visible and accessible inhouse HR leadership.
This view is increasingly reflected at
senior levels across the wider financial
services industry. United Trust
Bank’s recent appointment of a chief
people officer reinforces the idea that
dedicated HR leadership is now being
treated as a business necessity rather
than an optional extra.
As employment regulation
continues to evolve and employee
awareness increases, firms that want
to remain high-performing will need
to invest in robust HR capability.
Not as a defensive measure, but as
a foundation for strong culture,
effective risk management and
sustainable growth. ●
