Planner jobs see boost in demand
By Christine St Anne
Tuesday 12 January 2010
Jobs in the financial planning industry have increased as adviser firms look to implement their growth strategy, according to a number of recruitment firms.
"Jobs in the financial planning sector began to pick up in the last quarter of last year. Firms are now starting to implement their growth strategy, which was previously on hold because of the global financial crisis," Porter Allen manager Andrew McKissock said.
"Large retail businesses, independent financial planning firms and private wealth companies are now all looking to hire staff."
Financial Recruitment Group (FRG) managing director Judith Beck said it has been the "busiest two months in 10 years".
"A lot of companies held back from recruiting during the GFC [global financial crisis]. These companies now have plans to grow their teams," Beck said.
While roles are available across the board, firms are particularly looking to boost their staff in the areas of practice management and strategy, according to Beck and McKissock.
"We are seeing an increasing demand for practice managers now," Beck said.
Companies are planning to add staff who focus on corporate strategy, Porter Allen senior recruitment consultant Kieran Smith said.
"We are looking to hire people who have experience in strategy on behalf of our clients. Our clients want people to manage the strategic management of the firm over a three to five-year time horizon," Smith said.
He said such roles were in demand as adviser firms move to embrace a fee-for-service model following government regulation.
"Our clients need people to roll out such initiatives into the business," he said.
Both Porter Allen and the FRG have plans to boost staff on the back of job demand from their clients.
"We have already hired three people at the end of last year and we expect to add more this year," McKissock said.
FRG is also looking to add people to its Sydney and Melbourne offices, Beck said.
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