On paper, the CV looks perfect. The qualifications are spot on, the experience is there, and the technical knowledge checks every box. But six months in, that “ideal” hire is struggling. The role has evolved, new systems have been introduced, and the pace of change is leaving them behind.
It’s a story many finance leaders will recognise. In today’s market, technical skills are essential, but they’re no longer enough. The real differentiator is adaptability: hiring people with the transferable skills to flex, grow, and deliver impact as the sector shifts around them.
The Finance Hiring Challenge
The finance sector is transforming fast. Automation, AI, and constant regulatory changes are reshaping roles that once seemed stable. At the same time, demand for skilled professionals is rising. According to industry reports, 88% of financial services employers say they’re facing critical skills shortages.
Traditional hiring approaches such as scanning CVs for specific systems experience or industry niches simply don’t cut it anymore. A candidate might be technically brilliant today but unable to pivot tomorrow. What organisations need are agile finance professionals who can adapt to change, collaborate across functions, and bring fresh thinking to complex challenges.
Why Transferable Skills Matter
Transferable skills are the capabilities that fuel long-term success. They include problem-solving, commercial awareness, communication, stakeholder management, and of course, adaptability. In a sector where roles evolve quickly, these skills enable employees to stay relevant and impactful.
The evidence is clear: research shows 89% of hiring failures come down to a lack of soft skills, not technical gaps. In other words, you can teach someone to use a new system, but you can’t teach them curiosity, resilience, or adaptability as easily.
At Get Recruited, we’ve built transferable skill discovery into every stage of our recruitment process, helping clients secure hires who add value now and continue to grow with the business.
Where Employers Go Wrong
Despite the importance of adaptability, many finance firms still fall into familiar traps. Job specs are often too rigid, demanding narrow technical experience that excludes talented candidates who could thrive. Screening processes focus heavily on qualifications and miss softer capabilities. And unstructured interviews create inconsistent decisions, where potential is overlooked in favour of “safe” technical matches.
We’ve seen the consequences first-hand. A finance director once told us how their last “perfect” hire left after a year. The reason? They couldn’t cope when the business introduced new reporting tools and restructured the finance function. Ironically, a candidate who’d been dismissed for not having sector-specific experience had stronger transferable skills and might have excelled.
How to Spot Adaptable Talent
So how can you identify adaptability before it’s too late?
Start with the CV. Look for candidates who’ve navigated varied roles or progressed during times of change. Career moves that demonstrate versatility often signal resilience and learning agility.
In interviews, go beyond technical questions. Ask candidates to describe a time they had to adapt quickly, learn a new system, or influence stakeholders in unfamiliar circumstances. Scenario-based questions reveal how they think and respond under pressure.
Assessment tools can also help. Case studies, simulations, or problem-solving tasks highlight critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration. These are the traits that indicate whether someone will succeed in tomorrow’s finance team, not just today’s.
The ROI of Hiring for Transferable Skills
Hiring for adaptability isn’t just smart, it’s a business advantage. Teams built around transferable skills onboard faster, because they can pick up new systems and processes quickly. They’re more resilient during change, meaning less disruption when regulations shift or technology advances.
They’re also less likely to leave. People with transferable skills stay engaged because they thrive on challenge and growth. That means lower turnover costs and a stronger pipeline of future leaders. In short: hiring for transferable skills doesn’t just fill today’s gap, it future-proofs your entire finance function.
Why a Partner Makes the Difference
Even with the best intentions, spotting transferable skills isn’t easy. They don’t always show up on CVs, and busy hiring managers don’t always have the time or tools to assess them properly.And then there’s the issue of reach: the adaptable, high-impact professionals you want are often passive candidates, not applying to job ads, not scrolling job boards.
That’s where Get Recruited comes in. We combine deep finance expertise with behavioural assessment techniques and access to passive talent pools. Acting as your advocate in the market, we help you identify and secure the adaptable finance professionals who’ll thrive in change and drive long-term impact.
Finance is changing fast, and so must the way you hire. Technical skills will always matter, but transferable skills are what turn a good hire into a great one. If you want a finance team that can adapt, grow, and lead your business through whatever comes next, it starts with spotting adaptable talent today.