Malta’s Fintech Talent Evolution

Malta’s fintech ecosystem is growing, with newly licensed businesses entering the market and a sweeping wave of digitalization across established financial services firms.

This growth isn’t just a trend; it’s a transformation and it’s driving the demand for talent, particularly across C-suite, cybersecurity, compliance, and finance disciplines. But in this growth, technical skills are not enough – these roles have also evolved to reflect the realities of the market.

Key disciplines evolution :

1. Compliance: The regulatory landscape is constantly evolving. Deep expertise is enhanced by foresight and proactive strategies, making these two abilities critical for successful compliance hires.

2. Finance: Growth and consistent competition demand more than traditional financial acumen. CFOs and finance professionals must incorporate forecasting and business analysis as the standard in their work, enabling fintech businesses to adapt and thrive in a “never normal” environment. The ability to redefine strategy based on data-driven analysis is paramount for successful finance hires.

3. C-Suite: Leading the way: Misaligned C-suite appointments can have devastating consequences: regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and stifled growth. Today’s C-suite leaders must drive innovation while balancing regulatory adherence and sustainable growth, acting as the compass for the entire organisation.

4. Cybersecurity has evolved, prioritising leadership and proactive strategic defense. The need for professionals who can build resilient security frameworks and lead effective responses to sophisticated threats is critical.
As the required skill set evolves to meet the demands of this dynamic environment, the approach to talent attraction must evolve too.  

Securing talent is more than just filling a vacancy. It’s about aligning with the right professionals who share your values and aspirations, creating a partnership that drives mutual success.

If you are a fintech business growing your team, here are some critical points to keep in mind, based on our expertise in successfully advising fintech firms with such appointments:

1. Understanding the Talent Landscape and Competition:

The local talent pool is fiercely competitive and recognising its limitations and adapting your approach is critical.
Vague job descriptions and generic platitudes will lead to prolonged vacancies and will fail to capture the attention of your target audience.
Understanding transferable skill sets and maximizing those is crucial – for example, from banking to e-money.

2. Articulating Vision and Clarity:

Professionals seek purpose. Communicate your company’s vision and goals clearly and how the role contributes to achieving those.
This builds engagement and strengthens candidate interest.

3. The Interview Process: An Engagement, Not Just an Assessment:

The interview process reflects your company’s culture.
It should be designed to attract and engage, not just evaluate.
The depth and quality of your interview process directly impact candidate perception and acceptance rates.

Proactive talent planning is essential for your fintech business and if you’re considering expanding your team and want to explore best practices for attracting the right professionals for you, reach out for a discussion – we can call it a complimentary consultation, so there is no downside for you. But we prefer to call it the first step in setting up your hiring strategy for success.

Reach out via email to Fran Moisa, Founder & Headhunter, at FM Search: fran@fmsearch.eu