Talent is consistently cited as one of the main challenges facing the founders and owners of fintech organisations. The main areas of concern revolve around accessing and sponsoring skilled migrants combined with a local shortage of specialist skills in engineering and software development. These are challenges for all organisations in tech generally, but the pressure becomes more pronounced in the fast growth world of fintech.
While the recruitment and retention of talent will remain an issue, we have seen a significant shift in perceptions over the four years in which the Census has been run. There has been a 15-point drop since 2016 in the percentage of fintech leaders who believe there is a lack of experienced start-up and fintech talent in Australia (58% in 2016 vs. 43% in 2019). This reflects a more mature fintech sector and the continued development of the tech sector more generally.
For detailed information about recruitment, retention and the profile of people working in the fintech industry, please download the EY FinTech Australia Census 2019 Report.