Brokers prioritising professional development above pay to solve talent retention

UK brokers are prioritising the professional development of their employees above factors such as competitive pay and benefits in their attempts to retain talent.

This is according to Aviva’s latest Broker Barometer survey, released today (27 May 2026), which found that 50% of brokers rated career development as their top strategy for retaining staff, compared to 42% for offering competitive remuneration packages.

Despite this, the salary expectations of potential new recruits remains a barrier to growing head counts, with 57% of brokers reporting that they would have to offer a “higher than expected” salary to recruit new talent.

And staff requirements are increasing. 72% of brokers reported they are currently recruiting, with 45% saying their recruitment needs had grown over the past year, while just 6% said they had fallen.

Many brokers are also changing the talent profiles they are hunting for. Indeed, 43% said they were searching for staff with new skills including “creative and digital” abilities.

Workforce investment

Michelle Taylor, broker distribution director at Aviva, said: “It’s brilliant that brokers value professional development so highly and are seeing their investment translate to a more confident, capable and committed workforce.

“I’m really proud of the support Aviva offers to talent in the industry. Whether its young brokers looking to build their network or experienced brokers getting ready for the next step, our programmes are successfully helping brokers attract and retain talent, develop capability and future-proof their businesses.

“People are at the heart of broking and are what make this industry special. We know brokers are facing into tough conditions, but as always, they’re facing forward – prioritising the long-term development of the talent that is central to their success.”