Payments professionals looking to land a job may need technology chops as much as industry experience these days.
Synchrony Financial, which issues private-label credit cards, has more than 70 job openings across its global operations. But the fintech company and digital bank doesn’t plan to seek talent that exclusively has a background in financial services.
Instead, Stamford Connecticut-based Synchrony is focused on candidates with the right skillset, which could come from industries as diverse as technology, retail or even hospitality.
This skills-first approach to talent recruitment is becoming a necessity for fintechs and payments firms as companies increasingly modernize their technology and adopt AI. They’re seeking a bit of a unicorn — multidisciplinary talent with tech skills, industry expertise and the ability to work well in a regulated environment.
“That combination is unique, and the people who have it are in high demand across the market,” said Claudine Hoverson, senior vice president and chief talent officer at Synchrony.
The dynamic has shifted how companies in the payments industry hire, from a traditional method seeking candidates with specific finance degrees or a long resume in the industry, to a skills-based approach. It’s prompting companies to position themselves and their workplaces differently, in ways that are more attractive to prospective hires, in hopes of recruiting — and keeping — the best talent.
Translating skills to payments
Jeanne Branthover, vice chair and head of the financial services and fintech practice at executive search firm DHR Global in New York, said the talent market remains highly competitive, and payments companies are “fighting for top talent.” As a result, she sees payments firms becoming more open-minded and “broadening their horizons” outside of financial services to find talent.
Synchrony has been bringing in candidates from the retail or e-commerce industry. These candidates hold experience with products, marketing analytics, personalization and lifecycle management. “Those skills translate directly to consumer finance experiences,” Hoverson said.
Likewise, employees and leaders from travel and hospitality bring discipline and a service-oriented mindset, which lends well to customer-facing and operational roles, she added.
Some technologists who worked for major tech companies are transitioning to areas such as fintech due to their transferrable skills, said Michael Morris, global head of platform and talent at Randstad Digital in Boston.
Unlike the broader job market, which shed 92,000 jobs in February, the finance sector has remained steady over the last year, even adding 10,000 jobs from January to February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nonetheless, as talent transitions into payments or finance, there’s no guarantee professionals will stay, as competition to retain them remains fierce.
“The reality is, banks and financial services institutions are competing for the same digital skills that every other industry wants,” Morris said. “Workers with in-demand skills know they have options.”
To be sure, technology can cut against workers too, if they aren’t proficient in key digital niches or if companies deem their skills replaceable by AI. For instance, digital payments company Block cut 40% of its workforce last month, citing AI as the reason. Likewise, bank giant Capital One Financial plans to cut hundreds of Discover workers after acquiring that company last year, including some that are software application engineers.
While competition in the payments industry talent market has moderated from the post-pandemic squeeze, Hoverson said, the field remains a battlefield for high-caliber employees. Payments companies can bring in top talent from their own industry or by sourcing from other sectors, through three key strategies, human resources leaders and recruiters said.
Secure a talent pipeline
Several payments firms offer internships with the goal of eventually bringing those students on board full-time. For example, JPMorgan Chase has opened up applications for its payments analyst program next summer, stating “top-performing summer analysts may receive a full-time offer.”
In addition to summer internships, Synchrony has technology centers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Connecticut in Stamford, both of which provide students with exposure to real-world tech work. Hoverson said the partnerships give students “a clear line of sight into a career with us.”
The interest is mutual, as younger generations and college grads are expressing interest in payments careers, according to recruiters. The industry combines technology, financial services and real-world consumer connection, and the field is rapidly evolving.
“I think they see payments in that bucket of innovative, very cool, today’s company,” Branthover said.
Provide competitive pay, workplace flexibility
No doubt, talent won’t be attracted to a role if the price isn’t right.
“Companies are definitely paying higher dollar than they used to,” Branthover said. But she emphasized that for many candidates, the right career is about more than money. Work-life balance, flexible schedules, and hybrid or remote options that don’t require relocation are important to many candidates, Branthover said.
“You don't want to have less talent because of location,” she said.
Data from Randstad Workmonitor 2026 showed that only 18% of financial services employers let workers set their own schedules, Morris said. At Medius, an accounts payable and payments software company with offices across North America, Europe, North Africa and Asia, employees have flexibility, autonomy and control over their own schedule, said the company’s chief people officer, Rosalie Hawley.
“With organizations bringing people back to the office, it makes us more of an attractive employer,” Hawley said.
Payments firms have the potential to win over candidates by providing flexibility in work location and hours. Mastercard, for one, employs a hybrid policy along with a 4-week program in which employees can work remotely from anywhere, according to a post on its website.
Emphasize meaningful work
“The generation of today is much more mission-driven than in years past,” Branthover said. They care about the organization’s brand reputation and whether it’s an innovative, growing company.
Candidates also gravitate toward work with a purpose. Hoverson noted that employees feel connected to Synchrony’s mission of helping consumers improve their financial health and build credit. Payments companies that similarly lean into their impact can position themselves attractively to prospective hires.
“Most people don't just want to work,” Branthover said. “They really want to like what they do.”