Key Takeaways from the SOA ImpACT Conference: What Actuarial Hiring Leaders Should Know
November 2025
Key Takeaways from the SOA ImpACT Conference: What Actuarial Hiring Leaders Should Know
The SOA ImpACT Conference once again brought together leading actuarial professionals, industry innovators, and future talent to discuss the trends shaping the insurance and financial services sector. For many organisations, staying competitive requires a clear understanding of how the actuarial job market is evolving, how hiring expectations are shifting, and what candidates value most.
To explore these themes, we spoke with Sarah Crawford, Senior Consultant at Selby Jennings, who attended the conference alongside three other Selby Jennings insurance talent specialists. With a strong focus on actuarial recruitment across life insurance, health insurance, property and casualty, and the expanding actuarial financial operations space, Sarah shared insights that can help employers stay competitive in a tightening market and help candidates position themselves for the most in-demand opportunities. Her takeaways highlight where hiring pressure is building, which skills are gaining value fastest, and what both sides need to understand to make smarter decisions in the year ahead.
Talent engagement at the conference
Across the three days, Sarah and the team connected with approximately 300 attendees ranging from early career analysts to seasoned FSAs and leadership-level actuaries. Their conversations revealed two distinct themes:
- Candidates, particularly those with both actuarial and technical analytical skills, are eager for clarity on market compensation, remote work flexibility, and long-term career progression.
- Employers continue to seek ways to streamline hiring, reduce time to fill, and secure actuarial talent capable of adapting to evolving tools and business demands.
Hiring trends shaping the market
Based on conversations with hiring managers and candidates at the event, Sarah highlighted several trends that organisations should be preparing for:
As companies push to fill roles before the close of the fourth quarter, hiring activity accelerates. Teams that act decisively and communicate clearly are far better positioned to secure top actuarial talent.
Roughly 80% of companies now expect at least a hybrid schedule, while only a small fraction allows fully remote roles. This creates a competitive advantage for employers willing to offer remote flexibility, particularly across niche actuarial specialisms where the talent pool is limited.
From pricing to modeling to predictive analytics, organisations increasingly want actuaries with strong technical foundations and familiarity with AI tools. FSAs and near-FSAs who can leverage modern analytics are becoming some of the most sought-after candidates in the market.
These shifts reinforce the need for employers to communicate clearly on expectations, growth opportunities, and total rewards early in the hiring process. For additional insight into compensation trends and evolving hiring patterns, you can explore our Insurance and Actuarial Talent Report.
Why conferences like ImpACT matter for hiring strategy
For Sarah, attending ImpACT offers an opportunity to strengthen relationships with actuaries at all career stages and gain firsthand insight into what both sides of the market are experiencing.
Meeting so many clients and candidates in person helped highlight the similarities in their hiring challenges. Employers offering remote flexibility consistently fill roles faster, while candidates increasingly want clarity around compensation, skill development, and long-term growth. These conversations reinforce how important it is to build relationships and provide value beyond job placement.
How Selby Jennings supports actuarial hiring and career growth
With a dedicated actuarial recruitment team covering life, health, property and casualty, and the growing actuarial financial operations space, Selby Jennings partners with organisations navigating talent shortages, market shifts, and evolving skill requirements.
Whether companies are building new teams, expanding into new product lines, or competing for niche technical expertise, our consultants provide data-driven insights, streamlined search processes, and access to a broad network of specialised actuarial talent.
If you are looking for guidance on the current actuarial talent market or need support securing high-impact actuarial professionals, you can request a call back or submit a vacancy and our team will be in touch.
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