Is it Time to Scrap CVs? | FinTech Connect 2026 Preview

What if the best candidate for a job never gets an interview because their CV doesn't match an employer's expectations?

For decades, CVs have been central to recruitment, helping employers assess qualifications, experience and career progression. But as Financial Technology evolves, traditional hiring practices risk overlooking talented individuals whose capabilities extend beyond their employment history.

In an industry shaped by technological innovation, changing skills requirements and increasing competition for specialist talent, are businesses placing too much emphasis on what candidates have done rather than what they can achieve?

In this episode of FinTech's DEI Discussions, Nadia Edwards-Dashti, speaks with Joe Wilson, Chief Evangelist at bunq, about challenging traditional recruitment practices, recognising potential and creating inclusive workplaces.

From bunq's no-CV hiring policy to its approach to employee autonomy and ownership, Joe challenges conventional thinking about how Financial Technology businesses identify, recruit and develop talent.

Why Are Traditional CVs Being Challenged in FinTech Recruitment?

A CV provides a useful overview of someone's professional background, but does it accurately demonstrate their ability to succeed?

Traditional recruitment often prioritises previous job titles, qualifications and years of experience. While these can indicate relevant knowledge, they do not necessarily reveal a candidate's adaptability, problem-solving abilities or capacity to learn.

During the conversation, Nadia describes this approach as "hiring backwards", where businesses recruit individuals based on their previous achievements rather than their future potential.

This raises an important question for FinTech employers, are recruitment processes identifying the most capable candidates or simply those with the most familiar career histories?

As businesses adopt new technologies and adapt to changing market demands, employers increasingly need professionals who can demonstrate practical skills and deliver meaningful results.

Skills-based hiring offers an alternative by assessing candidates against the actual requirements of a role rather than relying predominantly on their employment history.

For organisations looking to improve their FinTech talent acquisition strategies, this approach could help identify individuals who might otherwise be overlooked.

How Does bunq's No-CV Hiring Policy Work?

One of the most distinctive aspects of Joe's conversation is bunq's approach to recruitment.

Rather than using CVs as the primary filter between applicants and opportunities, the digital bank focuses on what candidates can demonstrate.

Joe explains:

"We're far more interested in what you're capable of doing, and this doesn't matter what level we're talking about."

This philosophy applies across the organisation, from individuals applying for their first job to candidates seeking senior leadership positions.

Instead of initially judging applicants through their employment history, bunq uses skills-based assessments to evaluate their suitability.

Candidates who progress through these assessments participate in further conversations before potentially experiencing the company's working environment.

The objective is to understand what someone can contribute rather than assume their capabilities based on previous positions.

For professionals with unconventional career paths, this creates opportunities to demonstrate skills that might not be immediately apparent from a CV.

It also encourages hiring managers to define more clearly which capabilities are genuinely essential for a role.

What Is bunq's Get Shit Done Day?

An important part of bunq's recruitment process is its Get Shit Done Day.

Joe describes this as an opportunity for candidates to work on a real task alongside existing employees, experiencing the organisation's working environment before a final decision is made.

Rather than relying exclusively on interviews, the process allows candidates to demonstrate how they approach problems, collaborate and work independently.

Importantly, Joe explains that the decision works both ways.

Candidates can assess whether the organisation's culture, expectations and working practices align with their own ambitions.

This approach highlights a wider opportunity for employers to make recruitment more practical and transparent.

However, skills assessments must be relevant to the position, accessible to different candidates and evaluated consistently.

Removing CVs does not automatically eliminate recruitment bias. The processes replacing them must also be designed fairly.

Is FinTech Recruitment Moving Towards Skills-Based Hiring?

Joe's explanation of bunq's recruitment philosophy reflects a wider discussion about how Financial Technology employers assess specialist talent.

In Harrington Starr's 2026/27 Financial Technology and Financial Services Salary Survey, Hari Sopal, Vice President specialising in UK Software Engineering recruitment, identifies a shift in hiring priorities.

Hari explains that employers are moving from "growth hiring" towards "impact hiring", placing greater emphasis on productivity and measurable business outcomes.

His commentary highlights how organisations are becoming more selective about the technical and commercial value candidates can deliver.

Although this does not mean employers are abandoning CVs, it reinforces the importance of assessing practical capability rather than relying solely on previous experience.

For businesses recruiting software engineers, this distinction is particularly relevant.

Candidates may possess valuable expertise in programming languages, cloud infrastructure or emerging technologies without having followed a conventional career path.

Harrington Starr's Software Engineering recruitment specialists work with Financial Technology businesses to identify professionals whose technical capabilities match specific organisational requirements.

The wider challenge is determining which skills are essential, how they should be assessed and whether existing recruitment criteria unnecessarily restrict access to talent.

Why Age Shouldn't Determine Career Opportunities

Another important theme is the relationship between age, experience and professional capability.

Joe challenges the assumption that individuals must reach a particular stage of their careers before receiving meaningful responsibility.

Reflecting on his own experience of starting a business at 17, he explains how this belief has shaped his approach to recognising talent.

He states:

"There's a deep belief that, you know, age is not the determiner of ability."

At bunq, this philosophy influences both recruitment and employee development.

Joe shares that approximately 70% of bunq's employees are in their first job, illustrating the company's willingness to recruit people without extensive professional histories.

This company-reported figure highlights an approach that places considerable emphasis on potential and practical capability.

For FinTech employers, the implications extend beyond graduate recruitment.

Experienced professionals changing careers, individuals returning to work and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds may possess transferable skills that are not immediately reflected in their CVs.

Recognising these capabilities can help businesses broaden their talent pools while challenging assumptions about what successful candidates should look like.

Why Employee Autonomy Matters Beyond Recruitment

Bunq's approach to hiring is closely connected to how the organisation empowers its employees.

Joe explains that responsibility and ownership are central to bunq's workplace culture.

Rather than relying on traditional hierarchies, employees are trusted to make decisions and take accountability for their work.

He describes an organisational structure where responsibilities have identifiable owners who can manage tasks through to completion.

This creates an important connection between recruitment and retention.

Hiring people for their capabilities is only effective if they are subsequently given opportunities to demonstrate those capabilities.

This principle is also reflected in the winners of Harrington Starr's 2026 Top 1% Workplace Awards, featured in the latest edition of The Financial Technologist.

The awards recognise organisations that prioritise positive workplace cultures, employee development and environments where talent can thrive.

For FinTech leaders, the lesson extends beyond removing CVs.

Organisations must consider whether their management structures, career development opportunities and workplace cultures enable talented individuals to succeed.

An inclusive hiring process can open opportunities, but autonomy, trust and meaningful responsibility help ensure those opportunities continue after someone joins.

Why Inclusion Must Be Built Into Recruitment

Perhaps Joe's strongest message concerns how businesses approach diversity, equity and inclusion.

When Nadia asks what organisations can do to create more inclusive workplaces, Joe responds:

"I think I would like them to stop treating it as something that you retrofit, right?"

His argument is that inclusion should influence how organisations are designed rather than being introduced later through separate initiatives.

This means examining recruitment processes, workplace structures and the assumptions influencing hiring decisions.

Joe encourages employers to stop judging candidates based on characteristics such as age, names and backgrounds.

He also highlights the importance of ensuring recruitment systems do not reinforce those biases.

According to Joe, bunq's workforce includes 54 nationalities, female representation above 40% and approximately 15% LGBTQIA+ representation.

He explains that these company-reported outcomes were not established as specific diversity targets but developed through bunq's broader approach to recognising talent.

For employers, the key consideration is whether recruitment processes provide fair opportunities for individuals to demonstrate their abilities.

Can AI Eliminate Bias in Recruitment?

Artificial intelligence introduces additional questions about fairness in hiring.

As businesses adopt automated recruitment tools, employers must consider how candidates are screened and whether existing biases could be reproduced through technology.

Harrington Starr's 2026 Salary Survey found that 65% of respondents did not trust AI to eliminate bias in hiring, compared with 15% who did and 20% who were unsure.

Removing CVs may reduce reliance on certain historical indicators, but it does not guarantee that subsequent assessments are unbiased.

AI can support recruitment processes, yet organisations still need appropriate oversight, transparent evaluation criteria and accessible assessment methods.

Joe's wider message is particularly relevant, inclusion should be incorporated into organisational design rather than treated as a problem to correct afterwards.

For Financial Technology businesses, this requires evaluating both the technologies they adopt and the decisions those technologies influence.

What Does bunq's Approach Mean for Global FinTech Talent?

Joe also connects bunq's organisational philosophy to its customer-focused approach to digital banking.

He explains that the company serves internationally mobile individuals whose financial needs may not be adequately addressed by traditional banking services.

For businesses operating across international markets, understanding different customer requirements can influence the skills, perspectives and experiences needed within their teams.

This is also relevant to FinTech recruitment in major financial centres such as London, where organisations compete for professionals across banking technology, software engineering and digital financial services.

Businesses developing international products need to consider how recruitment strategies support their customer base and future growth.

Harrington Starr's London FinTech recruitment team supports employers navigating these specialist hiring requirements.

The wider lesson from Joe's discussion is that recruitment, workplace inclusion and customer understanding should not be treated as disconnected priorities.

They contribute to how organisations build products, develop teams and respond to changing markets.

Is It Really Time to Scrap CVs?

Joe Wilson's conversation with Nadia Edwards-Dashti raises a fundamental question about the future of FinTech recruitment.

Are businesses identifying the most capable individuals, or simply those whose previous experience looks most familiar?

CVs can still provide useful information, particularly where specialist qualifications, regulatory knowledge or professional experience are essential.

However, they should not become unnecessary barriers to opportunity.

By prioritising skills-based hiring, recognising potential and empowering employees through ownership and autonomy, organisations can challenge conventional recruitment practices while creating more inclusive workplaces.

For Financial Technology leaders, the opportunity is not simply to change how candidates apply for jobs, but to reconsider how talent is identified, developed and supported.

Perhaps the real question isn't whether businesses should scrap CVs, but whether they're ready to change how they recognise talent.