Why is PQE a poor way to assess Risk & Compliance candidates?
A guide to why Post-Qualified Experience (PQE) is an outdated metric for hiring in the modern risk and compliance market.
The Short Answer
PQE measures time spent as a lawyer, not expertise in risk management. A 10-year PQE solicitor might have zero experience in building an AML framework or managing a data breach, whereas a non-qualified compliance professional with 5 years in the trenches might be a seasoned expert in SRA regulations.
The Skillset Shift
The modern Risk & Compliance role is a blend of legal analysis, project management, and data oversight. These are skills that are developed through specific compliance experience, not by just being a qualified solicitor. In fact, many of the best Heads of Risk in the UK are not solicitors at all.
Limiting Your Pool
By insisting on a specific PQE level, you often exclude the most relevant talent. You might be ignoring 'career compliance' professionals who have spent their entire working lives navigating the SRA Standards & Regulations, purely because they didn't take a traditional training contract.
The Bottom Line
Hire for 'Relevant Experience' (RE) rather than PQE. Look at what they have actually done—the projects they've led and the problems they've solved—rather than how long they’ve been on the roll.
Want to know more?
Guide to Hiring Senior Risk & Compliance Professionals in UK Law Firms
Should we hire a Head of Risk & Compliance or a Compliance Manager?
Why is it so difficult to hire senior Risk & Compliance professionals in law firms?
How do we define what we need in a Head of Risk & Compliance if we don’t have internal expertise?
