The Untold Struggles of Hiring DevOps Engineers in Fintech
How Fintech keeps expanding despite DevOps recruitment struggles
Despite the ongoing struggle to find and retain DevOps engineers, fintech companies continue to scale their infrastructure and innovate at a rapid pace. The reason? They can’t afford to wait for the perfect hires. Instead, fintech firms are using a combination of automation, global hiring, and internal upskilling to fill talent gaps.
How Fintech Companies Are Overcoming DevOps Hiring Shortages:
- Investing in Automation & AI – Many companies are using AI-driven DevOps monitoring, self-healing infrastructure, and automated compliance tools to reduce reliance on manual processes.
- Hiring Remotely & Expanding Globally – Instead of limiting hiring to local markets, fintech firms are recruiting DevOps talent from Eastern Europe, LATAM, and APAC.
- Upskilling & Internal Development – Companies like JPMorgan Chase are investing in training existing engineers in cloud and DevOps to build talent from within.
- Balancing Long-Term Hiring with Short-Term Solutions – Many fintech firms rely on contract or freelance DevOps engineers to handle immediate infrastructure challenges while searching for full-time hires.
Burnout & Retention: Why DevOps Engineers Are Leaving Fintech
Why It’s a Problem
- Fintech platforms require 99.99% uptime, meaning DevOps engineers deal with on-call rotations, incident response, and high-pressure fixes.
- Many fintech firms have small DevOps teams, meaning engineers handle security, compliance, CI/CD, and cloud—resulting in work overload.
- Long hours, constant stress, and lack of work-life balance cause many engineers to leave fintech for less demanding roles in SaaS or AI companies.
How to Fix It
✔ Create on-call rotation policies to avoid excessive workload.
✔ Invest in automation (e.g., AI-driven monitoring & self-healing infrastructure) to reduce manual intervention.
✔ Offer flexible work schedules & wellness support to retain top engineers.
Fintech’s Strict Compliance Slows Down DevOps Innovation
Why It’s a Problem
- Security & compliance bottlenecks (e.g., PCI DSS, SOC 2, GDPR) slow down DevOps workflows.
- Engineers often face slow change approval processes, delaying feature releases.
- Many DevOps engineers lack fintech-specific compliance knowledge, making hiring harder.
How to Fix It
✔ Hire DevSecOps professionals who specialise in regulated industries.
✔ Automate compliance checks using tools like HashiCorp Sentinel or Open Policy Agent.
✔ Educate DevOps teams on compliance rather than relying on security teams alone.
Cloud Migration Challenges: DevOps Talent Must Work Across Old & New Systems
Why It’s a Problem
- Many fintech startups partner with legacy banks or migrate from on-prem to cloud.
- Hybrid cloud environments (AWS, GCP, private cloud) require DevOps engineers with multi-cloud expertise.
- Hiring DevOps engineers who understand both legacy banking infrastructure and cloud automation is difficult.
How to Fix It
✔ Target DevOps engineers with financial IT backgrounds (e.g., banking, insurance, payments).
✔ Use hybrid hiring models (contract-to-hire, consultants) to bridge skill gaps.
✔ Offer cloud migration training for existing engineers instead of waiting to hire the perfect candidate.
Risk-Averse Culture Slows DevOps Adoption
Why It’s a Problem
- Unlike SaaS or AI firms, fintech companies have a low tolerance for failure due to financial risks.
- Strict audit & compliance processes make DevOps adoption slower than in other industries.
- Engineers get frustrated with slow approval cycles & bureaucracy, leading to high turnover.
How to Fix It
✔ Implement progressive deployment strategies (e.g., feature flags, canary releases).
✔ Adopt DevOps-friendly compliance automation to streamline security reviews.
✔ Balance innovation with security by involving DevOps teams in compliance planning.
