On 9th March 2023, the Central Bank (Individual Accountability Framework) Act 2023 was enacted. It sets out the basis for the Senior Executive Accountability Regime (SEAR).
On 13th March 2023, following the enactment, the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) launched a three-month public consultation paper (CP153) including draft regulations and draft guidance on the key aspects of the implementation.
The Senior Executive Accountability Regime (SEAR) is fundamentally about re-establishing public trust in our financial institutions.
It aims to do this by increasing the accountability of those in senior management and board positions within regulated firms so that they behave in a more customer centric manner.
With the focus on individuals, SEAR directly impacts the recruitment process. It is even more imperative in a post-SEAR environment to ensure you hire the right individuals.
For individuals taking up new roles covered by the SEAR regime, it will be even more critical for them to satisfy themselves during the recruitment process that they are joining a firm they can trust.
So how does a firm instil trust during the recruitment process? Both the hiring firm and the candidate have limited face-to-face time during a recruitment process.
To establish trust, there will need to be more transparency on the part of the hiring firm. Candidates will demand significantly more information about a prospective employer during the recruitment process.
For employers, they will need to balance the need for greater transparency with confidentiality. As recruitment partners, we play a key role in managing the engagement between candidates and clients.
In a post-SEAR world, candidates will rely more heavily on our ability to be the impartial broker and provide significant insights into the culture of a firm and the individuals currently holding senior executive roles.