Hastings Direct plans to hire more than 500 people over the next 12 months, as the digital insurer approaches 5 million customers.
The roles cover customer service, claims, pricing, underwriting, commercial, data and technology. Hastings is recruiting experienced professionals, graduates and apprentices nationwide under its flexible working policy, with a focus on its main sites in Bexhill and Leicester and its offices in London and Gibraltar.
The company said the hiring would be combined with continued heavy investment in technology, its mobile app and AI, to support the next phase of customer growth while meeting its efficiency and profit targets.
“These investments will support us to grow efficiently, with customer numbers increasing faster than headcount as we realise the benefits of digitalisation, automation and greater scale,” said Toby van der Meer, chief executive of Hastings Direct.
Van der Meer said Hastings wanted to keep growing for years to come. He pointed to its recognition as the UK’s best big company to work for two years running, an accolade Hastings cited in its announcement.
The announcement contrasts sharply with Admiral, which said in September it would cut around 500 UK jobs, about 5% of its UK insurance workforce, as part of a £100 million savings programme. Admiral said the cuts were not driven by AI, but by the need for the right structure and skills to make the business faster and more efficient.
Both insurers are investing in technology and automation, with different results for headcount. Hastings is hiring to support growth, while Admiral is cutting costs as margins come under pressure.
The competitive picture may favour growth-focused rivals. Analysts at Peel Hunt said last month that Admiral was raising UK motor rates ahead of a competitive market. Because motor customers are highly price-sensitive, they expect it to lose policy volumes as a result. Customers who leave are likely to switch to rivals such as Hastings, which are pursuing growth.
The motor market itself is shifting. Competitive quoted motor premiums ended the third quarter 2.7% higher than a year earlier, the first annual rise since 2023, according to Defaqto. But price movements varied widely between providers, ranging from a 3.5% cut to a 9.6% rise. In that environment, insurers’ different pricing strategies are likely to drive significant movement of customers between them.
For the wider insurance labour market, 500 new roles in claims, pricing, underwriting and data will add to competition for technical talent, which BIBA’s survey this year identified as brokers’ top priority. Graduate and apprentice roles may also help widen the industry’s talent pool.
For brokers, Hastings sells mainly direct and through price comparison sites, so the direct impact is limited. But its growth push, alongside Admiral’s repricing, points to a period of active competition in personal motor and home. That could mean more volatility in pricing for customers comparing quotes.
