"Never be afraid to ask ‘Why?’": HSBC UK’s Richard Beardshaw on the next generation
Financial Reporter 30 Under 30 aims to shine a spotlight on the next generation in mortgages and financial services, so we're talking to today’s leaders about their career journeys and why they're keen to support this initiative. This week, we spoke to HSBC UK’s Richard Beardshaw.
"Having an effective and supportive manager is far more important than a £5K pay rise"
It was after leaving a junior marketing role that Richard Beardshaw, now Head of Sales, Mortgage Intermediaries at HBSC UK, found himself working in financial services.
“I needed a job ASAP and Manpower, a recruitment agency, found me a temping job with Barclays Mortgages. After 12 months temping and learning all about mortgages I landed my first real job in financial services running the mortgage desk for Scottish Life Home Loans in 1996.
“I met two legends of the mortgage industry, Pete Beaumont and Guy Batchelor who were working in sales development roles for their respective lenders. Both suggested I should become a BDM and 3 years later I joined them both at The Money Store (which became Platform Home Loans),” he says.
Inspiring the next generation
But how do we recruit the next generation of talent into the industry? Richard notes that “more education of the vast array of potential careers in financial services at an early age, and greater exposure to careers officers at schools and universities,” would be a good place to start, but that “it requires some considerable coordination and collaboration.”
He also highlights the impact of “initiatives like the Working in Mortgages collaboration between the AMI and IMLA” as an effective tool for promoting more diversity and accessibility among young professionals.
As Richard moved through his own career, he learned some important lessons about what to look for in a company when being recruited: “always do your homework on any prospective new employers to make sure their culture is aligned with yours, and in particular, spend time asking your potential new manager about them and how they manage.”
He adds that the most important piece of advice he’d give to someone just starting out in the industry is to “never be afraid to ask ‘why’.”
Supporting success stories
“We're particularly proud of the support and coaching that we offer our staff, and the opportunities this creates for promotion,” Richard says, “we have a number of BDMs who started their careers in a support capacity but through their hard work, dedication, and talent have risen through the ranks to represent HSBC in the field.”
When it comes to recruiting young professionals at HSBC UK, “attitude is the number one criteria,” he notes, “we can teach mortgages, but you can't teach a super positive hard-working mentality.”
Richard explains that HSBC UK “plays such a pivotal role through many initiatives, but an often-overlooked scheme is the apprenticeship,” while “specifically in Intermediary Mortgages we have our own development programme that supports young talent.”
Looking at what the future of the industry will look like for this young talent, Richard says that “homeownership will remain a vitally important ambition in the UK for generations to come, and mortgages and the intermediary mortgage industry are critical to realising those ambitions.”
The official FR30U30 list will be revealed on 5th November 2025. Click here to learn more.
