Hiscox unveils multi-site technology graduate scheme
Hiscox has launched a technology graduate programme as the specialist insurer steps up recruitment of early-career talent for digital and technology roles.
The scheme has welcomed its first cohort of six graduates, based in London, Lisbon and York. It is open to graduates from both technical and non-technical backgrounds.
The intake reflects a wider trend across financial services and insurance, where firms are competing for software engineering and cyber security skills. Large insurers and brokers have expanded graduate and apprenticeship routes in recent years as technology work moves beyond core IT into product design, data science and customer operations.
Two pathways
The programme has two specialist routes. One focuses on engineering and is aimed at graduates with a technical background. The other explores the business impact of technology and targets candidates seeking broader exposure across a technology organisation.
Participants rotate through several functions over 18 months, including engineering, data science, cyber security and agile delivery, before moving into permanent roles.
The design combines technical placements with delivery and operating-model work. This approach is increasingly common as insurers modernise legacy systems, automate underwriting and claims, and build digital distribution. It also reflects growing demand for people who can work across product and technology teams as firms adopt flatter delivery structures.
Hiscox provides specialist insurance across commercial and personal lines in several markets. The group employs more than 3,000 people across 14 countries, is headquartered in Bermuda, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Talent pipeline
Chris Loake, Group Chief Information Office at Hiscox, said the scheme forms part of a long-term approach to building internal capability.
"Technology sits at the heart of our ambition to deliver first-class growth and service, which is why it's so important to us to champion and invest in emerging talent. Our new tech graduate scheme is an important milestone for us as we shape a team that is both forward-thinking and ready to lead the way in digital innovation," Loake said.
Rather than limiting the programme to a single headquarters site, Hiscox has spread it across three locations. That can widen the candidate pool and provide access to different labour markets for engineering and data roles, particularly as hybrid working remains common in parts of the sector.
The scheme is also designed for graduates without a technical degree, reflecting how technology roles have diversified. Delivery, product and change roles increasingly sit alongside engineering and security, and firms are placing greater weight on aptitude and learning potential, not only formal computer science training.
Graduate experience
Atinuke Olayinka, a technology graduate on the programme, described the experience of working across teams.
"Being part of the tech grad scheme is an incredible opportunity for me to develop my skills and gain hands-on experience in a business that is building for the future. I'm encouraged to innovate and contribute to ideas that deliver meaningful results for the team, and faster outcomes for our customers, and through my rotations I'm getting to see exactly how technology moves the business forward and can be a source of competitive advantage," Olayinka said.
The comments reflect the emphasis many employers now place on structured rotations and exposure to different technology disciplines. These programmes are often designed to help graduates understand where they fit within complex technology estates, particularly in regulated industries where security and resilience requirements shape day-to-day development work.
Expansion plans
Hiscox expects the number of graduates on the programme to rise later this year and through 2027, linking the expansion to its broader digital transformation work.
Across the insurance sector, transformation programmes often include platform modernisation, the use of data science in pricing and underwriting, and investment in cyber security and identity systems. They also tend to increase demand for people with skills in cloud services, application security, data governance and automation tools.
Hiscox expects continued investment in early-career development to create a steady pipeline of technology professionals. The next intake is set to increase across the same locations as recruitment continues into 2027.