Kyle Kuhn
Fresh from nCino's annual nSight conference last month, I'm still processing the sheer scale of ambition on display - an event that left me energized not just by the impressive AI showcases but by the candid conversations with industry leaders focused on a growing challenge: securing top talent for nCino's expanding platform.
The keynotes from CEO Sean Desmond and the major product announcements all centered on a "new era in financial services" powered by AI, but many private discussions were about people - specifically, the present scramble to staff the platform's strategic push beyond its flagship Commercial Lending offering.
While AI is a major buzzword across all industries, and nCino followed suit by introducing new AI capabilities, it surprisingly isn't what I expect to be driving the talent market in the next few months. Consumer Lending, SBA, Mortgage, and Treasury solutions are now the next frontier of nCino's customer and revenue expansion as we move into the second half of 2025, creating significant competition for talent.
The Market Beneath the Surface: Where Investment is Truly Happening
Empiric’s position as a leader in nCino talent solutions and collaboration with top players in banking, consulting, and financial institutions provides a clear view of where projects are active and this direct access offers a clear understanding of who is investing, and in which areas.
The number of Consumer implementations in the United States and Canada has been on a sharp rise and while nCino's Consumer solution is very similar to Commercial, it is different enough in design and layout to require distinct expertise and talent. To that end we’ve seen a considerable amount of uptick in customer requests for Consumer specific talent.
Many enterprise and super-regional banks in the USA have already implemented nCino for Commercial lending. Their expansion into Consumer amongst other solutions (SBA, Treasury, Deposits and Account openings) has created a talent vacuum in the ecosystem.
While most of these financial institutions have strong teams in place to support their commercial operations, finding and securing the right headcount for new implementations, and then retaining full-time talent to maintain their new lines of business, has been a challenge for many.
How to Navigate the nCino Talent Shortage
Diversity is key in any technology transformation. Leveraging a System Integrator for implementation is always a good option to help deliver on the project, but what happens when they leave?
Many financial institutions are then left without the specific talent needed to support post-implementation upgrades, enhancements, and optimizations. This is where a strategic approach to talent acquisition becomes vital.
Leveraging SME contract resources to oversee the transfer of knowledge, post implementation support, and training of new users is a great way to ensure you’re seeing the ROI you anticipated. Independent nCino SME’s give you the best of both worlds – they bring a wealth of technical background, along with previous implementation experience and can help you avoid future mistakes and clean up what might have been overlooked by a System Integrator. They’re also reporting directly to you, which means they’re looking out for the bank’s interest, not just the next project to pitch for their business.
Building your Full-Time product management function is also paramount in your success. While contractors and consultancies can give you the edge on delivery and expertise, having someone in place who can speak the business side of banking, coupled with technical acumen is crucial.
It's for these reasons that Technical nCino Product Owners are the most sought-after technical talent on the market.
Your Foundation for Future Growth is Talent
If you’re looking to expand across different nCino omnichannel solutions, talent needs to be the foundation of your build. Change management and the availability of skilled professionals will determine your success or failure.
If you’re looking to add to your FTE team, I would recommend speaking with Emma McCarthy, our Head of nCino & Salesforce Permanent Division. Emma has an unparalleled network of top-tier nCino talent and can help you secure the best permanent hires.
For independent contract support for implementation or post-implementation phases, I am happy to discuss how our contract division can quickly provide the specialist nCino expertise you need. Connect with me here.
