How family offices can build a culture that attracts top talent

As family offices become more professionalised, demand for top talent from outside the sector increases. But attracting professionals away from private equity, hedge fund, or institutional roles presents a challenge – and compensation is only one piece of the puzzle. When a family office enters the market for senior talent, the question isn’t just “what can we pay?” – it’s “what are we offering beyond compensation that makes this role compelling?”

In many cases, culture is the deciding factor, and for family office hiring teams, the key is presenting a balanced offer. They need to highlight the factors that make the role unique and therefore attractive to professionals looking for a change, while reassuring them that their expectations regarding remuneration, governance and career development will be met.

Visible and credible career progression

One of the most common concerns we hear from professionals considering a move to a family office role is long-term progression. In a lean structure with a small team, what does their career path look like in two, five or ten years – and how does that align with their personal career objectives? 

Traditionally, the family office sector places less emphasis on role definitions. Flatter structures mean that progression may be less about changing your job title every two years and more about growing within an existing role, taking on greater responsibility and getting involved in a wider range of activities. For candidates coming from an institutional background, it can therefore be challenging to measure potential career progression.

Family offices that attract the strongest candidates are those that address this head-on. That means defining growth paths clearly: whether that’s expanding scope, leading on new asset classes or jurisdictions, taking a seat on advisory boards, or building out a team. 

Of course, regardless of talent and experience, professionals who value the structured “ladder” approach to progression may not be the best fit for an inaugural role at a family office, where the expectation is that they will define and grow into the role themselves. That’s where working with a specialist recruiter such as Victus pays dividends: identifying fundamental differences in expectation or culture early in the process. 

Clear value in compensation plans

There’s a misconception that moving into the family office sector means lower total compensation – while this may once have been true, today, many family offices will match private equity, institutional or hedge fund packages to secure top talent. However, structures usually differ, with offers commonly including long-term incentive plans such as co-investment rights, carried interest, or phantom equity.

What’s vital is that candidates can clearly model their total compensation: if they can’t accurately value the offer, then it ceases to work as a recruiting tool. The package needs to be clearly communicated and broken down during the hiring process to ensure the value, risk and liquidation timelines are clear. For illustrative examples, see our guide to family office compensation for senior roles.  

Commitment to professional development

In a large institution, professional development is embedded in the infrastructure: training budgets, conference attendance, and mentoring programmes. In the family office environment, this aspect is often less well developed, if present at all. Of course, professionals understand that moving into the family office sector means that career development opportunities may be less structured, but they still expect them to be taken into account. If not, they may worry about stagnating in a small, insular environment.

To attract top talent, family offices need to demonstrate a genuine commitment to ongoing development: whether that’s funding external courses, supporting industry conference attendance, facilitating peer networks, or connecting executives with external mentors. And if this is the first time these structures are being put in place, there’s an opportunity to work with early senior hires to tailor professional development initiatives to their specific goals and needs – offering a degree of flexibility that may not be on offer at larger institutions.

Reassurance on governance and structure

The biggest cultural questions we encounter from professionals moving from regulated institutions centre on governance and control. There are common concerns about how family offices separate personal family dynamics from business operations: for example, will investment mandates shift on a whim, or will reporting lines blur when a family member disagrees with a decision?

Families that have already invested in formalising their governance – clear mandates, documented decision-making authority, independent oversight, and regular reporting cadences – are in a strong position to attract the best talent. Those yet to do so should prioritise governance as part of their expansion plans. This doesn’t mean stripping out the flexibility and agility that make a family office attractive in the first place; it means providing the structural confidence that allows a talented executive to do their best work.

Promote what makes the role distinctive

Ultimately, attracting senior talent from more institutional roles is about reassuring them that familiar structures will be in place, but it’s not about pretending there’s no change. Motivated professionals aren’t expecting a carbon copy of their previous role: they’re looking to the family office sector precisely because it offers a chance to use their skill set in ways that a typical corporate environment wouldn’t allow for. 

A sense of mission, whether philanthropic, impact-driven, or entrepreneurial, that gives professionals something to align with beyond simply managing the money. More autonomy and accountability in decision-making, with fewer approval gates and less bureaucracy, allow true ownership of a role. Longer-term horizons give senior executives the freedom to plan over decades rather than always focusing on quarterly results. 

The offices that articulate these differences confidently during the hiring process – and clearly present the benefits – are the ones that consistently win the best talent. It’s about showing what they offer that other institutions simply cannot. 

How Victus can help

At Victus Search, we work closely with family offices to position roles in a way that resonates with top-tier candidates. We understand what motivates professionals to make the move from institutional environments, and we can advise on everything from compensation structuring to how your office culture is perceived in the market. If you’re looking to attract senior talent to your family office, contact us to discuss your requirements in confidence.