Talent management and employee relations are also expected to feature highly.
In Hays' Market Outlook report 2013 it states that in retail banking, large-scale restructuring work taking place has led to a high demand for HR business partners, especially with a focus on growth.
It said HR professionals are expected to show how they add value to their organisation and demonstrate real return on investment through their ability to create practical HR interventions and link effectively with learning and talent teams.
The annual report 2013 highlights trends and expectations for the HR function covering the investment and retail banking and investment management sectors.
It found that because of the restructuring in retail banking capability gaps are an increasing problem and business areas need to look more closely at talent planning and management development for succession planning.
Hays Human Resources director Barney Ely said: "The focus will now be on effective talent management and creating leadership development plans while keeping people engaged and motivated.
"This will mean greater attention to the positive development and communication of an organisation's culture and value that remains one of the hardest things to influence."
Cutting costs
HR recruitment in investment banking will stay focused on change and restructuring, the report stated.
There will be on-going demand for temporary staff to support projects focused on outsourcing back office functions, improving quality, cost reduction and legislative changes.
It said banks will continue to see the value of hiring graduates into their HR functions to develop technical experts who are able to excel in complex environments.
While change has been a big theme in the investment banking sector, there is also the continued need for learning and development specialists who can partner with business areas to identify and help reduce capability gaps, said the report.
Increase headcount
Investment management firms have started to increase their HR headcount in learning and development as they look to save money by using internal resource to carry out training design and evaluation, the report found.
The rapid growth within parts of the investment management sector has sparked demand for in-house recruitment capability.
"This year, demand for contract and temporary staff will probably exceed that for permanent positions as firms wrestle with headcount restrictions," said Ely.
"There are however early signs of uplift in the junior market. Salaries are set to remain static, with bonus pots reduced and more focus on flexible benefits."
