Only 37% of businesses within the industry planned to increase headcount in 2013, meaning there has been an increase of 13 percentage points in a year.
The Thomsons Employee Rewards Watch is based on a survey of senior HR professionals at 70 financial services companies, comparing the figures to those of the previous year.
There is also a decrease in the number of employers looking to reduce staff numbers in 2014, down 13% from 22% in 2013.
The report suggests there is a shift in pay strategy as well. Role-by-role pay increases have doubled since 2013 (from 23.5% to 47% ), while standard pay rises have roughly halved (33% to 18%).
Thomsons Online Benefits consulting director Matthew Gregson told HR magazine financial services companies are growing in confidence after the recession. But public and regulatory pressure means they must be seen to address their reward structures.
"Public image is a key driver," he said. "Short-term financial rewards are being replaced by longer-term financial structures, but ultimately they are still working to annual profit goals."
The move away from short-term rewards is an attempt to de-risk the decision making, according to Gregson.
"Rewarding people with basic salaries, as well as improving their benefits packages, is seen as a much safer way to operate than offering large cash incentives," he added.
