This paper conducts a systematic literature review and relates to how talent management (TM) and recruitment strategies are applied in the financial sector, and specifically in the banking sector. The goals of this paper are to provide a comprehensive analysis of TM research in the financial sector, identify and debate major research topics, and suggest future research possibilities. The study examines publications that were published between 2000 and 2021, which were obtained from the databases Web of Science and Scopus. According to the findings, academics are becoming more interested in TM in the banking sector, which appears to be linked to the severe scarcity of skilled people who possess required talents. The findings are relevant to both academia and the banking sector, as the paper provides data relating to what has already been researched in academia, while also highlighting the need for more research into how TM is understood, valued and implemented. Consequently, this paper paves the way for academics to conduct empirical research on TM and recruitment tactics in the banking sector and the financial sector as a whole. This paper is structured according to the PRISMA requirements for systematic literature reviews.

Purpose: This study investigates how informal recruitment practices in Nordic banking institutions reproduce gendered exclusion beneath formal equality policies. Although Iceland and Denmark are globally recognized for progressive gender frameworks, specialist-level hiring continues to reflect implicit organizational logics that often disadvantage women. Design/methodology/approach: Based on 32 semi-structured interviews with HR professionals, external recruiters, mid-level managers and specialists from major banks in Iceland and Denmark, the study uses an interpretivist, qualitative interview design with grounded theory–inspired coding. It explores how hiring criteria like “fit,” “stability” and “risk” operate as coded mechanisms of exclusion, especially for women with caregiving roles or non-linear career paths. Findings: The analysis reveals how informal organizational “playbooks” sustain bias and homosocial reproduction despite formal commitments to gender equality. Women often respond through strategic navigation. This includes managing self-presentation, emphasizing performance and building informal support networks. The analysis identifies four organizational playbooks that shape how candidate signals are interpreted, and a process model illustrating how these playbooks reproduce exclusion and how candidates strategically respond. Originality/value: The paper shifts focus from leadership diversity to the specialist tier, where long-term career paths are shaped. It contributes to organizational and gender theory by showing how inequality is embedded in routine hiring decisions. The findings offer practical and theoretical insights into recruitment as both a mechanism of exclusion and a potential site for change.