Recruitment and training the key to business growth

Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire Chartered accountants Wright Vigar Limited have recruited 12 new employees in the past three months as part of its phased growth plans.  This includes 3 new employees joining the Gainsborough office as a result of acquiring two accountancy firms in the area.

Director Neil Roberts explained that towards the end of the recession, the firm saw an increased demand for good quality accountancy and taxation services. “We realised that without increased focus on our recruitment and training strategy we would not be in a position to expand the business in accordance with demand. We were not prepared to compromise on quality and the level of service to our customers.”

Many industries including Accountants, Surveyors, Solicitors, Electricians, Hauliers and Construction are seeing a lack of good quality candidates to fill job vacancies. These businesses are seeing their growth plans hampered or having to push their already hard working teams even harder.  Wright Vigar HR and Training Manager John Richmond explains, “This last recession has been a lot longer than many of the previous ones. During the recession a lot of businesses cut back on people and training, the result being that there is now a severe shortage of skilled and experienced labour in many sectors.  At Wright Vigar we continued to take on trainees throughout the recession, although with current demands and plans for the future we still have vacancies for experienced and motivated candidates, as detailed on our website: www.wrightvigar.co.uk/careers”.

Early in 2013, Wright Vigar produced a five year plan for development and growth. Utilising the Government backed Growth Accelerator programme, the plan focused the Directors on one of its key resources, the Wright Vigar team. Neil Roberts continues: “Being accountants it is all too easy to focus on budgets, pushing for growth in turnover and profits but we knew from past experience that the best way to give our customers the support they need and take on new work was to focus on our people. The firm has twice been in the Sunday times Top One Hundred Companies to Work For, regional winner for investing in people by the Chamber of Commerce and shortlisted for AccountancyAge Medium sized firm of the year.  The five year plan for the firm puts our team at the centre with our customers, allowing us to move forwards and take advantage of every opportunity that comes our way.”

Some of the key areas from the plan are:

• Strategic recruitment for key roles within the firm, including a new Director of Tax, a new Tax Senior Manager, both from the top accountancy firms in the country. In addition to focusing on audit staff at all levels, due to the increasing specialism of audit work and increased demand;
• Expanding the IT department to push forward new ways of working. This has resulted in a complete change of the underlying IT systems, with the plan to allow every member of the team to be able to log on to key programmes within the system not only on their laptops but also on I-pads (which every member of the team is given), whenever and wherever they wish.
• Expanding the trainee recruitment programme to include every branch within the firm. Taking trainees from school leavers and graduates to those with experience in industry, requiring all to have an excellent work ethic and a desire to succeed.  Trainees will be offered formal training in accounting and taxation skills to attain a professional qualification in addition to personal development and mentoring.
• Expand the already significant training programme. To offer those employees with the desire to progress and develop themselves professionally. This ensures that every professional member of the firm not only undertakes structured training throughout the year, but also has access to softer skills training including leadership and management.

We have been through a long recession and in order to take advantage of the growth opportunities now becoming available all businesses must now focus on their key business strengths and drivers. Here at Wright Vigar, we have acknowledged that one of our main strengths is developing and empowering our team to take the business forward.

Wright Vigar has made significant steps in its recruitment plan but there are still a number of key areas, including an audit and accounts senior at the Retford office.  Click here to go to our careers page, or e-mail neil.roberts@wrightvigar.co.uk or john.richmond@wrightvigar.co.uk