South West accountancy and finance group Old Mill has recruited a further 26 trainees this autumn as it continues with its ambitious plan to become the fastest-growing practice in the West of England.
The firm, which has offices in Chippenham, Wells, Yeovil and Exeter, announced a restructure a year ago with the aim of expanding by 15% a year and doubling staff numbers by 2026.
Following a record trainee intake last year – when 23 graduates and school leavers joined – 2022 is on course to be the firm’s strongest year for recruitment to date. Of the 72 people taken on by the firm so far this year, 27 of them are trainees – with five more likely to start imminently.
The latest cohort, which has come from colleges, schools and universities across the UK, includes five tax trainees and 21 trainee accountants – all destined to grow Old Mill’s sector specialism teams.
Joining the commercial team in Chippenham as trainee accountants are Caitlyn O’Neill and Cameron Clark, while William Slade, Jessica Millington and James Norman have boosted the same team in the Wells office.
The tax team – which recently promoted six staff and appointed Chris Watts as associate director – is growing further by welcoming five new starters – including Rory Shadbolt, a graduate from Swansea University, who will be based in Chippenham.
The rural team is also getting an injection of new talent with 10 trainee accountants coming on board, among them Dylan Jones, pictured right, Harrison Bell, Miri Lister, Elinor Aherns, Oliver Lockwood and Courtney Harding, who will all be based in Chippenham.
Old Mill CEO Kevin Whitmarsh, pictured below, said: “We had a record trainee intake last year and have already beaten that this year.
“However, while our trainee programme remains strong – especially since we added a second annual intake in March – we continue to recruit at all levels and have welcomed several key senior people to the team this year too, including chartered financial planner Tom Parry and tax specialist Chris Watts who joined as associate director in the capital tax advisory team last month.”
He said that, as a people-focussed business with ambitious growth plans, the ongoing recruitment and development of great people was essential to Old Mill’s success.
“This is why, as well as having a strong trainee programme and actively hiring across the business, Old Mill also has an open-door policy when it comes to recruitment,” he added
“Our clients trust us to provide the services they need, to the highest possible standard – and that is only possible by having great people, so in contrast to some organisations, we don’t limit ourselves based on budgets – if we meet someone good, we will get them in.”
While recruitment was key to being a great people business, retention of those people once they joined was even more important, he added.
“Which is why Old Mill offers ongoing training, a wide range of benefits – including the ability to work flexibly, a generous holiday allowance and numerous staff discounts – and great career development opportunities as part of its ‘recruit, retain and promote’ approach,” he said.
“When we announced the restructure, we talked about how it would enable quicker career progression for staff, and it is fantastic to be able to put this into practice.
“In the past few months alone, we have promoted three of our wealth management team and six of our tax team demonstrating how much we value our people, and showcasing the fantastic career opportunities we have here at Old Mill.”
