Struggling to recruit

Is it just me?

Didn't find your answer?

I’ve a small firm in Manchester and am looking for a qualified accountant, 5 yrs experience to come on board as a good 2nd to me. Can I find one? Can I hell. Literally no-one looking for a job at the moment - am I the only one struggling  to recruit? 

(PS, any experienced qual/QBE looking for a new challenge in Manchester?!)

Replies (17)

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By Accountant A
11th Dec 2018 17:26

No idea but I am surprised assuming competitive Ts & Cs.

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ALISK
By atleastisoundknowledgable...
11th Dec 2018 17:35

We’ve advertised ourselves on all the usual job boards, now have 3 recruiters on the case ... nana.

Payroll clerks seem 2-a-penny at the moment, a hand full of trainees, but no experienced candidates in Manchester.

Getting desperate as my only non-trainee goes on mat leave on Thursday!

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By User deleted
11th Dec 2018 17:37

I know a few people who have recently moved firms in Mcr - I doubt there is a shortage of decent people.

Maybe your pay offer is rubbish or people don't want to work with you at that level. Dunno.

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Replying to User deleted:
ALISK
By atleastisoundknowledgable...
11th Dec 2018 18:39

Blunt.

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Replying to atleastisoundknowledgable...:
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By User deleted
11th Dec 2018 20:07

Just looking at it from the other direction. Whereas you were assuming it was the market's fault.

Or to put it another way...

Do you think the entire accountancy profession of Manchester has all got it wrong and are passing up the opportunity of their lifetime? All thousands of them?

Or do you think it might be what you're offering?

Just something to think about.

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By James Green
11th Dec 2018 18:20

I’ve had a few CVs on spec from agents in the last couple of weeks for 5+ year qualified since Manchester.

They seem to all be asking £60k+ pa.

Good luck with that.

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Replying to James Green:
ALISK
By atleastisoundknowledgable...
11th Dec 2018 18:44

Apparently a level 4 AAT finalist with 2 yrs practice experience went for £42k 2 weeks ago. It’s getting like football this.

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Replying to atleastisoundknowledgable...:
paddle steamer
By DJKL
11th Dec 2018 20:13

You need to pick up a Marouane Fellaini type accountant, capable of both slotting in at the back or snatching a winner at the front, full PCV licence means he/she can slot that bus anywhere you want it to go, versatile and under rated and a lot cheaper than Sanchez.

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Replying to DJKL:
ALISK
By atleastisoundknowledgable...
11th Dec 2018 21:27

At a previous firm, one of my fellow trainees described himself as ‘the Michael Carrick of accountancy’ - no-one thought he did anything of any importance, but actually...

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Replying to atleastisoundknowledgable...:
By Charlie Carne
18th Dec 2018 11:10

There seems to be confusion on here as to whether you are looking for someone with 5 years' experience after qualifying, or merely with 5 years from scratch. Perhaps that explains the discrepancy between £24k and £60k. Does your job ad make it clear what you are seeking?

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Replying to charliecarne:
ALISK
By atleastisoundknowledgable...
18th Dec 2018 11:49

It does, yes (and for the record, total 5 yrs).

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By James Green
11th Dec 2018 18:20

I’ve had a few CVs on spec from agents in the last couple of weeks for 5+ year qualified since Manchester.

They seem to all be asking £60k+ pa.

Good luck with that.

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Replying to James Green:
RLI
By lionofludesch
11th Dec 2018 18:26

OK, James.

No need to bang on about it.

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By James Green
11th Dec 2018 20:05

Sorry, don’t know why the sites multiple posted me. I also don’t know how to delete

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By Maslins
12th Dec 2018 10:22

On the whole we only take on trainees, and almost have the opposite problem. A huge number of bright school leavers/graduates desperate for a foot on the ladder, even with what I accept is a piddly little firm like ours.

I could imagine what you're offering only appealing to someone not particularly driven. Where it's a small firm, which presumably you own, what are their scopes for advancement? Not a lot I imagine. So it could suit someone nicely happy to plod along as "a good 2nd to" you, who doesn't want the stress of ownership. However I can see why any ambitious folk would give it a wide berth (no offence!).

Yes trainees are a lot of effort in the short term, but they work well for us. We treat and train them well, have broadly an annual intake, so there's a nice spread of junior/seniors. Can you not entrust an existing staff member a bit more and take on someone more junior?

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Replying to Maslins:
ALISK
By atleastisoundknowledgable...
12th Dec 2018 11:26

I appreciate the more diplomatic response than AnnAcc.

I had been thinking that it would be more attractive as they'd be able to have more of an impact in the running / management etc - better morale / sense of accomplishment ... it seems that's just wishful thinking on my behalf?!

Re internal promotion, whilst I always like that idea (no recruitment fees / training time) alas the next staff member down the ladder is some way off this role.

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Replying to atleastisoundknowledgable...:
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By Maslins
12th Dec 2018 11:55

atleastisoundknowledgable... wrote:

I had been thinking that it would be more attractive as they'd be able to have more of an impact in the running / management etc - better morale / sense of accomplishment ... it seems that's just wishful thinking on my behalf?!


Hmmm...still, with it being your business, if hypothetically they did achieve amazing things, bringing in better systems, winning great clients etc, you'd reap the rewards from that, not them. Yes of course hopefully you'd increase their pay in line with performance, but they're still at your mercy. I do feel anyone who has the impetus to want to make an accountancy business great would rather make their own one great than another small practice.

Hence why I feel your role is more likely to appeal to someone without that spark. Plenty of brilliant people like that, they don't want to lead, want someone else to make the decisions, and they just get a nice stable income.

At the risk of being accused of sexism, have you looked at websites like working mums? Yes they'll have other priorities, but because of that and them likely needing flexibility on hours etc, you can get some very capable people at modest salaries, as long as you can fit the role around them. Maybe not what you had in mind, but possibly an option to look at?

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