Old Mill takes on another 15 new recruits as the firm continues to expand

Thanks to ‘open door’ recruitment policy, new hires are up 34% on last year

Exeter financial experts Old Mill has welcomed 15 new starters this week as the firm continues to expand and grow, despite the impact of COVID-19.

Following a record trainee year in 2021, a number of senior appointments and this week’s intake, new hires across the firm are up 34% on last year.

Amongst those who have joined Old Mill this week are 10 trainee accountants who have come from various colleges, schools and universities across the UK.

The graduates include Charlotte Wyatt and Libby Connaughton who are both keen sports players. Charlotte played Ice Hockey for the Newcastle Wildcats while studying for her degree in Business Management at Newcastle University while Libby has an Accounting and Finance Degree from the University of Winchester, but also runs a polo yard and is an experienced groom for professional polo players.

The school and college leavers include Lewis Bolland, who completed his A levels at Richard Huish and has previously done work experience in Old Mill’s Yeovil office and Jessica Horsley, who has also done work experience at Old Mill - she studied at Okehampton 6th Form and is a keen horse rider, regularly competing and showing horses.

Georgia Wood applied for the apprenticeship scheme after Old Mill visited Thomas Hardye 6th form - where she was studying for her A levels - to talk about careers in accountancy while Freddie Payne, Oscar Edwards, William Courtier and Tiffany Marquiss are looking forward to starting their accountancy careers at Old Mill after completing their A levels this year.

Georgia Wood, who will be joining the Yeovil Commercial team said: “Last year I attended a careers presentation at sixth form, with Chris and Kirsty who explained the amazing opportunities within Old Mill and in different sectors of accounting. I feel the opportunity for me to progress in an innovative and ambitious environment whilst completing an apprenticeship will be great”.

As well as school leavers and university graduates, Old Mill also welcomes Mia Caines, who joins as a trainee accountant after a varied career in equine in the UK and the USA, as well as Miles Beczkowski and Andrea Bowden, who are both qualified accountants. Client Manager Sarah Worrell has also been appointed, as well as Stephanie Lipton, a bookkeeper.

Another new joiner is Matt Jeffery, whose previous role was as Manager within Financial Services Audit practice at PwC. Speaking about why he chose to continue his career at Old Mill, Matt, who is a qualified ICAEW Chartered Accountant (ACA), said: “Old Mill jumped out at me due to the variety of industries they support, as well as the direct impact they have on owner managed businesses.”

Ian Carlson, managing director at Old Mill said: “I am delighted that Old Mill continues to buck the trend in terms of ongoing recruitment - we had a record trainee intake last year and are on course to beat that record this year. However, it isn’t just trainees, we continue to recruit at all levels, and indeed, during the pandemic we have recruited at senior levels, including Directors and Senior Managers, and across a wide range of specialisms, including Financial planning, Tax and VAT.”

Old Mill’s recent senior appointments include Len Dean, who joined as Senior VAT Adviser in June, Stephen Martin, who was appointed Senior Tax Adviser in May and Senior Tax Specialist Marketa Pasova who was the first employee to be recruited completely remotely - she works from home full time.

Ian says that as a people business, the ongoing recruitment and development of great people is essential to Old Mill’s future success, which is why there is an open-door policy when it comes to recruitment.

Ian said: “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.”

However, says Ian, recruitment it is just one element of being a great people business; retention of those people once they have joined is even more important, and says here he likes to think Old Mill is ‘first-class’.

He said: “We offer ongoing training - including towards a variety of professional qualifications - great career development opportunities and a wide range of benefits, including the ability to work flexibly and an extra day of holiday on your birthday. We also encourage all our staff to engage with the Old Mill culture and get involved in office life - whether that is virtually or in real life - and each Old Mill office is actively engaged in the local community, helping support charities and other causes.”

If you would like to find out more about a career at Old Mill, visit careers.om.uk. Old Mill is always looking for good people to join the business across all areas, but are particularly keen to hear from tax planners, financial planners and qualified accountants, especially those with experience or an interest in the rural sector.