Recruiting staff

Whether you're expanding your finance department or replacing staff, an all-AAT member shortlist saves you time, expense and hassle.

High-quality, work-based training; professional ethos; commitment to excellence: successful AAT students and members share these trademark qualities.

Recruiting current AAT members
Recruiting school leavers
Who should you contact?
What can you offer the schools?
When is the best time to approach schools?
Who should contact the schools?
What are the key selling points of the AAT qualification compared to a degree?
What other options are available to you?

Recruiting current AAT members

AAT Jobs

If you would like to recruit a part- or fully qualified AAT member, you can advertise on our dedicated recruitment website, aat-jobs.co.uk, which attracted more than 80,000 visitors last year. AAT members can search for vacancies based on salary, specialism, location, sector and experience and can be informed of your vacancy by job alerts and e-newsletters.

AAT Accredited Employers are eligible for a 50% discount on all adverts they place.
Registering as a recruiter is easy and free of charge, simply go to aat-jobs.co.uk/RegisterRecruiter.aspx

Accounting Technician Magazine

You can also advertise in our official magazine, Accounting Technician, which is sent to AAT students and members every other month.

For more details on AAT Jobs and Accounting Technician, contact Michael Coulsey at Think Publishing, on 0208 962 1261 or michael.coulsey@thinkpublishing.co.uk

Recruiting school leavers

Recruiting trainee accounts and finance staff makes good business sense. You can nurture a talent pool of loyal employees, who on completion of their training will have developed flexible and well rounded practical skills and knowledge. What’s more, you may be able to access funding for training your staff with the AAT Accounting Qualification, through apprenticeships

If you are looking to advertise a trainee vacancy, you can do so free of charge via aat-jobs.co.uk

Which schools should you target?

One of the most effective ways to secure quality trainees is to target schools in your local area that achieve good A level pass rates.

You or your colleagues may already be aware of these schools, if not, the Department for Education website lists pass rates and contact information: www.dfes.gov.uk/performancetables

We recommend that you choose three local schools (three per office for nationwide organisations) to develop a long-term relationship with.

Who should you contact?

The most relevant contact will vary from school to school. In general the most useful contacts are the Head of Careers or the person responsible for organising work experience (this can be different to the Careers teacher, so it is worth checking).

If colleagues know teachers within the schools or are involved as Governors, use these contacts.
It is better to telephone than to send letters or emails. By speaking to them you can identify the possible ways you can work together.

These might include: attending careers days; speaking to pupils; offering work experience; advertising your trainee vacancies to pupils in their final year.
Schools are being encouraged to engage more with their local employers so they will be interested in talking to you.

What can you offer the schools?

Attendance at careers days - to talk to pupils and answer any questions they have on career and training opportunities within your organisation and the profession as a whole

Work experience in your organisation - you can offer a week or fortnight of work experience. Make sure that the pupils allocated to your organisation are interested in accountancy as you can use the time to see if they would fit into your organisation

Summer work - you can offer paid work experience to pupils in the school holidays. Again, this can be used as a great recruitment tool.

Open days at your office - invite pupils and their careers teachers to learn more about what an accountant does and the career opportunities available to them.

The Financial Services Skills Council Directions service is also a useful resource and can be accessed at www.fssc.org.uk/directions

When is the best time to approach schools?

This should be seen as an ongoing process that will involve regular contact.

Key times for activity are:
•    autumn for career events
•    early summer for organised work experience

Who should contact the schools?

To be effective you need one person or team of people to be responsible for this activity.

We also recommend that you encourage your current or recently qualified AAT members to visit the schools to talk about AAT training and careers in accountancy.

What are the key selling points of the AAT qualification compared to a degree?

Avoid student debt  - research shows that AAT trainees who began their course after finishing school at the age of 18, will be approximately £55,000 ahead of their graduate counterparts by the time they have completed their degree (at around 21 years of age).

Gain a qualification and relevant work experience - the combination of a qualification recognised by the industry and up to three years' relevant work experience gives the edge to career development.

Progression to chartered accountancy - we have recognised fast-track routes with both ICAEW and CIPFA.

Our members receive exemptions from CIMA's entry level qualification, Part 1 of the ACCA qualification and up to two units of the ICAS qualification.

What other options are available to you?

Our employers have also recruited trainees for the AAT qualification by:
•    advertising in local newspapers - the best time is during A levels results week in August
•    recruitment agents - to source post-school candidates with some work experience
•    local careers services - can be used to advertise your trainee positions
•    university careers services - a good source for undergraduates who are reconsidering their degree and career options