BDO UK opens doors to 350 new trainees
Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP is set to recruit 350 new trainees and is calling on students up and down the country to consider the merits of a career in accountancy.
The firm has widened its entry criteria and taken its recruitment process online to attract hidden talent and ambitious millennials across all socio-demographics.
The 350 new recruits will take BDO’s trainee total to more than 1,100 by the end of 2017 across its four key programmes: graduate, school leaver, summer intern and summer school.
BDO is now accepting 2:2 degrees (previously 2:1) and A-Levels and GCSEs from A* – C to better represent the demographics of society. It has also scrapped competency-based interviews in favour of strength-based assessments, with a move to online video interviews allowing for greater flexibility, improved efficiency and reduced costs in travel for students in the UK and overseas.
Shortlisted candidates are then invited to an Assessment Centre where they meet with prospective colleagues and partners in the business before formal offers are made.
Paul Eagland became BDO’s Managing Partner in October. As a non-graduate himself, he is passionate about encouraging the next generation of business advisers entering the profession.
He said: “Trainees are the life blood of our organisation – they are ambitious, smart and flourish in an environment that supports individuality. We want to focus on an inclusive culture where background has no relevance to success. Widening our entry criteria is part of that; it is crucial that our student recruitment model is in sync with that vision.
“The impact of new technology on our profession is huge. The market is evolving and the candidate experience is changing. Advisers need to have a digital mind-set, think innovatively and provide clients will commercial solutions, and this is where students can really stand out.
“No matter how long you have worked in the industry or how well you think you understand a client’s needs, young people have the ability to make you see things differently. Our new and existing trainees really will future proof our firm’s success.”
Applications for the 2017 intake are now open. BDO says more than 6,000 people are expected to apply for the 350 places available. Of the successful recruits, 165 are planned to be graduates, 100 school leavers, with the remainder split between the intern programme (six week placement) and summer school (two weeks).
Source: BDO
