‘Our CA trainees are invaluable to the business’
Dains Scotland has been an ICAS authorised training office since its formation. Ryan Herman hears how the new flexible delivery method means the firm now has the certainty to bring efficiency and productivity gains
The current cohort of Dains Scotland’s CA trainees
The current cohort of Dains Scotland’s CA trainees
Investing in your employees pays dividends in the long term. That is a maxim Dains Scotland has fully embraced since its formation (originally as Consilium) in 2013, shortly after which it became an ICAS authorised training office (ATO). Now part of the larger Dains group, the growing business believes that decision is paying dividends more than ever.
Partner Brian Thomson CA, who joined from Consilium, says: “You have students and trainees who see you investing significant sums of time and money in them, and they buy into the loyalty of the firm. So if you treat staff right, they buy into what you’re trying to achieve as a firm, and that benefits the firm in the long term.
“I believe you’ll get the money back tenfold over time with ICAS trainees”
Brian Thomson CA, Partner
“We’ve been very fortunate in Scotland that we’ve only had one member of staff leave to work for another accountancy firm after qualifying – and they moved to Australia. Sadly, we couldn’t compete when it came to the weather!” says Brian, who also spent six years on the ICAS Members in Practice Advisory Board.
“One of the barriers I’ve always seen from firms looking at the CA qualification is the perceived cost, because you’ve got the cost of the exams, the study support and the time out of the office. But I believe you’ll get the money back tenfold over time with ICAS trainees.”
Brian qualified as a CA 15 years ago and has seen the profession go through seismic change in that time. “I was recalling with a colleague recently that I was among the first group to do what is now called ‘integration’ on a laptop,” he says. “Everyone before that did it on paper. We no longer get A4 ring binders full of papers and notes. It’s now all online with video tutorials.”
Any firm taking on trainees needs to make sure they are equipped with the skills not just for the here and now, but also to adapt to what is coming down the road. That means an increasing focus on data analytics and AI.
“Primarily, we act for SMEs in west-central Scotland, with some other outliers, but they represent a diverse range of businesses,” says Andrew McKay CA, Director at Dains Scotland.
“Our trainees are mostly based in our audit department, which means they are required to have strong knowledge across a broad range of financial areas. While we can provide day-to-day, on-the-job training, the technical training is made up mainly of ICAS classes. Together, they provide a complete training experience.
“The ICAS qualification has adapted and developed, so it now includes elective options such as sustainability and data analytics, giving students the opportunity to study topics that are modern and relevant.
“The new delivery model works for us because it gives us the certainty of knowing when our students will be at ICAS and when they’ll be available to work.
“As much as the priority is for the student to get through the qualification, we also need to make sure that the time available to our business can be managed so we can plan our work accordingly. The flexibility has been crucial for us in recent years, and it’s meant we’ve been able to take on more trainees. Previously, if they were all going to classes at the same time then you’re missing a big chunk of your workforce.”
Recruitment time
As Andrew explains, the process of bringing in the next cohort of trainees begins each summer.
“We advertise our vacancies through the ‘Become a CA’ section of the ICAS website. Typically, this advert goes live during the summer when people are finishing university, as well as when third-year students are looking to secure a graduate job for the following year.
“Our interview process is fairly straightforward. We don’t have assessment centres or any psychometric testing. We simply hold two interviews with managers and partners, after which we decide whether to hire. We typically take on between four and five trainees every year. This year, we’re looking to take on a few more as we continue to grow.
“Most of our managers are CAs who trained with ICAS, and the growth of our firm in recent years is largely attributable to the strength and continuity of that team”
Andrew McKay CA, Director
“Once we have selected our graduates, they receive a welcome pack, including an introduction that takes them through what to expect when they join Dains. They are also assigned a mentor who has recently been through the ICAS qualification.
“Because we have trainees at every level, they will have access to people at the level above them who have just been through the exact same experience. They have faced the same challenges and asked the same so-called ‘stupid questions’. Providing trainees with someone who has just been through that works really well.
“The CA trainees we have are invaluable for our business. Within the audit department, most of our managers are CAs who trained with ICAS, and the growth of our firm in recent years is largely attributable to the strength and continuity of that team.”
Brian also sees another benefit that cannot be measured or calculated but is just as valuable.
“When I initially joined Dains Scotland, we maybe only had four or five CA trainees at any one time. Now we have anywhere between 10 and 12. Although it is a tangential benefit, having that number of trainees has been really good for our culture and has had a positive impact.
“They socialise and share their struggles and joys of being a CA together, and that brings vibrancy and enthusiasm to an accountancy firm.”
Learn how to make your office an ICAS ATO
The current cohort of Dains Scotland’s CA trainees
The current cohort of Dains Scotland’s CA trainees
Investing in your employees pays dividends in the long term. That is a maxim Dains Scotland has fully embraced since its formation (originally as Consilium) in 2013, shortly after which it became an ICAS authorised training office (ATO). Now part of the larger Dains group, the growing business believes that decision is paying dividends more than ever.
Partner Brian Thomson CA, who joined from Consilium, says: “You have students and trainees who see you investing significant sums of time and money in them, and they buy into the loyalty of the firm. So if you treat staff right, they buy into what you’re trying to achieve as a firm, and that benefits the firm in the long term.
“I believe you’ll get the money back tenfold over time with ICAS trainees”
Brian Thomson CA, Partner
“We’ve been very fortunate in Scotland that we’ve only had one member of staff leave to work for another accountancy firm after qualifying – and they moved to Australia. Sadly, we couldn’t compete when it came to the weather!” says Brian, who also spent six years on the ICAS Members in Practice Advisory Board.
“One of the barriers I’ve always seen from firms looking at the CA qualification is the perceived cost, because you’ve got the cost of the exams, the study support and the time out of the office. But I believe you’ll get the money back tenfold over time with ICAS trainees.”
Brian qualified as a CA 15 years ago and has seen the profession go through seismic change in that time. “I was recalling with a colleague recently that I was among the first group to do what is now called ‘integration’ on a laptop,” he says. “Everyone before that did it on paper. We no longer get A4 ring binders full of papers and notes. It’s now all online with video tutorials.”
Any firm taking on trainees needs to make sure they are equipped with the skills not just for the here and now, but also to adapt to what is coming down the road. That means an increasing focus on data analytics and AI.
“Primarily, we act for SMEs in west-central Scotland, with some other outliers, but they represent a diverse range of businesses,” says Andrew McKay CA, Director at Dains Scotland.
“Our trainees are mostly based in our audit department, which means they are required to have strong knowledge across a broad range of financial areas. While we can provide day-to-day, on-the-job training, the technical training is made up mainly of ICAS classes. Together, they provide a complete training experience.
“The ICAS qualification has adapted and developed, so it now includes elective options such as sustainability and data analytics, giving students the opportunity to study topics that are modern and relevant.
“The new delivery model works for us because it gives us the certainty of knowing when our students will be at ICAS and when they’ll be available to work.
“As much as the priority is for the student to get through the qualification, we also need to make sure that the time available to our business can be managed so we can plan our work accordingly. The flexibility has been crucial for us in recent years, and it’s meant we’ve been able to take on more trainees. Previously, if they were all going to classes at the same time then you’re missing a big chunk of your workforce.”
Recruitment time
As Andrew explains, the process of bringing in the next cohort of trainees begins each summer.
“We advertise our vacancies through the ‘Become a CA’ section of the ICAS website. Typically, this advert goes live during the summer when people are finishing university, as well as when third-year students are looking to secure a graduate job for the following year.
“Our interview process is fairly straightforward. We don’t have assessment centres or any psychometric testing. We simply hold two interviews with managers and partners, after which we decide whether to hire. We typically take on between four and five trainees every year. This year, we’re looking to take on a few more as we continue to grow.
“Most of our managers are CAs who trained with ICAS, and the growth of our firm in recent years is largely attributable to the strength and continuity of that team”
Andrew McKay CA, Director
“Once we have selected our graduates, they receive a welcome pack, including an introduction that takes them through what to expect when they join Dains. They are also assigned a mentor who has recently been through the ICAS qualification.
“Because we have trainees at every level, they will have access to people at the level above them who have just been through the exact same experience. They have faced the same challenges and asked the same so-called ‘stupid questions’. Providing trainees with someone who has just been through that works really well.
“The CA trainees we have are invaluable for our business. Within the audit department, most of our managers are CAs who trained with ICAS, and the growth of our firm in recent years is largely attributable to the strength and continuity of that team.”
Brian also sees another benefit that cannot be measured or calculated but is just as valuable.
“When I initially joined Dains Scotland, we maybe only had four or five CA trainees at any one time. Now we have anywhere between 10 and 12. Although it is a tangential benefit, having that number of trainees has been really good for our culture and has had a positive impact.
“They socialise and share their struggles and joys of being a CA together, and that brings vibrancy and enthusiasm to an accountancy firm.”
Learn how to make your office an ICAS ATO
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