More than a third of Johnston Carmichael’s 850 employees are students working towards their qualifications. Partner and Chief People Officer Martin Osler and Head of Early Careers Laura Carter CA believe the firm’s commitment to a fresh intake of diverse thinkers is key to navigating an AI-driven future. Fraser Allen reports

“Alot of people who know me find it surprising that I work in accountancy,” says Martin Osler, Partner and Chief People Officer at Johnston Carmichael. “I’m not an accountant – I struggle to add up my golf score. But the surprise for me was just how interesting and fascinating a profession this is. We need to get that message out there. This is a great career for people with a sense of curiosity who like to think about how business can be done differently, and done better.

“We’re not just looking for people who are good at maths,” he adds. “We want to bring on students who have curiosity, creative skills and can solve problems – young people who can collaborate with colleagues but also potentially lead. As a lot of traditional accountancy tasks are handled by AI, it frees up time for us to do more meaningful work.”

With 11 offices stretching from Aberdeen to London, Johnston Carmichael is one of the UK’s largest independent accountancy firms – and a leading ICAS authorised training office (ATO). The firm may have celebrated its 90th birthday earlier this year, but it has a progressive culture built around nurturing the next generation of talent. Of the firm’s 850 people, around 300 are graduates or school leavers studying for their qualifications.

Growth area

“For us, it’s about succession planning,” says Martin. “Students coming into our business will be our future leaders and we’re already seeing several graduates and school leavers who joined us a few years ago becoming senior managers, directors and even partners. Of course, we recognise that the world of accountancy is changing rapidly through AI but, while we’re always monitoring the number of people we bring into the business, we remain committed to our student pathways.”

“We’re already seeing several graduates and school leavers who joined us a few years ago becoming senior managers, directors and even partners”

Martin Osler

And while there is a broader discussion around how the profession continues to attract young accountants, it’s not a problem for Johnston Carmichael. “We opened our graduate recruitment process in September,” says Martin. “And [at the time of writing] we already had 1,200 applications for what will be round about 46 positions.

“We have a really strong presence in the market and we know from our annual people survey that we’re a great place to work. In fact, we are accredited by Great Place To Work because of those results. We have an excellent culture, and flexibility in the way we support young people through the student pathways to develop their careers. One of our strategic ambitions is to be the best possible place to work, and to be a world-class learning organisation.”

Martin began his career as a journalist, before moving into public relations, corporate communications and then HR, joining Johnston Carmichael in 2021. He works closely on the student pathways with Laura Carter, Head of Early Careers. Following a degree in accountancy at the University of Dundee, Laura completed her CA with a firm in the north-east of Scotland before joining Johnston Carmichael in 2008. “I started in audit for around a year, then moved into business advisory for 13 years, before getting the fantastic opportunity of joining the early careers team, which I’ve now been doing for almost five years,” she says. “It’s a journey through the business that has given me useful insights into student development.”

Nurturing environment

“It’s key that our students feel completely supported both by Johnston Carmichael and ICAS,” she says. “So we make it clear at the outset that it’ll take a good six months for them to adapt to the rhythm of learning, while having a good balance with their home life. That’s easier now through the considerable flexibility built into the ICAS course in terms of studying options and how the material is delivered. We also have a very proactive relationship with ICAS, including a monthly call, which I really value because I can see that the feedback that we share both ways makes a positive difference.”

ICAS students at Johnston Carmichael have a choice of pathways. For instance, they can join as a school leaver and gain their ICAS qualification and degree over five years, or take the three-year pathway as a graduate. “Back when I trained, it was more about the number crunching,” says Laura. “The understanding of the numbers still needs to be there, but the profession today is much more about advisory roles and helping clients through professional judgement.”

“We have a very proactive relationship with ICAS, which I value because the feedback that we share both ways makes a positive difference”

Laura Carter

One of Laura’s favourite aspects of her job is following the students through the key milestones of their journey. “At the inductions, they tend to arrive a wee bit nervous, but full of excitement. And it’s exciting for us, because they are our future. I also love results day, when it’s great to see the relief and pride that students have from passing an exam they’ve studied really hard for. But we’re also there for those that haven’t, reassuring them that one disappointing result doesn’t represent their whole pathway. And of course I love that moment when a student completes their ICAS qualification. We give them either some champagne or chocolates, and it’s wonderful to see how they’ve grown into a professional CA.”

This aspiration for world-class learning doesn’t end there. Johnston Carmichael offers a range of learning opportunities, from developing communication and negotiation skills to its master’s-accredited leadership programme created in partnership with Strathclyde Business School.

And the educational emphasis extends into encouraging diversity of thought. “The traditional view on diversity in the workplace is a focus on including people from different ethnicities and genders,” says Martin. “That’s obviously very important, but one of the most valuable aspects of that is the diversity of thought it brings. Contrasting perspectives from people with different backgrounds make the workplace more vibrant, but you’ve got to tap into that and make sure you’re listening to all your people. Encouraging that richness of diversity and different viewpoints is going to be absolutely critical because AI can’t replicate it. We need empathy, curiosity and critical thinking – and our next generation of CAs will bring that.”

johnstoncarmichael.com

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