Dust off those calculators! Older accountants urged to come out of retirement

Retired accountants are being urged to consider returning to work as part of a recruitment drive by a practice in Scotland.

Azets, which specialises in the small and medium-sized enterprise market, recently announced plans to take on an additional 250 staff in Scotland over the next five years.

The firm believes a “work from anywhere” policy and flexibility on hours could tempt retirees back into employment.

Peter Gallanagh, Azets’ chief executive for Scotland and the North, said there was a large pool of retirees or early leavers who often miss work and might now consider returning to the profession.

Azets' Peter Gallanagh believes greater flexibility around working hours and location could bring back many accountants. Picture: contributed.

“Early retirees have extensive experience, are often strong leaders, and have good management skills. As such they have much to offer the profession and we are hopeful that our campaign might provide the encouragement many might need to join our fast-growing business,” he said.

The business estimates that around 10 per cent of vacancies could be filled by professionals returning to work in the coming years.

To support the recruitment drive, Azets is making a multi-million-pound investment in technology aimed at providing staff with the infrastructure and systems to support hybrid and remote working. Staff will be able to work full or part-time, including options for term-time-only hours and shorter working weeks.

Azets currently has around 500 partners and staff in Scotland across ten offices. Last month it promoted 30 of its workforce across its Scottish business including James Fennessey becoming restructuring partner and Fiona Robertson director of corporate finance. Blair Milne was also appointed to the senior leadership team.

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