Shorts puts the development and welfare of its employees at the forefront of its work. From expanding their skill sets through tailored training plans to focusing on mental health following the pandemic, Shorts continues to shine as a leading employer within the profession. Judges of The Yorkshire Accountancy Awards, on presenting Best Employer of the Year
Shorts puts the development and welfare of its employees at the forefront of its work. From expanding their skill sets through tailored training plans to focusing on mental health following the pandemic, Shorts continues to shine as a leading employer within the profession.
We want every member of our team to feel supported, developed and happy. So, we provide
Our team enjoys all the key benefits you expect from a progressive firm with much more besides, and we are proud of our relaxed and inclusive culture which stands out as different. Yes – we understand that everyone makes similar claims, but we really do believe that it’s true.
We are providing a premium service for clients – but we make sure that this is without compromising our principles. We are an award-winning firm, but alongside awards recognising the work we do for our clients, we are also immensely proud to have been named Best Employer in Tax at the Tolley’s Taxation Awards 2022, and Employer of the Year at the Yorkshire Accountancy Awards 2023. We were also shortlisted in the category of Outstanding Contribution to Workforce Development at the Sheffield Business Awards and Finalists for the 2025 Yorkshire Accountancy Awards Best Employer of the Year.
So we know, that whilst we look after our clients well, we also look after our team; their welfare and development are equally important.
We have committed to:
We provide our team with the time to complete their work, concentrate on personal success and live their lives.
We are proud of our record of team development, having supported many individuals with their progression within the firm.
Focussing on your own personal development can sometimes be overlooked when you are busy and working to deadlines, and we are keen to make sure that doesn't happen.
So, we ensure that our team has the time to focus on their own development path, with procedures in place to help them achieve their aspirations.
We don’t work to unrealistic timescales and do not accept client work that we are unable to fulfil.
We manage employee levels, endeavouring to maintain team numbers of 15% over capacity. Nobody should ever feel overwhelmed or under undue pressure.
Consequently, our team have the appropriate time to focus on their work - time to think, time to analyse, and time to bounce off one another with ideas. This approach leads to improved job satisfaction and higher levels of client service.
We do not expect any of our team to work more than their basic weekly hours, supported by our zero overtime policy. We consistently report less than one hour of overtime per employee per month – well below the industry standard. And it is our mission to reduce this even further - down to nil.
Our senior team lead by example to ensure everyone benefits from the commitment to a healthy life balance, both in and out of work. Hybrid working, core hours, and zero overtime policies put our team in charge of managing their time to suit them – both in and out of the office.
"Some time ago, Shorts made some cultural changes to working hours within the Team Handbook, and HR sent out emails to let us know. That felt really nice, like someone has valued my personal beliefs and taken this decision to change the policies and allow us to alter our hours for cultural reasons."
"I am now able to adjust my working hours to make work easier during Ramadan. So, if I’m feeling extremely tired (maybe because I woke up at say 3am in the morning for breakfast), I can start work a little bit later, adjust when I leave, or take a shorter lunchbreak during the day, rather than the full hour."
"And recently, Shorts have made it easier to take annual leave, for religious faiths with celebrations. Sometimes it can be difficult to take annual leave if this coincides with the work of an important job/client. But with the changes to the Team Handbook, Shorts are more empathetic and understand the very important celebrations of different faiths. Previously, I have sometimes struggled to get time off, and it’s been very upsetting to not easily get the day to celebrate with family. I’ve worked in places where employers didn’t have similar support in place, and it’s good to know I don’t need to stress about that here."
"And really importantly, for not only my religion, but in other faiths too, knowing that any person wanting to practice their faith is able to have a quiet space for prayer if required at Shorts; that is really helpful to know."
Anisa Malik, Audit and Accounts Assistant
"I especially like the variety of work from international clients and the challenge of managing their expectations when the work involves dealing with HMRC. The international clients I deal with are always appreciative of the work I carry out and willing to pay for expert advice. This makes me feel valued which is always nice."
"I really enjoy my work as I love VAT and like the variety of clients at Shorts. I enjoy the mix of complex tax planning work and more routine VAT compliance work. I also enjoy the business development work I do, especially the Blog writing. I appreciate the opportunities Shorts have given me to expand my knowledge and skills."
"The work I enjoy the most is tax planning work, which the whole team gets involved in."
"I appreciate the ability to work from home but prefer to work in the office. I rarely work from home more than one day a week as I like the routine of coming in to work and enjoy the interaction with colleagues. I also find working from home convenient when I have a doctor’s or dentist’s appointment as I can schedule my appointments to fit in with my working hours."
Lynne Gill, Senior VAT Manager
I found the graduate recruitment process challenging as there were a few different stages to work through, but it was obviously very rewarding in the end. It was good to go into the office and have the networking section so that you get to meet people who actually work for Shorts and get a feel of what the company is like and whether you think it’ll be the right fit for you or not.
The induction process for me went really well. You’re given a “buddy” on your first day who will give you a tour of the office, tell you all the important bits that you need to know and get you set up on the systems. There was also a welcome lunch on my first day which was a great chance to get to know the team. Joining Shorts as a graduate meant that there were also other graduates starting on the same day as me, so it was nice to have them by my side and help it not feel as daunting.
For me, it was definitely the work/life balance and the no overtime policy that attracted me to Shorts. From working in retail whilst at university I found that they wanted me to work so much overtime that I was always working and had no time for my friends and family. Therefore, the fact that I can work, study, and still have time for a social life is something that I really love about Shorts.
Savannah Hill, Audit and Accounts Semi-Senior
Rob Brown is a best-selling author and host of the podcast, Accounting Influencers, with a global audience of over 35,000 accounting professionals.
An expert in getting to the core of any accounting topic, Rob interviews Shorts’ Managing Partner, Andy Irvine and explored the values at Shorts and why listening and providing our team with time, are such important parts of our culture.
We asked a few of our team to explain in more detail the impact that having more flexibility in their working day means to them – what effect does the gift of additional time have on their lives.
Everyone’s circumstances are different, so the responses were all very personal and uniquely different.
Our recruitment program includes many just starting out on their career journey in accountancy.
Whether joining through our graduate program, as an apprentice, or studying for higher qualifications, all of our trainees are fully supported throughout their training journey, and many stay with us after completing their studies.
Career Progression
For many, completing professional qualifications is only the beginning of their journey. Understanding how to achieve a promotion or climb the career ladder is the natural next step.
So, our Management Development Program is designed specifically for those individuals wanting to understand, plan and navigate their route to promotion.
Through a program of structured courses, mentoring, and training we continue to support our team throughout their development journey.
Career Opportunities
Interested in working at Shorts?
Visit our careers pages for details of our current vacancies.
Healthy life balance
We look after our clients really well, but we also look after our team, because we know that their welfare and development are equally as important.
For everyone, personal time when we are not working is extremely valuable, and it is for that reason, that our zero overtime policy was created. Fundamentally, we do not expect any of our team to work more than their basic weekly hours.
Although this practice is quite unique within the accounting industry, we are proud to consistently see average overtime at less than one hour per employee per month.
Hybrid working, core hours, and zero overtime policies mean that our team manage their time better – both in and out of the office.
Enjoying our work
We don’t work to unrealistic timescales and never accept client work that we are unable to fulfil.
We aim to manage our employee levels to ensure that our team is always around 15% over capacity at any time, meaning that they should never feel overwhelmed or under undue pressure
Consequently, our team have the appropriate time to focus on their work – time to think, time to analyse, and time to bounce off one another with ideas. Not only does this lead to improved job satisfaction, but also results in higher levels of client service.
Charity
Our team regularly takes part in local and national fundraising events and all team members have the opportunity to take part in one volunteering day each year. There is an opportunity to get involved in
– sporting events, tournaments and challenges – cake sales – Christmas events – Local charity collections
Employee Benefits
Those who work for Shorts can expect all the stuff you would normally expect from a really progressive form, and lots more besides.
Team News
We work together, celebrate our successes together and always share our team news.
To find out more about what’s been happening recently, visit our LinkedIn page.
Beginning your career
Following decades of evolution, the IT team of today is worlds apart from their counterparts of yesteryear. To reflect this change and more accurately represent them in today's world, Shorts' IT team have recently rebranded with their new identity: The Digital Team.
The team at Shorts are delighted to announce the promotion of Ian Robinson to the newly established position of Senior Audit Quality, Technical and Training Lead within the Corporate Team, which takes effective this month.
In the world of accounting and financial management, Malcolm Pope’s story is truly inspiring. This month, we're celebrating his 25th work anniversary. From a fresh graduate to a partner at Shorts, his journey shows his dedication, resilience, and passion for the profession.
All the stuff you would normally expect from a really progressive firm and lots more besides:
The other bits
We’re always open to talking to great people. If you feel that Shorts would be a great fit for your next career move, then why not send us your contact details; we’ll give you a call and maybe meet up to chat over coffee? (If you’d prefer to send us your CV, you can add that too) As part of our commitment to promote diversity we ask that candidates remove any personal traits such as name and date of birth as part of our initial screening process thus enabling us to make talent decisions based on skills and experience.
58% of our team have been with Shorts more than 3 years
16% of our team have been with Shorts more than 10 years
8% of our team have been with Shorts more than 20 years (five of them for over 30 years, and one more than 40!)
