Hybrid working, core hours and zero overtime policies mean that our team have the opportunity to manage their time better - both in and out of the office.
I have a young family so working from home and the flexible hours policy mean I can remain just as productive at work but in a way that reduces the impact on family life - this is invaluable to me. Lauren Jaques - Genus Client Financial Controller
I have a young family so working from home and the flexible hours policy mean I can remain just as productive at work but in a way that reduces the impact on family life - this is invaluable to me.
We are providing a premium service for clients – but we make sure that this is without compromising our principles – something we’re deeply passionate about. 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 2023 Yorkshire Accountancy Awards. So whilst we look after our clients well, we know that we are also looking after our team.
Because personal time is valuable for every team member at all levels and is fundamentally important to personal well-being, we do not expect any of our team to work more than the basic weekly hours. And we do monitor this, with
Rob Brown is a best-selling author and host of the successful podcast, ‘The 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 Managing Partner, Andy Irvine to understand why getting overall overtime stats down to nil is one of his top priorities.
"The flexible working at Shorts is a big advantage – particularly as I have three children. It allows me to rearrange my day when the unexpected happens without the stress and pressure of needing to be in the office. I can now do some of the school pickups as well so my work/life balance has really improved as I have never been in the position to do this previously. I really enjoy working at Shorts and look forward to seeing the progression over the coming years."
"I feel Shorts really do care about having a good work/life balance and as I have a young family at home this is invaluable. The working from home policy and the flexible hours means I can remain just as productive at work but in a way that reduces the impact on family life which is rare.
As I complete another year with the firm, I can see that there is still potential for me to keep developing and moving forward with the brilliant Team I work with."
"Before I joined people were talking to me and saying that Shorts were much better than other firms, and it's a more relaxed sort of environment. And you're always a bit wary until you join. Then after the first few weeks, I actually realised, yes, at 4.30 pm you can actually go home. And your whole work-life balance just changes completely. Since I joined, I just started picking up all the hobbies that I wasn't doing."
"After having met 4 of the partners through the interview process, I was left feeling that they were all very personable, and easy-going and I felt that I could comfortably work with them and be treated as an equal. They really stressed the importance to them of work-life balance & how this is a key element of the culture within the firm and I can honestly say that they practice what they preach – they lead by example and don’t expect of others what they are not prepared to do themselves. The firm is very flexible in terms of its working practices and having 2 offices helps with this."
"After starting my career in Birmingham and Leeds, I started to consider relocating back home to South Yorkshire, for family reasons. Having worked at that time exclusively for large, mid-tier accounting firms, I was looking for a local firm that was progressive, could offer excellent career opportunities and had a good work-life balance. Shorts fitted the bill as it is a growing, advisory led firm willing to invest in good people.
The Partners and senior team members all pull in the same direction, have a friendly open-door policy and promote a healthy, family orientated work-life balance. I truly believe that Shorts is a great place to work."
"The core hours policy, and hybrid working have both been instrumental in my quality of work-life balance. A perfect example for me – playing a sport in England that isn’t your typical British sport, Ice Hockey, means we play/train at incredibly unsociable hours – specifically training at 11pm on a Sunday night, until the early hours of Monday morning. Being able to work from home on a Monday, and also utilising the later start of the core hours policy (where my diary allows), means that I can still get the sufficient rest before starting the working day on Monday morning. This has always been a huge issue for me at previous firms, so the impact these policies have had on my personal life is monumental."
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.
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.
Working at Shorts
We have created an environment where our team feel supported, developed and happy.
We provide our team with a blend of interesting and challenging work with time to contribute their own ideas, concentrate on personal development whilst ensuring a healthy life balance, both in and out of work.
Career Opportunities
Interested in working at Shorts?
Visit our careers pages for details of our current vacancies.
Beginning your career
Shorts are delighted to announce the appointment of Craig Walker as Tax Partner with effect from 1 December 2024, joining existing Tax Partners Chris Chambers, Scott Burkinshaw, and David Robinson in leading the firm’s tax offering. Responding to a decade of sustained growth, the appointment of Shorts’ fourth Tax Partner supports their continued commitment to growing the Tax department and underpins the firm’s continued development and strength.
We are excited to have be finalists in two categories of the 2025 Yorkshire Accountancy Awards.
The Chesterfield Festival of Christmas Trees has once again opened its doors for what is now the tenth year. Running from 16th November until Sunday 1st of December 2024 (and attracting over 20,000 visitors per year), the festival is open daily for visitors at the Parish Church St. Mary and All Saints (The Crooked Spire). Once again, Shorts is proud to be joining in the festival, with our Christmas tree joining the many others.
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.
