Adroit Accountax gives young people a giant step up the career ladder

Adroit Accountax, chartered certified accountants and business advisors, have a long-standing association with the Southwark Business Excellence Awards, both as a winner and a sponsor.

In this interview, Haseeb Kaiser, Head of Business Development and Marketing, highlights the business’s recent achievements and explains why they enjoy getting involved in the programme…

Since last year’s awards, held virtually because of COVID-19 restrictions, Adroit has experienced rapid growth and forged new links within the Southwark community.

“We have seen a lot more younger people apply for positions here and are currently looking at taking on another apprentice too,” Haseeb said. “The company has grown and we have seen an organic growth with people visiting our website and Googling our company too. We have a better relationship with the community and businesses around the community too. We have also since acquired another practice.”

In 2021, Adroit’s apprentice, Sameer, clinched the Young Person’s Contribution Award. The win spotlighted the company’s reputation for supporting young people and giving them a great start to their careers.

“Our approach has always been to encourage young people and apprenticeships,” Haseeb said. “We believe this is the first taster for school-leavers in the working world. This is a huge transition from school life and an ideal way for young people to see what working life is like while learning along the way and trying new things. And of course, they gain a new sense of financial independence.

“Sameer was our first attempt at apprenticeships and we want to continue to be a part of young people’s growth into the working world. Apprenticeships bring a person that is hungry to learn and progress and puts 110% into their work. It’s a cost-effective way of bringing a great addition to the team. We benefited greatly as Sameer grew into the role and in the end, he was solely responsible for the whole practice’s payroll department. We also had an apprentice in our marketing team but unfortunately during Covid there wasn’t any marketing, so we were forced to let her go after keeping her on furlough for a long time.”

For any businesses considering entering the Southwark Business Excellence Awards, Haseeb has offered the following words of encouragement:

“We have entered for the last three years, it’s a great event not only to get involved with the local community but to also celebrate the great businesses we have in the community too. It also has a positive effect on social media and the local area too. We want to be known as the local accountant of choice in the Southwark area, so this is a great opportunity to get the Adroit name out there (Adroit means cleverly skilful, resourceful or ingenious) and also connect with the relevant local businesses too.

“Our tips to businesses thinking of entering would be to just do it! It’s a great way to network with other local businesses, and feel part of the community. As a business we believe we are all striving for the same thing, sharing knowledge, exchanging ideas and helping each other when we can. And knowing that you are part of the community makes you feel part of a family. It shouldn’t only just be about work, as business owners it’s a big part of our lives so why not make the most of it. We have made some great connections and met great people. If you become a finalist, it comes across so well on your social platforms… it is a great way to grow your brand and get your name out there.”

And explaining the decision to sponsor the 2022 programme, Haseeb says:

“The awards are a great event to look forward to and something where the local community can come together and celebrate the fantastic businesses we have in Southwark. We have sponsored the event this year as we are great believers in the event and the awards and have first hand seen the benefits to the awards. It’s an opportunity to market ourselves to local businesses and also show our support for the borough of Southwark too.”