Practice Insights — Your Experience, Your Career

We're not hiring for a specific role right now — and that's exactly the point. We want to understand the market. This isn't a job application. It's a conversation starter.

Your details will be held securely by aescott and used solely for internal market research and future recruitment conversations. We will not contact your employer or share your data with any third party.

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Section 01

Basic Details

Just the essentials so we know who you are.

Full name *

Email address *We'll only contact you if you've given us permission.

Mobile number (optional)

Current job title *

Current employer name (optional)Entirely optional — you don't need to share this.

Location (town or city) *

LinkedIn profile URL (optional)

Section 02

Your Background in Accountancy

Help us understand your experience and where you're coming from.

Are you currently working in practice, industry, or a mix of both? *

Practice — I work in an accountancy firm Industry — I work in a business or commercial environment Both — I straddle practice and industry Neither — I'm currently between roles

How many years have you worked in accountancy practice? *

What level are you currently working at? *

Junior / Trainee (0–2 years) Semi-Senior (2–4 years, growing independence) Senior (handling own workload, reviewing others) Assistant Manager / Supervisor Manager Senior Manager / Director Partner / Principal

What qualifications do you hold or are studying for? *

ACA (ICAEW) ACCA AAT ATT CTA Qualified by Experience (QBE) Currently studying No formal qualification

Section 03

Your Day-to-Day Role

We want to understand what you actually do — not just your job title.

Describe what a typical working week looks like for you. * No need to write an essay — just give us the flavour of it.

Which services do you personally handle or contribute to? *

Bookkeeping Year-end accounts preparation Accounts review VAT returns Personal tax (Self Assessment) Corporation tax returns Payroll Management accounts Cash flow / projections Advisory work Supporting / training juniors Workflow / job management Other — please specify

Section 04

Client Contact

How much client-facing work does your role involve?

Do you speak with clients directly as part of your role? *

Yes — regularly (weekly or more) Yes — occasionally (monthly or less) Rarely — only when necessary No — client contact is handled by others

Are you expected to build and maintain client relationships? (optional)

Yes — it's a key part of what I do Somewhat — I maintain but don't lead on relationships Not really — relationships are managed above me No — my role is more technical / back-office

Do you handle client queries independently, or escalate most things? (optional)

I resolve most queries independently Mix — independent on some, escalate complex matters I tend to escalate most things Queries are dealt with by others in my team

Section 05

KPIs, Performance & Pressure

How is performance measured in your current firm?

Do you currently work to any formal KPIs or performance targets? *

Yes No Unsure / informal only

If yes — which KPIs? (optional)

Chargeable hours Billing / fee recovery Job turnaround / deadlines Client satisfaction Recovery rates WIP management Review / error rates Business development Other — please specify

What does the November to January tax peak period look like in your firm? (optional) Just an honest picture — not looking for horror stories.

What does 'doing well' look like in your current firm? (optional)

Section 06

Software & Systems

One of the most useful sections for us. No wrong answers.

Which software do you use day-to-day? *

Xero QuickBooks Sage IRIS CCH (Wolters Kluwer) FreeAgent Dext / AutoEntry TaxCalc BrightPay / Moneysoft Karbon Practice Ignition Microsoft 365 / Excel Other — please specify

Which system do you find most useful, and why? (optional)

Is there anything that slows you down or creates unnecessary work? (optional) We're genuinely curious about what creates friction in practice environments.

If you could automate one repetitive task, what would it be? (optional)

Section 07

What You Enjoy — and What You Don't

This helps us understand what makes a role genuinely rewarding.

What do you genuinely enjoy most about your work? * Could be a type of work, a client, a skill you get to use — anything.

What part of your role feels like the best use of your skills? (optional)

What task or aspect do you enjoy least? (optional) Honest answers are more useful than polished ones here.

Can you give a brief example of a time you've been proactive in your role? (optional) Spotted something, improved something, or gone beyond what was expected.

Section 08

Flexibility, Hours & Location

Work/life balance matters. We want to understand what the norm looks like in the market.

Where do you currently work? *

Fully office-based Mostly office-based, with some flexibility Hybrid (roughly equal split) Mostly remote, some office days Fully remote

Does your employer offer genuine flexibility? (optional)

Yes — and I make good use of it Yes in theory, but not always practical in reality Somewhat — limited flexibility available No — hours and location are fixed

If considering a future role, how important is location or commute? (optional)

Very important — I'd need it to be local or fully remote Important, but I'd consider a reasonable commute for the right role Fairly flexible — it's not the deciding factor Not important — I'd go further for the right opportunity

Section 09

Pay & Reward

We want to understand the market — not pry. Salary bands only, no exact figures needed.

Which salary band best describes your current basic salary? (optional)

Do you feel your salary reflects your contribution? (optional)

Yes — I feel fairly paid Mostly — but there's room for improvement Not really — I feel underpaid for what I do No — significant gap between my work and my pay

What matters most to you in a role? Select up to three. (optional)

Salary & financial reward Flexibility & work/life balance Career progression Quality of client work Culture & team environment Autonomy in how I work Training & development Leadership quality Benefits package Job security

Section 10

Career Goals & Future Opportunities

The final stretch — and the bit that's most useful to us.

If you were to consider a move, what would most likely be behind it? (optional)

Salary not keeping pace Lack of genuine flexibility Feeling undervalued or unchallenged Limited career development Change in firm direction or culture Personal reasons I'm actively looking now Purely hypothetical — I'm settled

What would make you stay where you are? (optional) What would your current firm need to do to make a move unappealing?

Where do you want to be professionally in three years? (optional)

Would you be open to hearing about future opportunities at aescott? * No pressure. No obligation. Just a conversation if the time ever feels right.

Yes — happy to hear from you Maybe — I'd want to know more about the firm first Not right now — but I may revisit this in future No — I'm submitting for research / curiosity only

Anything else you'd like us to know, or anything you'd like to ask? (optional)

I am happy for aescott to securely store the information I've provided for future recruitment conversations and internal market research. I understand I can ask to have my details removed at any time by contacting andrea.scott@aescott.co.uk

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Thank you — genuinely.

We've read every response carefully and your time is appreciated. We don't use this form to generate automated responses or add you to a mailing list.

If you've said you're open to a conversation, someone from our team will be in touch — no hard sell, no pressure, just a proper conversation when the time feels right.

— The aescott team