One of Gloucestershire's highest profile and biggest firms of accountants and business advisors has announced a recruitment drive.

Not that it is short of prospective candidates, the new initiative is an attempt to tap into the seam of talent which best operates outside traditional working hours.

Hazlewoods, which is headquartered at Staverton and already employs 300 staff, is not the first to realise people are looking at ways of working that fit with their own personal needs and lifestyle.

A CIPD Labour Market survey from February 2019 found that, in what they call the professional gig economy, more than 15 per cent of the UK workforce is now classed as self-employed.

In light of which the UK top 30 firm of chartered accountants is launching what it calls Flexible Focus, promoting short term assignments across a number of disciplines including, accounting, audit, corporate finance, IT, payroll and tax.

Susan Golding, human resources director, said: "We are aware that our workplace needs to evolve to continue to attract talented individuals.

"We have developed a flexible recruitment model as a way of supporting a collaborative and flexible workplace and to aid the future growth of the business.

"This might suit people who have caring responsibilities, those returning to work after a career break, the semi-retired and those who may work part-time and are looking for flexible working arrangements."

The unemployment rate in the UK came in at four percent in the fourth quarter of 2018, its lowest level since the 1970s, which although positive for workers, makes for a challenging recruitment market.

It is thought skills shortages will be a key challenge for ambitious accountancy and finance employers to overcome in the years ahead.

"We expect employee-focused forms of working to become more important in recruiting and retaining the best employees in the future; so, we are starting to lay the foundations for this now," said Ms Golding.