Stepping up: Lewis' Story

We spoke to Lewis Moore, Audit and Assurance Manager, to find out about his journey at Haines Watts over the last 10 years. We discussed company insights, his role and achievements, the changing audit landscape and more.

First of all, tell us a bit about your time before Haines Watts

I started at Haines Watts in April 2012, so almost 10 years ago!  At the time I was unsure of whether to go to university or not, and like a lot of people who get into accounting, I was good with numbers.

After research I decided to go down the accountancy apprenticeship route, which was a lot less common back then as the majority of new recruits still came via university. I got the role with Haines Watts via a training provider.

Why was Haines Watts the right choice for you? 

I really liked the variety on offer with the role, exposure to accounts, audit and tax from an early stage. Rather than being restricted to one specialised area in a bigger firm I knew I would have the opportunity to learn various skills and then decide on an area of focus later down the line. 

The variety also kept it interesting and meant I got to work with a lot of experienced staff who I could learn from. I think having that broad exposure is really important for the person and for the firm.

How have you progressed at Haines Watts? 

When I first started my main goal was to qualify, after that I wasn’t sure what I wanted. I was initially in more of a split role between different departments, as I progressed I started moving towards a more audit focused role. However, I still had options to get involved in other areas of the business.

From a relatively early stage the firm pushed me to keep taking more responsibility whilst also providing me with the support I needed, which meant I could progress quickly. I think this is another benefit of Haines Watts, it doesn’t matter what stage you’re at with your studies, if you’re good at your job you will be trusted and supported to progress as quickly as you want.

How has the workplace, auditing landscape, markets and clients changed over the last few years?

As an office we’ve considerably grown during my time here and staff numbers have pretty much doubled.  When I first started we were very much a rigid 9-5 office, but as with a lot of firms we are now operating in a more flexible way. I think is really good for our people and the firm.

The audit industry has changed a lot in the past few years, a few high profile collapses have increased scrutiny on the profession and brought in tougher standards. However, in terms of potential new work, it is a really good time in the industry.

Technology is becoming more important for both us and our clients, and this is changing the way we audit.  However we still see ourselves as a people business and we have found there is a big demand from clients for human interaction. Most of our clients prefer an advisor who is willing to come out and meet them face to face rather than over Zoom, or giving them a phone call rather than sending an email. 

I also really like the people side of the business and I’m glad to be at a firm who values that too.

Why do you choose to stay at Haines Watts?

It’s a really great place to work. Like all professional service firms, there can be pressures at times but they’re never overwhelming and you always have the support from colleagues and senior staff.

I also like being part of a relatively small office, compared to bigger firms, this means you can build really strong relationships with each other, and even ex-colleagues stay good friends.

Another benefit of being a smaller office is that I feel I have a lot more influence. If there is a change I would like to make, e.g. to systems, I can have a chat with the partners and managers to work on implementing it. This helps us to be more agile and stay ahead of the competition.