Chartered Financial Planner Telford Mann is planning to recruit seven more staff this year as it steps up recruitment.

The firm is looking to recruit for technical and adviser roles, including candidates seeking to achieve Chartered Financial Planner status.

The firm, which has four offices in the Midlands, believes it is bucking the trend to lay off staff but says recruitment is still a challenge so a recruitment drive is necessary.

Jilly Mann, joint managing director, said: “Recruitment is a constant battle for us. There is a lack of good quality candidates in our region and for a long time now our preferred route has been to grow our own.

“We calculated last year that we invest over £10,000 in each and every trainee who joins us and achieves Chartered Financial Planner status, with many of these candidates now also Fellows of the Personal Finance Society. That is a huge investment on our part and a big commitment from the candidate to this profession.”

Ms Mann says that while University Careers Fairs have been a good source of candidates, the company is keen to widen the net.

As part of this effort it has supported a work experience programme with the Northampton Saints Rugby Club through player sponsorship, which has led to two players joining the firm.

Jon Telford, joint managing director of Telford Mann, said: “We have successfully trained through most of our current team from a very junior if not entry level status through to highly successful rounded individuals and this is something we want to replicate time and again.”

Telford Mann Pensions & Investments has its head office in Kettering and offices in Northampton, Peterborough and Corby.

The firm was founded in 1988, by Moore Stephens Chartered Accountants, but is now independently owned, and manages £550m in funds for  2,500 clients. It has 30 staff and turnover of £5.6m.