Military precision: Winning the battle for the best graduates

"If you accept low quality, prepare for high casualties"

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Advice firms can fight back against the big blue chips in the summer battle for the best graduates, they just need to have a strategy according to John Viney.

"If you accept low quality, prepare for high casualties," said my company sergeant major, finger pointing at me, flecks of spittle landing on my face. He had a point. Sandhurst was a training ground for learning the highest of standards and achieving against the odds. The financial advice industry isn't much different, and it needs to heed the same lesson - and discipline of people, namely attracting high quality graduates, is the first step to victory. It is once again approaching that time of year when bright young people will be lifting their eyes from their textbooks and see...

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