Toxic workplace ruined learning opportunities - Audit Assistant Manager BDO Employee Review

2.0
Dec 21, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Growing so great exposure to clients taken from Big 4 - Audit sector team below Manager was supportive - Great look on CV - Good exposure to client senior management Rating would be higher but toxic work environment that is led by the white male partners, sexism and racism, inappropriate jokes about female employees especially when they get drunk.

Cons

- Burnout due to long hours and lack of resourcing. Some managers and graduates took months off work because of stress and mental health especially during the pandemic - Lack of diversity, equity and inclusion for ethnic minorities from assistant manager and up - The ethnic minority assistant managers and managers that were role models were treated badly so left - No clarity on performance appraisals and based on favouritism especially if you are a white male - Audit Partners and senior managers carry out targeted bullying and harassment especially if you are good at your job and your clients and teams respect and like you - Lack of training for junior members of team - No consequences for partners when bullying is reported. Partners are protected even with multiple people coming forward about being bullied - HR protects the bullies then punishes the bullied Work at BDO to get it on your CV but don't stay too long or your mental health will suffer

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5.0
May 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Work life balance and range of opportunities

Cons

Tools available and total pay

1.0
Jun 22, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Compensation is OK. There are some really nice people in the organization to work with, but you have to find them.

Cons

If you are not part of the SWC "club" (company name prior to them joining BDO), good luck. Poor leadership!!! Practice lead talks to everyone like they are talking to a CEO, not relatable in most cases. No clear employee development plans. You are held accountable for things completely outside of your individual control. They stress incorporating AI into work strategy, but have no plan on what that looks like or how to do it and want everyone to formulate it because leadership has no roadmap. One has no control over where you want to take your career, yet you are expected to know everything, about everything. As a result, you become an expert of nothing! Work assigned rarely leverages skills, almost as if they throw darts to see who works on what.

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