KPMG reviews

On the downside, if you look at the Best Places to work lists - you will find KPMG either listed below every other Big Four firm or completely absent from the list. Top management can make all the excuses they want but it comes down to two primary issues. Management loves to take credit for success but blames underlings for failures. Either way you aren't going to share in the money pouring into the firm. Second, management likes to play favorites and no one seems to be willing to reel these managers in. Companies need to be able to show why one employee was promoted over another and in many cases a halfway good lawyer could prove that this was not the case. Over the years I watched countless talented employees jump ship to the other Big Four Accounting firms. As a result, many people who do remain and work up to Partner or Principal aren't the best and brightest. The few fantastic partners/managers remaining have a very long list of employees trying to get into their group. If you find yourself working for this firm and want anything other than a very, very slow climb to the top - take as many classes as you can and constantly look for a position at one of the other Big Four Accounting firms. Many people I know jumped ship with their manager to a new firm and even entire departments have left together. After working one too many 100+ hour work weeks for this firm I left and I would argue that any firm that loses an entire Practice group to a competitor - isn't some place you want to be long term.

1. Depending on the client needs, you may not have control over when and where you travel and stay; you may not have control over work hours, including necessity to work late nights, at home, and on weekends. 2. Highly driven environment may expect you to put work ahead of personal matters. 3. Highly competitive environment that rewards results even at the detriment of coworkers. 4. There is more emphasis on lowering costs than employee loyalty; the firm continues to hire lower cost associates while laying off higher cost individuals. 5. Management and partnership over promises to the clients which over extends the employee. 6. Engagements are priced too aggressively exerting downward pressure on costs and usage of less experienced and lower paid staff which may impact overall quality of the deliverables. 7. Cost reduction efforts are misguided. Offices have expensive Christmas parties while continuing to replace higher salaried employees with lower less experienced ones. 8. The firm will reward exceptional performers at the upper 15% percentile, but high performers that do not meet the cut become disposable. 9. Employee loyalty is not valued by the firm; the firm values the bottom line results. 10. The firm values short term results and is less concerned about keeping loyal and experienced employees for the long term goals.