Ernst & Young Reviews

Pros

Great learning experience for young folks. Good exposure to lots of different types of businesses and processes. EY, with all their faults, does have great flexibiltiy (when your not out on the road, or working until mignight). Most SMs and Partners are very flexible

Cons

Politics is rampant, and you must play to survive. Start young. "Align" yourself with someone senior enough to do something for your career, and stupid enough to not know or care what you really can do (yes, there are plenty of them around - you need to find them quickly. Yes, they use the word "Align" (instead of a**-kiss). It is truly 100% not what you know but who you know - so play the game as soon as you can if you want to be there long term.

Advice to Senior Management

You actually institutionalized the 360 Upward Feedback Log, instead of making it "information only". If there is overwhelming data recieved from Staff, Seniors and Managers that your Sr Mgrs and Partner are incompetent, abrasive idiots - root out the issue and deal with it there.

Pros

Flexible hours, good management mostly, lots to learn and people are willing to teach you. Annual raises are usually decent.

Cons

Sometimes have to work long hours that you aren't compensated for. Bonuses are atrocious. Promotions only happen on an annual basis.

Advice to Senior Management

Promote more often and give bigger bonuses and give bigger raises and give signing bonuses. There wasn't any relocation compensation either.

Pros

international
dynamic environment
if you know how, many opportunities

Cons

outdated technology and senior leadership
not very good work life balance
not transparent performance management and KPI's - difficult to manage

Advice to Senior Management

cost cutting on technology & keeping C-Z players on the team (i.e not listening to 360 feedback etc) is very expensive strategy

Pros

Benefits are good. The people here are actually respectful and professionally polished. You learn a lot about professional polish. As a young professional, I was exposed to business issues/contacts that most people in private industry are not aware of. Great learning experiences. Putting this job on your resume is definitely very marketable.

Cons

Hardly any work life balance. Because of the high turnover rates, you're expected to work at a level that is very unrealistic (both due to experience and time restrictions). Most people here work 50-70 hour work weeks every week, regardless of rank. Deadlines can be pretty unrealistic and tight. A lot of high intensity and pressure in this field.

Pros

Has a good brand name in the market

Cons

Long work hours and limited mobility between different teams

Advice to Senior Management

Be more transparent in terms of HR policies , specifically compensation at each level

Pros

A well formed career ladder for new grads

Cons

Don't bother if you have a few years experience elsewhere in audit

Advice to Senior Management

Please provide some soft skill training to the newly promotede managers.

Pros

Get to work with very smart people
Very supportive and understanding
Feel proud to work at E&Y
Part of a fantastic team

Cons

Work/life balance can be rough
Some politics, but you will find that at any organization
Technology needs to be better

Advice to Senior Management

Keep employees engaged by showing how much you appreciate them. Social events are important. Really promote work/life balance and flex schedules.

Pros

THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE. I guarantee you it does not get better than at E&Y, great culture and work environment.

Cons

Takes forever to get promoted, not a meritocracy, pay is low for the comparable hours you put in...that being said, partners make a fair amount for the amount of hours they work

Advice to Senior Management

The model doesn't compensate junior people for the amount of work they put in which is why I moved to another job with a higher pay and similar hours

Pros

- Good benefits
- Well regarded
- Good exit opportunities

Cons

- Bureaucratic reviews
- Pay could be better

Pros

Work life balance, picking up great management skills, extremely good leadership at the top

Cons

Long work hours, Extremely competitive

Advice to Senior Management

Keep doing the good job, try to remove siloes between groups