Ernst & Young Reviews in Toronto, ON Area

Pros

- Amazing company, really friendly people, great benefits, nice offices, good well known clients
- Benefits included fitness allowance (pays for gym memberships, golf/dance lessons etc)
- Personal days!
- Really friendly people, average age is pretty young so you get a long with people really well

Cons

- Busy season is awful, especially if you are in FSI. LONGGGG Hours
- Very boring work, you do the same thing over and over just with a different company, dont get to do many sections as a staff accountant
- Dont get paid over time

Advice to Senior Management

Start paying your employees overtime during busy season for their hard work. Give more work diversity to staff accounts to help them learn all aspects of an audit file and not just Cash and A/R

Pros

The set of soft skills that you learn in your job at EY, they are extremely beneficial to ones future career dvelopment.

Cons

There is no overtime or bonus incentive given that Audit employees work well over 50 hours a week for more than 8 months in a year.

Advice to Senior Management

Consideration should be given to improving compensation.

Pros

Great learning environment, where there is plenty of human capital. There are multiple lines of service with ample opportunities to explore and grow in professional services. Initiative is generally encouraged.

Cons

Senior management decisions lack any sense of transparency and accountability; lines of services are not well linked in staff sharing and moves - departments act distinct and in a short sighted manner; effectively making staff easier to move firms than departments.

Advice to Senior Management

Improve transparency around decisions related to staff - difficult times call for difficult decisions; however these can be managed through effective communication and perhaps through cooridnation within the various business in the firm. The firm has a global vision of investing in human capital; however individual business units decisions are not well linked to utilize the human capital to its potential.

Pros

Good working environment, benefits. People act in a professional manner, and most of the time there is work/life balance. Good location. More budget to take care of their employees. Well-established business processes.

Cons

Speed of advancement slower than a smaller company. Annual salary increase can be small. On average the salary is less than working in an IT company. Some employees with seniority may not fit their current job anymore but unspoken policy would help them stay.

Advice to Senior Management

It would be helpful for the managers to do some research on what is normally expected from a certain position and how people do it in the industry (IT). Doing lots of work does not equal to doing a good job.

Pros

- good pay
- promotes inclusiveness so you feel comfortable working there whether you are a minority, a woman or have different sexual preference

Cons

- I came from another big 4 and I find that EY lag behinds the other firm in terms of creativity (they bring out ideas that the other firm has already brought out 2 years ago)
- although EY culture is good, the culture is not replicated in some groups
- no bonus

Advice to Senior Management

- EY culture and values need to be shared amongst all groups within the firm

Pros

-Great net working opportunities both within EY and with clients
- Get to work with other young professionals who share the same goals and interests

Cons

- Zero employee loyalty: - Interests in the short term goals of the engagement are taken over the long-term goals and development of the employees
- Lack of input from senior and manager level. Partner's tend to make decisions without any input from seniors or managers (who are closest to, and have ownership over the engagement). Mass lay-offs were made in 2008 and 2009 at the partner level without input from managers who work closely with the staff
- Expectation of long hours, and weekend work once you become a senior

Advice to Senior Management

- Consider the opinions of managers and seniors
- Focus more on the development of employees. High turnover results from lack of loyalty to employees and poor treatment.

Pros

Great spot for younger guys, sometimes busy but not too bad, look to advance early by doing well on all assignment

Cons

busy season is busy , and theres no more free dirnks in the fridges. Management is all very nice though

Advice to Senior Management

pay us more at the bottom, other then pay it is the best of the big four to start your career

Pros

People. People culture of the firm is really great. You are encouraged to consult and get involved in various initiatives. Inclusiveness is given a lot of emphasis. Tremendous growth opportunities within Canada or international offices of the firm.

Cons

long working hours. But that is more of a "public accounting" thing than the firm. I have yet to come across anyone working in public accounting who has not complained about long hours irrespective of the firm they work for - small or big. But the bright side is flexibility. You can work from home and manage your time.

Advice to Senior Management

continue doing the wonderful job that all of you have been doing.

Pros

Promotions are quick at the beginning, exposure to industries of choice

Cons

Long hours and no bonuses

Advice to Senior Management

Incorporate higher bonuses into pay structure

Pros

Good career advancement and competitive wages

Cons

Long hours during busy seasons

Advice to Senior Management

Review budgets for engagements