KPMG Reviews in Detroit, MI Area

Pros

Great platform to build a career.

Cons

low salary compared to the amount of work we do

Advice to Senior Management

They should pay the team better salary for the work they do ..

Pros

Obviously the largest benefit of working at KPMG is the fact that it is a Big 4 Audit firm. Having KPMG on your resume is attractive and can be beneficial to your career growth.

Furthermore, I was very satisfied with the salary and benefits in my position.

Cons

In my division, there was very little recognition and management often spoke down to associates. I felt that my input was not appreciated.

Furthermore, I was not the least bit challenged by my work. I spent most of my time editting existing documents and creating excel sheets. Management told me exactly how they wanted work to be completed and there was no room for flexibility. I felt there was no room for innovation and I never had the opportunity to bring my own contributions.

Staffing on projects was rarely done by interests or expertise. As an associate, I was placed where I was needed and not where I was getting the development I needed. Furthermore, the company continued to hire industrial/organizational psychologists for technology implementation projects. Many of my peers and myself were bored by our projects because it did not relate to our backgrounds.

Advice to Senior Management

Management needs to show respect and appreciation to all employees. Especially since my division focused on human capital, it was shocking to see how people were treated. Whether management realized how they were treating others, I am hoping that my departure was a red flag for them.

Pros

Great experience in the field (resume builder)
Prestigious
Benefits package is the best available

Cons

600+ Hours of over time a year
'Good old boys club' - if you want career longevity, you have to be in the inner circle

Advice to Senior Management

I'm not sure I could say anything here that a senior manager wouldn't already know.

Pros

For anyone who just graduated from school with a business major KPMG is definitely one of the best places to launch a career as it offers various well designed training programs throughout each level of the jobs and the opportunity to gain plenty of experience in a short period of time. I haven't worked in any of other Big 4 firms myself but from what I have heard and the information I got KPMG's culture and working environment is relatively more lay back and easy going. Overall the management is pretty supportive in terms of the work/life balance and serious about maintaining a competent working environment.

Cons

The biggest downside of working at KPMG is the long working hours. Even if the firm management is supportive for creating a work/life balance environment sometimes you just can't find the time to have a "real life" due to the intense working load. So never try to compare the hourly rate you get from working here to others!

Advice to Senior Management

Try to keep more intelligent people

Pros

They have a lot of good leaders who will give you the tools needed to succeed. I never felt like I did not know what to do and I was always given the support I was needed. It was a great place and experience and I learned a lot about myself as well. I also very much enjoyed the out of office programs they supported which gave me a chance to meet everyone I worked with. Pay was very well too.

Cons

Hours can be very long, especially during busy season. Also, sometimes it was difficult to seperate work and life.

Advice to Senior Management

Provide more opportunities for people on staff to give their ideas.

Pros

It's very beneficial to be able to list KPMG on your resume.

Cons

Poor work/life balance and promotions is really "who you know" and "who you are willing to suck up too". If you do not have that certain "look", being promoted will take some time.

Advice to Senior Management

Promote individuals based on "merit" and their leadership ability.

Pros

Great pay, benefits, and upward mobility. The company is definitely large and has a lot of opportunity for lateral and upward mobility. Very professional and takes a lot of interest in developing new young professionals into business people. A great place to begin a career and learn the ins and outs of the professional world.

Cons

Large time commitment (obviously), just part of the business. Also, audit work involves a lot of local travel. Very often did I not know what client i would be on until the Sunday before, but that really depends on how well the individual office is managed or who your manager is. Overall, it's a public accounting firm. Worklife is more or less the same as others.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep going with the new hire international programs, definitely stand out among other firms

Pros

Looks great on a resume. Good way to start out your career since KPMG has training programs set up each year for the first few years you are with the firm.

Cons

Long hours are not negotiable. Plus once you are in a group it is very difficult to learn new things about the area you are in. Cross functional assignment are generally looked down upon unless there is a direct benefit to the firm.

Advice to Senior Management

Allow employees to work in other areas more easily. A person may not want to stay in audit or tax their whole career. Variety keeps people interested. The mundane and predictable will have people looking elsewhere.

Pros

KPMG is a solid firm with solid ethics and leadership. Compared to the other Big 4, I find that KPMG is the most laid back of the four with all around good people. You really do get treated there as you treat others. It's about as a merit-based organization as you can get.

Cons

Information and knowledge management are huge issues at KPMG. Not only are there issues sharing information between member firms (between countries), but there isn't great sharing of information even intra-firm.

Advice to Senior Management

Senior management needs to realize that there are extremely talented folks working at KPMG who have knowledge that should be shared out to the entire community for everyone's benefit. It will only make the entire KPMG community stronger.