KPMG Reviews in Sydney, Australia Area

Pros

A very supportive culture with plenty of growth and development opportunities present for those who want them. Really enjoyed my time there!

Cons

Probably not somewhere you want to stay for a very long time since the partners can be very cheap when it comes to spending on staff.

Advice to Senior Management

Please listen to your staff and identify their needs rather than taking cost cutting measures to make sure you have enough cash for yourselves.

Pros

young team - good social group after work
Training and development opportunities at teriary level
team work

Cons

long hours
poor management
no loyalty
poor pay
lack of direction provide for staff

Advice to Senior Management

look after your junior staff

Pros

Focus on the individual, good culture, credibility, training

Cons

transparency in pay - sometimes when you hear of other people's salaries, it makes you wonder how consistent and fair the process/system is

Pros

Great start to a career

Cons

Management recognition provided does not align with pay.

Advice to Senior Management

Provide employees comparable salaries in line with performance reviews. We are more aware of each others salaries and performance than you think.

Pros

Great Culture, bright and driven colleagues, good name on the CV. Work with big clients.

Cons

Possiblity of your creativity being stifled as every process is so structured. Below market wage unless you make Partner (which few do).

Advice to Senior Management

Ensure that your subordinates receive recognition and reward for their effort.

Pros

open culture, flexible, global partnership network, ever changing regulatory environment, professional reputation and leadership, recognised and leading firm.

Cons

silo mentailty, poor information sharing, partnership structure no top down decision making, too consultative across partnership, divide between partners and non-partners.

Advice to Senior Management

Align more with global partnership network, learn from international experience, share software, knowledge, and experiences such as anti-money laundering and IFRS.

Pros

It's a big 4 audit firm, so lots of learning support
Only firm with CA classes to help you through CA
Nice office location

Cons

Everyone I worked for hated their job and wanted a way to get out
High turnover rate - felt extremely jealous every week reading about who was leaving and where they were going
Very, very very boring work
'cookie-cutter' sort of progression - no one really get's promoted or recognised for being intelligent, or hard working
Easy to brown-nose your way up to the top

Advice to Senior Management

Recognition that you need to create a greater sense of belonging and happiness amongst your employees

Pros

Generally good people to work with. Like anywhere the quality of the people you most directly work with was the key element in your success and progression. Some great people who really were at the top of their field.

Cons

It is an still an series of small practices under one brand. Many of the processes and systems are still being figured out and progress on HR, knowledge sharing and the advisory products were neing developed on the run. There were a couple of partners who were not good to work for and because they were 'the owners'of the business no one would confront them.

Advice to Senior Management

Be more courageous in addressing problems in partner behaviour. You have some partners who can not retain staff and are damaging your brand in the market place

Pros

- Quite laid back atmosphere compared to some of its competitors. You're there to get the job done, less artificiality in the corporate culture.
- Rapid career progression, I had the opportunity to move from senior associate to manager within a year.
- Opportunities for paid further education.

Cons

- Hours can get a bit much.
- On the other hand there were significant periods of downtime when there was little happening on the client front.
- Lateral movement can be difficult, so if you get stuck with a Partner whose personality you clash with, watch out!

Advice to Senior Management

Take a few more risks.

Pros

Flexible working times and accommodating senior management. A variety of work in different industries and excellent career opportunities. Can be very challenging at time but efforts are never overlooked. A strong sense of team including team functions and informal beers.

Cons

Unreasonable turnaround times due to poor client management. The risk management processes are very convoluted and drawn out taking far too much time to complete. Support staff seem to work against you than with you by nagging about procedures and rules when it was clear they were hired to alleviate those tasks from client facing staff.

Advice to Senior Management

Beware not to niche staff in just one advisory category especially if they have already shown disinterest in that area.