Kerkering Barberio & Co Reviews

Pros

Will we get raises or won't we? We are paid low base salaries because we are promised overtime, but now we are not allowed to work overtime. We are called in if we work one hour overtime like children. This is not fair in this economy! We are still working just as hard and just as much.

Location, technology, and coworkers. On the outside, it looks to be a large firm but each shareholder has his/her own practice, and it is broken down into teams.

Cons

Size of firm. You don't get the family feeling anymore. If you are seen talking in the hallway you are frowned upon, it's just work, work, and work. They will beat you down to work, but do not want to pay you overtime anymore.

Advice to Senior Management

We have no HR dept. We have no one we can trust or talk to about anything. Management treats us like children. Who can we go to when we have a problem that is confidential? Is this so hard to ask of a company? I have a problem right now and I need talk to someone about it, and I don't feel comfortable talking with my shareholder. The dress code is terrible and is all HR can say is "I can't enforce it". Why waste money on a handbook then?

Pros

Fellow employees
Dual Monitors, Personal Scanners at Deck
Fun Functions around the office

Cons

Very demanding during tax season long hours but no unexpected in public accounting
Downtown is beautiful but attracts the homeless and it is sometimes scary coming in early and you see a homeless person sleeping by the door you are trying to enter. Security is a concern to the women.

Advice to Senior Management

n/a

Pros

First of, I want to say if you get a change to work here, TAKE IT! I wish I did not have to leave but due to some issue out of my control, we had to head back up north. There are so many good things to list as I would need another page or two. The location is great, the people are wonderful and it is not even like being at work. It's a place you don't want to leave. Very professional but not stuffy. Fun too. Overtime and CE paid.

Cons

Nothing, come see for yourself. Just some long hours just during tax seasonS - yes with an S.

Advice to Senior Management

N/A, Just with my partner and she was the great to work for, wish I could come back. Miss you guys.

Pros

It provides a pay check. The benefits are good. For the most part, the office conditions are safe and nice. They are successful in hiring good workers and good people.

Cons

I felt like I was misled as to what my opportunities would be. The style of communication in our department was very lacking. If you are considering a position with KB in a supervisory role, ask to speak to members of the team you would be overseeing. This provides an opportunity to hear their specific concerns and may give you some clues as to issues and challenges, if any, they are facing.

Advice to Senior Management

Be honest about what you want from a prospective employee. Consider patterns that may be developing within certain departments, especially as it effects retention of talented staff

Pros

Mostly nice employees to work with. Nice surroundings and convenient location.Firm is very respected within community.

Cons

A lot of hours in tax season. A lot of shareholders only interested in their own practice and not the firm as a whole. It is like you have a bunch of sole proprietors sharing space and doing their own thing.

Advice to Senior Management

Establish salary ranges for each position and more levels such as staff 1, staff 2. New hires are being hired at higher salaries than current employees in same position and salary information is shared among employees in house and at web sites like this one and it causes ill feelings. New hires billing rates can be higher than more experienced and knowledgeable employees. Management can't expect to retain the good employees once they know they are not being treated fairly in compensation.

Pros

Great place to start working for future career opportunities. The employee will learn many different skills from knowledge in accounting, technical skills, different softwares, etc. All of these aspects prepare the employee for future professions and more than likely put them "ahead of the game."

Cons

The compensation is quite low because the employee is paid overtime (but not time and a half - just "time") during busy season(s). Unfortunately, in order to make the salary you desire, you will up working insane hours for months on end. It is stated the busy season is only for 3 months, but there are numerous busy seasons within the firm, and when understaffed (which it seemed to be the entire time I was there) - overtime is done throughout the entire year.

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to the staff, they know more about what is going on with their fellow co-workers than senior management believe. After listening to them, act upon it! You will find that people will be happier, less likely to quit and less people will end up being fired.

Pros

My Team, My Shareholder, The Friends I have made, Great Location and it is a place I enjoy coming to every day. Technology is updated often, everyone now has dual monitors, which once you have them, you can never go back to just using one. We are able to work from home and able to receive our work emails on our Blackberrys.

Cons

Long hours but expected in public accounting. I believe the shareholders are in too many Firm meetings during business hours. Leave your office door open, if you can, and if you are not with a client.

Advice to Senior Management

Research indicates that workers have three prime needs: Interesting work, recognition for doing a good job, and being let in on things that are going on in the company.

Pros

Largest CPA firm in the area. We have KB Pension Company and KB Financial Services. We have an International department, Trusts & Estates Department, Medical Department, Team that concentrates mostly on 1040's, Construction Team, Legal Team, Real Estate Team, Partnerships/Corps Team and an Audit Team. A choice to build your career. Come grow with us.

Cons

Long hours during tax season but not unexpected in public accounting. Be careful in the parking garage. Safety is an issue during Tax Season coming in early and leaving late. We never know who is in the stairwells or who will get on the elevators with us or who is waiting when we get off.

Advice to Senior Management

Managing shareholder does a great job and so does the COO.

Pros

THE BEST ASSET OF KERKERING BARBERIO IS THE EMPLOYEES. Wonderful location in downtown Sarasota. Outstanding reputation in the local community and in southwest Florida. Involved in the local community. Long term career opportunities. Employees seem to stay for the long haul, rarely leave or terminated. Employees are recongized for their hard work and long hours during tax season. Gas give-aways being gas is so high. CPE in house and provided and paid. Overtime paid and you may bank your hours. All of our employees are just wonderful. We have a great receptionist that has the hardest job of all along with all the assistants. How do they manage all of us? If you have not said thank you to them in a while please do because sometimes we forget all they do, without them what would we do? Everyone is needed or you would not be here. We all appreciate each other so much. We are all so busy and have so much on our minds and sometimes don't look up to acknowledge each other but let's start looking up and making each other's day and say hello, as that person may just be having a bad day and may need our upbeat hello or smile. I certainly need a smile. Have you ever had a smile from a stranger? How did that make you feel? It made me feel pretty darn good. I know I appreciate everyone in this Firm except when I have to go to the bathroom and all the stalls are full.

Cons

Get more bathroom stalls. Parking garage is dangerous be careful. More security needed during tax season. Long hours but not unexpected in pubic accounting. No one should stay late in the building by themselves during tax season especially the females and especially on Fridays when the the building is full. Be careful taking the stairs early in the morning and late at night. KB is a great place if you want a career.

Advice to Senior Management

Our COO is great and keeps us in line.
Our managing shareholder does a great job.

Pros

The People and payment of overtime and the bonus plan. The other perks the firm gives us throughout the year, such as bagels and doughnuts on Friday, gas give away, bingo, etc. The firm has gone "green" recently which is helping the environment and making all of us aware of our responsibility to take care of the environment. The firm's willingness to help you grow and luanch new niches and promotes individual growth.

Cons

It takes time for employees to realize total compensation is higher than the other typical local firms since starting base appears to be lower when making comparisoins to other firms based on base.

Advice to Senior Management

always remember the clients, quality of service and the employees