Moss Adams LLP Reviews

Pros

Strong Partner talent who takes time to develop staff

Cons

Starting pay is low and pay increases are based on tenure rather than talent

Advice to Senior Management

Differentiate pay based on talent rather than tenure.

Pros

People at Moss Adams are extremely bright and intelligent. You are surrounded by competent, hardworking professionals who will help you build and develop your career.

Cons

There is an unwritten guideline which is strictly followed by management about promotions and advancements based solely on the number of busy seasons worked at the firm. This leads to some people promoted too early and others too late.

Advice to Senior Management

Need to base promotions on performance on the job, not strictly years of service.

Pros

You will learn a lot, and be able to work on clients who are small enough that you can see a project from start to finish.

Cons

Very much an "up or out" culture. Employees tend to be underpaid and overworked. Management is lacking in leadership and people skills.

Advice to Senior Management

Management needs to work on the people aspect of the business. Morale tends to be really low, and the pay is not enough to compensate for it.

Pros

Good pay, very relevant training at the right time, nice raises, opportunities to teach and get promoted, scheduling works very well. It is the perfect place for those who want a long-lasting career in public accounting. The life balance is very good (no, really!).

Cons

This office is very conservative. While very professional, it doesn't have much personality and can get boring. The promotion time lines are slower than at other competitors. The benefits are slightly worse than at other competitors. The new coffee machine sucks. The places to eat around the office mostly suck and many are overpriced.

Advice to Senior Management

Should consider jeans/casual Friday. The office environment could be more relaxed. The new coffee machine is terrible.

Pros

Having worked at a Big 4, I wondered if this would be the right move, but the people I met during the interview process were great. It's been 5+ years, and I've never had more autonomy, flexibility and freedom.... yes FREEDOM in public accounting. I enjoy solving problems, seeing the big picture and making a positive impact for my clients. The people here are smart, genuine and caring. When I have had personal commitments or a family emergency, the people here are consistently flexible and extremely supportive. Yes, there are times when I work a lot, but it's cyclical, not constant; I usually know when it will occur, so I can plan for it.

Cons

Some people here are resistant to change, and that can be frustrating. But I think that can be found at any firm. I like change and sometimes wish it occurred more quickly here.

Advice to Senior Management

We need more diversity in the firm!

Pros

in general, the firm is pretty good, would recommend MA over a big 4 - they do a better job of brining young staff along and make you feel at home.

Cons

depends on the partner you work for; some have an ego that exceeds their level of competency. when you get to a senior level sales become more important then technical skill. the pressure to sell outweighs all.

Pros

The work is very interesting. Projects are fun and challenging. The firm hires smart, talented people. Anyone, regardless of where they are in their career can learn a lot about business. Employees can strengthen their ability to analyze and interpret information allowing them to solve complex business issues for clients. Employees can learn a great deal from their managers and partners. The partners and employees deliver high quality audit and consulting services.

Cons

There is only major downside to working at Moss Adams. Managers can be very rude. They are allowed to raise their voice and use foul language with staff when they are angry, even in front of peers. Hateful communications occur face-to-face and through voice mails and emails. This behavior is allowed even when managers have erred in their conclusions due to misinterpreting the facts or receiving bad information. There is no such thing as an apology. These same managers often refuse to hear explanations leaving the offending employee unable to address the horrible comments. Employees have no recourse but to wait until the manager "gets over it" or moves onto screaming at another staff member. This is extremely demotivating. Even employees with successful track records of completing projects on time and on budget and gaining referenceable clients are treated in this manner by some partners, even managing partners.

Advice to Senior Management

The firm should adopt a zero tolerance policy prohibiting screaming and/or foul language in all business communications especially when disciplining staff. Management can discipline and communicate critical performance issues in a professional manner even when the message is highly punitive. In cases where managers scream and swear at staff, ensure employees know how to safely report the event in a timely manner, not having to wait for upstream reviews which might be months later.

Pros

Reasonable benefits and many dedicated and hard working professionals.

Cons

Inconsistent guidance from management, inconsistent priorities. Activities not aligned across departments. Play favorites

Advice to Senior Management

Provide professional development opportunities to non-CPAs

Pros

Talented people committed to client service.
Many opportunities for career growth.

Cons

Although there are a lot of opportunities for growth, it is not clear in all positions requirements for promotion.

Pros

Small enough firm you get a firmer grasp on the fundamentals and get to work closely with clients.
Similar office locations to Big 4 and other colleagues
Strong firm wide training for professionals
Great place to start your career.

Cons

Compensation is low and definitely not linked with the market (public and private industry). There are no bonuses for bringing in business or coming in under budget in each office.
Partners do not pass their knowledge down to professional staff or encourage them/by showing them how to network and close deals earlier than at the mid-senior manager level. This is career limiting as a partner to be.
Firm offices are often disorganized and client scheduling is messy and controlled by the clients instead of managed actively.
Talented staff are assigned to the highest grossing partner, as opposed to by engagement, as a result partners take on more risk than needed.

Advice to Senior Management

Partners do not operate the firm as a "business" and instead make many short term decisions that are dilutive to the value of the firm. The firm should refocus on people and ensure the firm and the partners are investing in growing the knowledge base of the professional staff on a continuous basis and balance that with attracting new clients. No sense on attracting new clients when you don't have competent professional staff to perform the work. This has been lost over the last decade and there is now a significant gap to fill that will take time. Focus on long term partner and firm growth through training and retention of staff. Remember during economic expansions the professional staff will leave if they do not have a reason to stay. Give them a reason to stay and be accretive to the firms bottom line and legacy.