PricewaterhouseCoopers Reviews

Pros

Collegial atmostpher. Work with bright co-workers in a good learning environment. Gain strong business understanding through working on a wide variety of clients.

Cons

Not much worklife balance. After the first few years the work is not very rewarding and the level of compensation increase doesn't match the work performed compared to industry.

Advice to Senior Management

Having a clearer message and not conflicting goals. More transparency in decision making. More information about intrafirm opportunities and a more equitable way for determining transfers.

Pros

As the first job out of school, this job is great. It really teaches professionalism, instills a hard work ethic, and even though you feel underpaid, the firm pays you more than your friends. When you start the job, there is a bunch of people who are the same age as you so it's easy to make work friends. The best part about this job is the people (not necessarily management, moreso your start class).

Earning vacation is easy to do, and also easy to max out on. The firm usually gives two or three extra holidays a year so that you can take the week between Christmas and new years off (there is usually a firm shutdown).

Cons

You work long hours and the hours are very inconsistent. It's hard to plan dinner dates with friends or significant others because your schedule gets very unpredictable at times. Expect your friends and/or significant other to not understand your schedule and possibly distance themselves because of this.

There is very little gratitude when working in public accounting. While management tries their best to compensate their staff for hard work, they really only give bonuses to those who work long hours. That being said, there is no compensation for efficient workers, and, in turn, management really only ends up compensating those who are probably inefficient.

Scheduling needs a lot of work. People get scheduled by a project's annual hours and not by the timing of those hours, so you could end up getting scheduled on projects that cause your schedule to have three projects overlap at once. When you bring it up to deployment, deployment is slow in responding.

Advice to Senior Management

Management style is old school - they think that because they worked 80 hours a week and became successful in where they are that everyone should do the same without complaint. The new generation of workers need to be mobile and have flexible work arrangements (meaning taking time out each week/day to do what's important to them). Management needs to understand that if people leave early to do something that is important to them, this doesn't mean their staff is trying to work less. This means that they will still do the work, but work it around their most important values.

Pros

a lot of flexibility, good communication between different teams, good attitude between junior staff and superiors, no pressure and strict time limits

Cons

low level of competition between the staff members, lack of designed program for trainees, low entry level, too much technical work

Advice to Senior Management

to create international base on which each country to build its entry level standards, more training for current and older employees

Pros

knowledge sharing, meeting interesting people, secondment options, studing for professional titles, receiving feedback for your performance, handling difficult situations and deadlines. A general good atmosphere in the work place.

Cons

not always managing to maintain a work and private life balance, promotion not 100% based on your performance in the execution of your role in the work environment.

Advice to Senior Management

not always managing to maintain a work and private life balance, promotion not 100% based on your performance in the execution of your role in the work environment. These should be considered in order for the high calibre personnel to be retained.

Pros

working with like minded people. With good work culture, where people are always there to help you out. variety of work

Cons

work life balance. There is too much to do. They squeeze every drop of blood out of you. Its hard work and competitive.

Advice to Senior Management

they do not take individual circumstances of a person into account. They need to focus on the work life balance aspect.

Pros

1. Lots of training and lots of opportunities to learn and grow
2. Work with smart people who are real expert in professional areas
3. Sharing culture
4. A historical company retained many good traits

Cons

1. For most of the employees, from entry-level staff to partner, there's not much work-life balance. Many people work overtime everyday and every weekend.
2. People are not treat equally. The evaluation and rewarding system is easily manipulated for office political purpose. People who work very hard are not appreciated.
3. High turnover.
4. Compensation is not enough considering what the company takes from employees.

Advice to Senior Management

Improve the evaluation and rewarding system.

Pros

You will learn an amazing amount working at PwC- good company culture- great benefits- great place to start your career.

Cons

The workload is tremendous- however- given the industry its on par with the other firms.

Pros

Overall, the coaching and learning environment is bar-none. I have yet to work for another company that consistently pushes for continuing education of it's staff in areas of personal development, managerial development, and skills and competency development.

Cons

Of course, with any Big 4 accounting firm, the work hours are a pain however, the firm does a great job off recognizing and promoting work-life balance.

Advice to Senior Management

N/A

Pros

Great learning & development opportunities. Plenty of responsibility early on. High quality coworkers. Solid benefits package (other than comp).

Cons

Compensation feels low for the amount of hours spent. Can be repetitive, especially if you're on the same clients year after year. That said, people are generally willing to give you chances to do new things for your development's sake.

Advice to Senior Management

Firm leadership team is fantastic. I'd love better compensation, just not sure how feasible that is considering PwC is already competitive in that area. Maybe a bigger bonus pool for staff?

Pros

Team spirit
Opportunities to upgrade skills

Cons

Lower market share in the ERP space
Promotions to higher management is long drawn

Advice to Senior Management

Be aware about the competition
Encourage employees to look for opportunities within the firm