PricewaterhouseCoopers Reviews in Los Angeles, CA Area

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

They have a great reputation and are viewed as one of the best of the best in public accounting

Cons

Absolutely no work/life balance, little appreciation for efforts, longer promotion schedule than the other Big Four public accounting firms (3 years to Senior vs. 2 elsewhere)

Pros

-Opportunities endless if perceived to be a shining star

Cons

-Office politics
-No work life balance

Advice to Senior Management

Look at your people not dollar signs.

Pros

- Lots of leadership opportunities early
- Acquire technical skills and industry knowledge quickly
- Ability to work with people of high caliber

Cons

- Work/life balance if you don't actively manage it
- Managing different work styles from above
- Some questionable promotions

Advice to Senior Management

- Need to seek more upward feedback from lower staff and incorporate it in evaluation of seniors' and managers' effectiveness.
- Need to be more transparent about promotion process decisions to instill respect for some promotees among peers.

Pros

Smart people
Great teaming environment
Great experience
Challenging work

Cons

Compensation needs to be improved

Advice to Senior Management

Compensation sucked at the firm. People started leaving to other firms for a 20% pay boost. Pwc got smart with better comp packages to retain people. It should never get to this point.

Pros

Competitive pay for experienced hires
Prestigious brand name
Lots of worldwide opportunities but difficult to get partner support for opportunities

Cons

Little respect for work/life balance
Verbally abusive environment
Little transparency into review / promotion process
Cut-throat colleagues
Old-boys club environment

Advice to Senior Management

Greater consideration of feedback from staff (in 360 reviews)
More than a once a year review process

Pros

Very good experience for future job opportunities. Also very strong progression path if you choose to stay for a long time.

Cons

You work a lot of hours and it starts to really wear a person out. You have to be prepared to work a lot.

Advice to Senior Management

Try to allow at least part of the year when the employees do not need to work 50 hour weeks!

Pros

technical skills and opportunities to learn new knowledge

Cons

workload is too high, especially during the busy season

Advice to Senior Management

need to review the people policy, make sure the compensate the top performer fairly

Pros

+Quick acceleration into an accounting career.
+Exposure to several big name companies
+Young, collegiate

Cons

-High stress, long hours
-Always feel shortchanged in terms of compensation, despite high performance

Advice to Senior Management

There were a couple recent years when employee morale was at an all-time low. In 2011, it seems like things could be turning around, so I just hope things continue that way. Reward your high performers!

Pros

- Diversity of assignments
- Focus on training and development
- Global awareness
- Advanced resources for such a large company
- Flexible work arrangements

Cons

- Compensation not always up to par
- Can be difficult to manage work/life balance
- Crapload of work
- Lots and lots of meetings
- Heavy politics
- Too 'politically correct' - everyone walks around like robots

Advice to Senior Management

- Get back some of the humanity in management. Not every project/team needs to be run by templates and policies and processes.
- Continue to reward good performers and coach bad performers.
- Transition out people who have been in their jobs too long and are just 'hanging out'