KPMG reviews

- Contract: 1-year contract which is supposed to "automatically" turn into permanent employment after 1 year. Contract renewal is supposed to be offered (written!) latest 3 months before expiry. I got numerous verbal confirmations from partners but no written contract until the day I resigned! In addition, the extension was only offered for 1 year and when asking about it, I was told not to complain since other people only got 6 months offered! - Salary: Unequal payment for same level: I entered the company as experienced hire and was offered a low salary which I was willing to accept for 1 year (see below: salary). Salaries of lower-performing peers who were "KPMG-homegrown" exceeded mine partially by 40%! - Salary cuts / no increase, a quick decision by board. - Staffing: Experienced hires have a hard time getting staffed at projects since selection is based on your internal network and not on your skills&capabilities. Peers consider you to be competition and are not showing a welcoming culture. - Partnership model: Partners are not collaborating but competing w each other. This means that a partner is rather willing to staff an unsuited member of his own team than taking one from the "neighboring" dept even though he/she might be much better suited for the role. - Fresh juniors / interns are being "tricked" into staying w KPMG by false promises - Bad sales are blamed on bad economy, and competitors (other Big 3) are permanently talked badly about. However, competitors that do better are never mentioned. - No streamlining, i.e. no standard high quality delivery to clients but strongly depends on people at project.

The mentality of the company is not to mentor employees nor guide them in what is asked of them. Employees are expected to carry out their tasks while meeting the preferences of the different managers, which they are never told beforehand. Strong discrimination against foreigners. People are called names based on their origin and inappropriate jokes are made at their expense all the time both behind closed doors and in groups of people in public. Unjustified and demeaning accusations one struggles to defend against. Unethical and unprofessional approach. People are here to work! Inappropriate behaviour from managers, people are put down and pulled into power games for no reason. Other managers/ partners look the other way when asked to help. The reaction to a negative situation is people acting as if they hear things for the first time even though it is well known to everyone. No one to turn to, either within the unit or to “independent” personnel (HR, Legal, “counsellors”) responsible for official complaints. Information is outdated on the intranet on these matters and only in the local language. Big fish eats small type of mentality. There is a big fuss around company’s values, making sure everyone is aware yet nothing is done to ensure that managers/ partners comply and there are no procedures in place for when they do not. Very political. Power abuse from management. True values: Billing hours.