Productive, learning and motivating workplace to be.
KPMG Sierra Leone is a member firm of KPMG International, and provides comprehensive services of audit, accounting, tax, and management consulting in a variety of sectors.
KPMG also provides a wide range of consulting services including, organization development, financial management systems, information technology, manpower training and development, transport and communication, cost control, health care, executive recruitment and search and remuneration and benefit planning.
Our consultants are widely experienced and have been employed in government, industry, and academic life before entering the field of Consultancy. Our consulting division also has the advantage of drawing on the resources of experienced professionals within the general practice division of the firm.
We at KPMG Sierra Leone combine our knowledge of local conditions with the experience and skill that a major accounting firm such as ours can offer, to provide our clients, both national and international, with first class professional services.
At KPMG Sierra Leone, every day was a learning process and the management and staffs were a motivating factor especially for me to be steadfast and be more proactive in the job.
KPMG gives priority to recruiting and training. Their trainee accountants are mostly university graduates, many of them with accounting degrees and I was one of the graduates. All graduates complete a structured training programme which combines practical work experience with an exten
Steer very clear of this B4. I worked in the FIRES group and it was very, very draining mentally and physically. Some observations:
1) Very, very toxic staff and management. They all gossip and generally stab each other in the back to get ahead. Very competitive. The amount of politics here are insane.
2) Experience in the firm is determined entirely by the first few teams you work with. If you don't work well together and/or they don't bother explaining the work (common), they'll either spread negativity about you or your flaw in skill will carry onto future clients.
3) Very low pay. B4 is known to be a meat grinder for a few years, but at some point the expectations become unreasonable for the amount of pay. That is very much the case here. Honestly not worth it.
4) Hire lots of newcomers/"secondees" from other countries as seniors that aren't of the same quality as domestic talent. The secondees are basically there for a vacation and don't really care about the work. This makes files stressful as there isn't good leadership. Why not just invest in retaining high quality talent instead of sourcing new lower quality talent quickly to replace?
All B4 are around the same so don't consider prestige when making your decision. Always put some weight on the cultural and personal fit aspect. The culture here is very conservative and uptight. It's a random mix of people that are hired frantically as warm bodies and its evident in the culture. It's 2021 people, don't settle for wor
ProsCFE Support, CPA PERT Hours, Good benefits
ConsLong hours, low pay, toxic environment, rude managers, understaffed, very high turnover
I was hired to work at this company for the global mobility team and let me just say it was the worst experience I have ever had. Having worked in the legal industry for over 5 years, this specific team had the most toxic environment wherein the managers were rude and condescending. There was no teamwork as the managers always had the final word and to make matters worse, they always made you feel incompetent. This behaviour is tolerated by upper management as other people have complained about these managers. The benefits are great but the salary was not enough for the amount of stress and sleepless nights I had to endure. Job security is non-existent in this place as there is no training plan in place and you were expected by your manager to find work for yourself during your first few months at the job. If you didnt find work or you weren't doing anything at no fault of your own because your manager failed to give you work,
you were questionned as to why you should get paid your hours even when you weren't billing per hour for the work done for the department. You are always walking on eggshells as you dont know if and when any of your managers are having a bad day and just want to snap at you for no reason. There is also no organization in this team. They also wont pay for any licensing fees like RCIC, paralegal, and anything associated with those. To anyone who joins this team, stay as far away as possible!
ProsWork from home, benefits were great
ConsManagers were rude and condescending and this was tolerated by upper management
Being an associate at KPMG is mostly comprised of travelling to client sites and performing audit procedures with client management. The Burnaby practice is focused on privately-traded enterprise clients.
The learning curve can be steep to begin with, but is overall quite easy to adapt to once you get your feet wet a few months in.
Partners and other management staff are great, being extremely supportive of your career aspirations, given that they understand it is not the average associate's goals to stay in public practice. Similarly, the co-workers are great as they are by-far some of the smartest people I've worked with and there's an abundance to learn from them, in addition to being great people to hang out with after work.
I would say the hardest part of the job is trying to fit your life into the work schedule, as while the firm tries its best to provide some balance, the nature of the business (client-driven deadlines) often does not allow for this. Also, the performance rating system can often seem rather subjective and political rather than being based on objective merit.
The best part of the job is definitely the people you work with, as even though work can be mundane and long, going through it with intelligent, motivated, and likeable colleagues makes it really worth it.
ProsHigh caliber of co-workers; opportunities for advancement; great learning
ConsLong hours; often administrative tasks; performance rating system
Worst job I ever had:
- Management is unapproachable, communication is one way and you are being talked down to, Partners and some Senior Managers have huge egos.
- The work is repetitive and uninspiring.
- Very limited career options for non-accountants.
- Unless you are an accountant, forget about ever becoming an Equity Partner, as this is 100% an accounting firm, only trying to market itself as a professional services firm.
- You will have to work very very hard to make sure the Equity Partners make their 7 figure bonuses, it's a pyramid scheme where most good people are fired or quit after a couple of years when they have burnt out.
- Many people working for this firm look 5-10 years older than they are. Those of you who are still in the firm, the sooner you realize you are being taken advantage of the better.
- You will not have time to enjoy (m)any of the perks you have, as the workload is to big. Forget about quality time with the family, defer getting married or plan a divorce, this will greatly help your career with the Firm.
- Always cover your back, never delete any emails, you will need them to protect yourself when you get stabbed in the back by your co-workers, as they are trying to save themselves from getting fired.
The company initially promised a lot of opportunities for advancement and diverse work, and branded itself as 'not just another audit firm' when, in fact, it is just another audit firm. Generally, you will work on a portion of an audit, but if you are lucky enough to be in Enterprise group, you will get to do a full audit. The enterprise, tax and business advisory groups are small, but wonderful and full of understanding managers who work towards your success and passion. The corporate audit group (largest group) is least concerned with individual strengths and simply wants audit worker bees.
If you enjoy excessive drinking a few nights a week while working 12+ hour days, and don't mind repetitive, boring work, then the job isn't bad for you. Otherwise, a smaller firm would probably better suit your job goals. Very high turnover once CPA is obtained.
This company has a very narrow idea of what an employee should look like, so if you feel you fit the mold then you will do fine. It seems that discourse is not encouraged, and diversity of opinion or otherwise is a token rather than a true initiative.
Poor remuneration, but you can claim your meal expense even if you didn't use it all.
Professional environment, skills and knowledge improvement and sharing, friendly people
A typical day at work starts at 8.30 - 9.00 am with checking email, news and new information provided in a dataroom, which is of a high interest. It is then used in further work/analysis.
Employees are often involved into project work, which is carried out by teams of a few people. On average these people spend a few weeks working together and it is common to share/discuss news, have small talks, etc in addition to work. It is not a rare case that project management joins the team in project room. This makes management and employees closer and this is a very nice part of work.
Having good relations at work is important for me and I usually have friends-colleagues. We normally spend lunch time together, chat, go out on Fridays, etc.
The most enjoyable part of my work is that I'm surrounded by people and have a chance to learn constantly from others and share my experience. Some people are really great characters, working with them is fun. Some have rare skills and they share them.
The hardest part of the job is overtime and unpredictable working hours, but when projects are over, employees are compensated for these hours, which is a good deal.
1.0
Director of Communications | Toronto, ON | Mar 2, 2018
Completely out-of-date old boys' club culture, with highly egotistical partners.
Management culture is that of an old boys' club, stuck in an era from three decades ago - client dinners, breakfast speaking seminars, and zero follow-up with their clients after the event; no targeted follow-up for business development. Instead, clients receive a thank you email with the presentation available to download. Why is there no targeted or customized follow-up with clients? Because the partners are too busy and they expect or hope that a client will pick up the phone and call. And since the partners essentially own the organization (versus a publicly traded company), they are not willing to invest the budget to fund the technology and (human) resources to enable current marketing capabilities. Furthermore, they do not understand or agree with the importance of social media and other digital channels as a means of raising their profile through relevant content and dialogue. Leadership is completely out of touch with how millennials think and connect with others. Sadly, they are not preparing themselves for their next generation of partners and senior leadership.
If you're willing to drink the proverbial Kool Aid, you will find success at this company. Ultimately, the opportunities for professional growth and promotions are dependent on how much you are willing to put your head down and work. I enjoyed working in this environment for a while but the toxic corporate culture and poor management support/coaching drove me to pursue other opportunities. Management was considerably more focussed on ensuring that billable hours were minimized rather than maximizing the quality of the work. Some management personnel were better at creating a teaching environment than others but the majority of Senior Management were too busy to provide any meaningful teaching opportunities. The constant employee turnover was demoralizing to the point where the conversations around the water-cooler revolved around "How much longer are you going to put up with these working conditions before you leave?". The answers were typically "until I get my hours" or "until I write the CFE". The steady turnover coupled with the overall attitudes of the majority of employees created toxic work conditions that I could not tolerate for very long.
Pay is competitive for management, but those early in their career will find it challenging to make ends meet if they have to make it on their own.
Strenuous workloads for frontline staff in Audit, Tax and Advisory. Support staff experience more work/life balance.
Trying to pull in one direction nationally, but organization is often moving separately based on preferences and goals of individual partners. This can make change management very difficult. There is a national approach to recruitment, but everyone is responsible for pleasing their own unique group of hiring managers, which leads to everyone going off and doing their own thing.
Recruiters will have a difficult time pitching low pay and long hours with mediocre benefits. It can also be difficult to really describe the greater good the the organization provides to society. If candidates are just looking for a steady pay cheque and career development, then they will be a good fit.
The organization does seem to be heading in the right direction, adapting to latest technology and trends.
SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE
• SharePoint Administrator with 8+ years of work experience in design, installation, configuration, administration, supporting, upgrading, migrating, customization, development SharePoint solutions.
• Excellent understanding of SharePoint capabilities that meet business & collaboration goals.
• Analyzed and documented requirements for SharePoint sites taxonomy and governance.
• Developed Disaster Recovery strategies for SharePoint farm configuration.
• SharePoint Migration from 2007, 2010 to SharePoint 2013 or SharePoint Online.
• Expert knowledge in troubleshooting SharePoint related issues, including end user support.
• Experience in Deployments like web parts, feature, solutions, template or custom workflows and content.
• Experience in implementing different authentication types in SharePoint 2013 like Kerberos and have good knowledge in Forms-based and SAML Claims based.
• Knowledge in SharePoint Object Model.
• Extensively worked with SQL server team in installing and configuring database clusters as well as Transaction Log Shipping of SharePoint Content Databases.
• Responsible for ensuring high availability, scalability, Server Health and performance.
• Responsible for solving a variety of user problems relating to the authentication, permissions, application access, usage and functionality.
• Extensively used InfoPath forms to interact with Web Services and Excel Services.
• Configuration on SharePoint 2010 Migration
Ensuring that partners are aware of meetings for the day by phone call or sms. Ensuring that meeting are not double booked. Ensure that the partner is informed of changes in the diary. Ensuring that meeting rooms have all the facilities and that the equipment is working eg. Conference phones, projector. Ensure that the room is presentable to receive guests. Being proactive by printing out agendas, previous minutes, etc. Allow for adequate travel time in the diaries if the meeting is external.Ensure all catering requirements are met for meetings / workshops. Ensure that diaries are always up to date. Ensure I meet with partners in the morning to go through the weekly and daily activities.Ensuring partners inbox is never undeliverable and always clear out all the mail that is not required.
Photocopying and printing various documents, sometimes on behalf of other colleagues. Making use of a variety of software packages, such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, Powerpoint, Excel, etc., and making sure it is KPMG compliant. Ensure when typing of documents that I have proof read and making sure that there are no spelling errors. Ensure proper grammar has been used. Making sure that the document is KPMG compliant. Making sure that the document is presentable. Making sure that time is chargeable.
Making sure that time is entered correctly with correct project codes when submitting. Making sure all expenses is captured correctly.
Ensure that expenses are allocated to the correct project co
KPMG is the best environment to grow a career regardless of the division or unit you find yourself.
I started as an IT Helpdesk officer and I can tell you that I worked on more than enough laptops/servers than most of my other colleagues ion other organization. In the beginning, we had about 700 users, close to 1000 computers and 20 servers. Currently, the users have grown to 1500, about 2000 computers and 50 servers (VM inclusive).
We are a global firm and our IT infrastructure is line with Global trends and policies. We are involved in more than 10 IT projects yearly ( Removable Media Encryption, Workforce Enablement Programs - involves upgrade to Windows 7 SP1, IE 10, Office 2013, Lync, etc) across the office (please note that our users are very mobile, they are usually on client sites and we must not default on global timelines).
I also manage the SCCM Server, which means all upgrades are downloaded and applied by me, I ensure all servers and computers are adequately patched (Security Patches) on a monthly basis ( Global have issued 100% compliance and Audit Team check quarterly to ensure compliance). I ensure all computers have CCM client so that they can report to the server. I have been involved in Global Desktop Image Engineering for x32 and x64 bits machines.
As the Information Security Officer, I roll out Security Awareness Campaigns on a bi-monthly basis ( covers Social Engineering, Phishing, Protecting Confidential Information, Traveling abroad and Co
Around 9 years of IT experience in all phases of Software Development Life Cycle.
Hands on Experience in installing, configuring, creating, managing, monitoring, and troubleshooting SQL Server 2005, 2008 databases in both Physical and Virtual environments.
Installed Cumulative Updates and service packs for various versions of SQL Servers.
Experience in implementing a perfect backup strategy for the organization.
Upgraded SQL Server 2000 and 2005 databases to higher versions 2008, 2008 R2 and 2012.
Hands on experience with SQL Server and T-SQL in constructing triggers, tables, user functions, views, indexes, user profiles, relational database models, data dictionaries, and data integrity.
Experience in Data transfer and Transformation using tools like DTS, BCP, Bulk Insert & SSIS.
Extensive experience with SQL Performance tuning and transactions analysis, thorough understanding of indices and statistics.
Strong experience in database Backup, Restore and Recovery procedures.
Hands on experience and knowledge of high availability SQL Server solutions, including Replication, SQL Server Clustering, Log Shipping & Database Mirroring.
Experience in using Performance Monitor/Profiler to resolve Dead Locks/Long running queries.
Experience in Supporting Very Large Databases & Troubleshooting the problems.
Experience with analyzing query plans, managing indexes and locks, troubleshooting blocking/ deadlocks.
Excellent communication, analytical,
KPMG as a whole excellent, not all practices LoBs are created equal
i'm no doubt sure than the company as a whole operates more efficiently and effectively than my specific practice did, though i'm sure there are some themes in particular places
PROS
* company "prestige and reputation"--makes you an attractive job applicant/search candidate
* structured get to know the company orientation WBT "training"
* easy to navigate org design/structure practice area (helps to understand biz unit functions)
* true attempt at providing training and "development?" opportunities
* advisory (can't speak for tax and audit or other advisory LoS outside P&C) orientation university sets a decent grounding for learning
* networking is encouraged (also after hours which isn't always a plus for everyone) and events are actually set up to facilitate it. i believe part of it is the drive to push business development down but you NEED business development for success here (its a partner firm) even for your staffing
* clear succession path levels (doesn't mean you'll make it--you better have partners gunning for you--but the path levels are clear)
* opportunity for travel if that appeals
CONS
* i don't know where to start so all i will say is that the people and change practice office in NYC is lead by a partner who is notorious for favoritism, shunning, and exclusion for talent that doesn't fit the "desired" profile. i saw more focus placed on glitzy PPT presentations than meaningful talent content
* terrible terrible onboarding experience beyond the
Prosprestige and reputation, structured orientation, networking opportunity
This review is in regards to the EMC team.
From the first day to my last day, I suffered while working at the downtown Los Angeles location. I remember that on my first day, the first thing my boss told me while walking up to meet her was "oh Jesus Christ" for no reason at all. Well, that was a warm welcome. I was always made to feel that I was unwelcomed at the company and I am not sure why. No matter how much I put in terms of effort, I was always told some nonsense of how I could better do things. I would get stared at randomly with no effort to conceal it. I felt that some individuals were doing their best to get me fired. So much was the discomfort that I eventually had to talk with the Human Resources which led me to leaving the position.
The training was abysmal. Training was a by-product of people's schedule. If there was time on their schedule for training, then there will be training. There was no training for itself. While in training, nothing was formal or organized. You just had to shadow fellow employees which was not the best way to go about this because of the nature of the position. Absolutely no manuals were given as a reference. You had to rely on asking questions to your peers.
The company atmosphere was infected with the attitude of "I got hired here so I am awesome". Too many people had an inflated sense of themselves. Efforts were made to "prove" how they are better than you. If you made any attempt to seem intelligent about anyt
Вкратце о моей истории:
Чтобы вы понимали, сейчас заканчиваю бакалавриат топ-3 экономических вузов Москвы с красным дипломом, помимо этого училась за границей в течение полугода(поступив на бюджет), отлично владею английским, имею годовой опыт работы и являюсь далеко не глупым человеком.
Откликнувшись на хедхантере на вакансию стажера в департамент консалтинга , со мной связалась HR и скинула онлайн-тест(английский+математика). После успешного прохождения теста был следующий этап - решение кейса ( в моем случае попросили сделать презентацию, в которой нужно было провести анализ компании). После выполнения задания, через два дня со мной снова связалась HR и попросила записать видео-интервью (вопросы больше мотивационного типа, а также на знание индустрии, в которой мне предстояло работать).
Итак, все перечисленные этапы пройдены, после чего HR приглашает на собеседование к ним в офис. Приезжаю за 10 мин и ожидаю менеджера. Он опоздал на 20 минут, попросил рассказать о себе, опыте работы и задал пару вопросов относительно презентации, не спросив ничего насчет знания английского(в вакансии они строго требовали уровень Advanced). Все собеседование длилось буквально минут 20-30 ,я абсолютно не нервничала (тк имею опыт прохождения собеседований) и была уверена, что собеседование прошло хорошо. Особенно после того, когда менеджер в конце нашего диалога сказал, что рассчитывает увидеть меня в их команде и что ему очень понравилась моя презентация.
Последним этапом (казалось б
Information security advisory engagements for clients in Financial Services, Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing, ISP and the Public Sector.
- Implementation of Information security management systems based on ISO/IEC 27001 standard for IT operations, Data Centre, Software development, outsourced service and supporting functions including gap analysis and pre-certification audits.
- Develop and Review Information Security policies, procedures and guidelines in order to bring them up to the ISO/IEC 27001 standard level, provide guidelines on backups, recovery procedures, business continuity planning (BCP) as well as Disaster Recovery Planning (DRP).
- Conducted Reviews of Disaster recovery and Data center sites and provided recommendations to improve their existing Environment.
- Development of Information Security Risk Assessment & Risk Treatment Plans.
- Conducting Internal and External Vulnerability assessments & penetration testing for IT Infrastructures.
- Conducting Web Application & Mobile Application Security Reviews.
- Provide consultancy services in order to enable the client to bolster their front-line defense of networks and protect information from unauthorized access and violations.
- Reviewing of Database configuration checks such as database architecture, data structures, and tables as well as reviewing Administrative controls.
- Conducting Network Devices, Firewalls, Web Application Firewalls, and Server Security Configuration & network architecture reviews.
- Assessment of Network infrastructures and making recommendations on network performance, capacity planning, and hardware sizing and
1.) Job Work/Life Balance : good news is there is no more busy-season, bad news is that that is due to being busy all year. You'll still be slammed Jan - April, but expect your May - September to be busy and your Nov - Dec to clash with holiday plans. Expect to work 1 - 2 weekends during non- busy season months. Additionally, due to the negative press; expect to spend 10-20 hours a month on mandatory audit quality training.
2.) Salary/Benefits : KPMG admits that they trail the other big four firms. They are attempting to remedy the situation. However, with the announcement to drop consulting work for audit clients, I believe they'll use that as an excuse to flat-line salaries. Lobby hard to get a better starting salary. They need you more than you need them.
3.) Job Security : good news is you'll be relatively safe, bad news is that is because they can't afford to lose anymore staff. Same goes for advancement, great opportunity from all the turnover. However, staff have continually refused promotions to ensure their resignation period stays at a shorter period and/or to avoid the pain they see seniors in.
4.) Management (Directors and above): I have no idea what they are doing besides overselling their practices. To be fair, that's not a bad thing if they implemented an effective staffing plan, but they haven't. They are very disconnected from their staff and will stroll by the staff rows on their way out at 5pm. That said; it's a mixed bag on knowledge and helpfulness
ProsCentral office
ConsSee review
Questions and answers about KPMG
How often do you get a raise at KPMG?
Asked Nov 18, 2022
Once a year at the end of Q3
Answered May 26, 2023
Annually
Answered May 12, 2023
What benefits does KPMG offer?
Asked Oct 6, 2019
Excellent training for CFE
Answered May 26, 2023
Medical insurance, annual leave, Life insurance, Study leave, Study allowance
Answered May 15, 2023
Why would you want to work at KPMG?
Asked Apr 30, 2017
La direction force les employés à suivre annuellement une formation sur l'éthique mais, en même temps, on apprend que le bureau de Vancouver a utilisé des stratégies douteuses pour cacher l'argent de riches contribuables canadiens dans les paradis fiscaux...
Answered Jul 30, 2022
: To take up professional career, responsibility and challenges in an environment where talents are appreciated and encouraged. Also to contribute new ideas to the overall advancement of such organization, accounting profession and the World at large
Answered Dec 31, 2019
What is KPMG holiday leave policy? How much holiday leave do you get per year?
Asked Sept 21, 2019
3 weeks vacation plus 50 hours of personal care time and occasionally extra long weekends during the summer months
Answered May 26, 2023
15
Answered May 8, 2023
What is the promotion process like at KPMG?
Asked Nov 7, 2022
Based on performance and proven ability to operate at next level
