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Overall Satisfaction

• "I have been given the opportunity to work on lots of different types of projects across the UK. KPMG supports us throughout the ACA qualification and also provides a free lunch!” – Transaction Services, Entry level, London
• "Projects challenge me on a day-to-day basis so I feel like I am learning very quickly. Only downside is that I think rewards even at entry-level should be higher considering the amount of time and responsibility we put in.” -- Junior Accountant, Entry level, London
• "As an intern I feel that the team that I work in (BMG) have been very accommodating, and will discuss their current projects with me.” -- Transaction Services, Intern, London
• "The people are excellent and they really make the difference.” -- Auditor, Entry level, Birmingham
• "I am provided with a variety of different work every day and am never left twiddling my thumbs! Also, the training we are given is excellent and the level of support we get is great.” -- Tax, Entry Level, Bristol
• "With the prestige of the firm, and the exposure to a wide variety of clients, I feel I am offered a great opportunity to further my career and gain top-level experience.” -- Auditor, Intern, Edinburgh
• "I thoroughly enjoy the job I do, it challenges me and rewards me for meeting those challenges and also offers me huge opportunities and allows me to meet and work with fantastic people.” -- Auditor, Entry Level, Leeds
• "The size of the company enables me to get a wide range of experience and because I work in an office outside of London there are less people in the office which means you get to know everyone, to a certain extent, and you are not just seen as a number." -- Auditor, Entry level, East Sussex
• "Working at KPMG has ensured that I have an excellent basis for my work experience and for my future. One of my key aims is to move to Australia, thus being able to work through the ranks at such a large, multinational organisation which encourages its staff to challenge the work given and aim for new goals yearly has been a large boost to my work and personal confidence.” -- Auditor, Midlevel, Nottingham

• "I have been very well looked after right through from being an intern, to working during my gap year after university, and finally to my current permanent job. The nature of KPMG is such that a huge variety of different kinds of work is undertaken, and the opportunities to get involved are endless.” -- Accountant, Entry level, London
• "The culture here is very good. I enjoy the mix of studying and work as it breaks things up, and through the studying you are able to feel as though you are advancing your personal knowledge.” -- Auditor, Entry level, London
• "After working in the Civil Service and with a mid-tier accountancy practice I am very satisfied working at KPMG. The culture here allows me to work at whatever pace I like and rewards hard work and innovation.” -- Tax, Midlevel, London
• "There is loads of work set, even if you are an intern. However, it’s not overwhelming; but expect to be busy constantly (at least, I am, in the indirect tax department). The people here are extremely accommodating and friendly, always willing to help and quite social.” -- Tax Analyst, Intern, Birmingham
• "Great people, regular feedback session and well defined career path.” -- Auditor, Intern, Bristol
• "I really enjoy my job and the corresponding responsibilities and experiences it brings. I couldn't work at an 'office job' doing the same thing 9 till 5. Despite working at a desk I never feel like I am not making a difference, or doing boring work that will never mean anything. KPMG are also really good at allowing you to create your own opportunities – if you make the effort and speak up they will do their best to make it happen” -- Accountant, Entry level, Edinburgh
• "I love the job and feel that it challenges me in different ways every day, however, sometimes I struggle to keep a good work-life balance.” -- Auditor, Entry level, Manchester
• "For the majority of time, the work is interesting and the benefits of working for KPMG are great e.g. free lunch, department and office socials. Just sometimes however, due to the nature of audit, there are quiet times which can be challenging.” -- Auditor, Midlevel, Reading

Quality of Work

• "Early responsibility is given to high performers.” -- Auditor, Entry level, Leeds
• "Responsibilities increase throughout training. There is some scope for client interaction depending on the nature of the project being worked on. One of the most exciting parts of the job is working on public deals before they are announced and then seeing the project on the front page of the FT!” – Transaction services, Entry Level, London
• "The work is engaging, being of a technical nature. It tests your ability to apply what you have learnt in college and also whatever you may know from the real world. There can be complicated transactions which you have to map and there will be certain regulations you must ensure your client is adhering to. Overall, the more sections of an audit file you complete, which is a quick process, the more you understand how each interacts and in turn how the business operates.” -- Auditor, Entry level, London
• "I have been assigned internal audits where I have been given responsibility for doing all of the ground work and writing reports within my first 6 months at the firm. From my first job onwards I have been introduced to senior members of my clients and worked with a broad variety of interesting clients on very different jobs.” -- Auditor, Entry level, London
• "I enjoy the work that is assigned to me. As an entry level graduate, at first the tasks given to you can be menial and unchallenging. However, as you gain experience and have worked on clients for a longer period of time, the work given becomes more challenging and rewarding. I have built up good relationships with my key clients, and am lucky enough to work on a listed client for most of the year, which means I get to do lots of things from substantive audit testing to litigation and claims, to board minutes, to helping on fraud discussions.” -- Auditor, Entry level, Birmingham
• "As an intern, to be handed work for which I am directly responsible (and which involves a lot of client interaction) is great, it's both challenging and engaging. Having done a previous internship where I felt the work given to me was of more of a token nature, it's rewarding to be given work that I feel is contributing to the audits.” -- Auditor, Intern, Edinburgh
• "I have a lot of client work which gives me the opportunity to continually stretch my abilities. The work I am assigned is varied and I am able to request new tasks to do if they are available.” -- Auditor, Entry Level, Leeds
• "Throughout my career at KPMG my interaction with clients has been high as I have formed part of teams auditing various clients. Over the 3 years I have been training with KPMG for my ACA qualification the level of work I have been allocated has been gradually increasing allowing me to further develop my abilities and skills. I now am responsible for in-charging teams on site with several assistants.” -- Auditor, Entry level, Leeds
• "From very early on, I learned to volunteer wherever possible and demonstrate a willingness to learn. I was very quickly meeting clients and assisting with direct assignments. I have been lucky enough to get involved in national projects, which raised my profile and so allowed me to work with colleagues across the firm. I am now responsible for small engagements and particular clients, and have a wide range of work available to me.” -- Tax, Midlevel, Edinburgh
• "I am given sections of the audit file to complete, which is good because I can take responsibility for the entire section. I am also in-charging audits, and am therefore responsible for client liaison, organising the audit team and allocating roles, as well as performing some of the more difficult aspects of the audit.” -- Auditor, Midlevel, Plymouth

• "The work provided to me is varied which keeps my motivation and enthusiasm for the job high with plenty opportunity to take more responsibility even in the first year. I have client interaction almost daily, helping me to progress my professional skills at an early stage.” -- Audit, Entry level, London
• "As a first year, some of the work given to you is very monotonous; however there are many opportunities for progression and to obtain responsibility early on, which makes the work more challenging and rewarding.” -- Auditor, Entry level, London
• "Working on audits means that you work one to one with clients – and that you can meet a wide range of people, you have a certain range on responsibilities from completing maybe a section on the file to maybe seeing something through right to the end. Your responsibility definitely grows the further you get on in the company and the more experience you accumulate.” -- Auditor, Midlevel, Birmingham
• "Initially limited interaction with clients but this has increased. There is no bias as to limiting graduates from taking part in the more interesting and larger transactions.” -- Tax Accountant, Entry level, London
• "Now that I have been here for over a year I get a lot of client interaction, dealing directly with banks and other advisors. I am trusted to produce work to a high quality and I feel like I am actually doing worthwhile work. However I am also aware that if I am not comfortable doing something I can ask for help or reassurance over what I need to do or say. I am working on deals that are reported in newspapers and I am one of the integral team despite being more junior. My work and input is also acknowledged and that can be really satisfying.” -- Accountant, Entry level, Edinburgh
• "The smaller the client, the greater the responsibility you are given. You are generally working a mix of large and small clients so the responsibility does vary. The better you are at your job, the easier it is to request to work on certain clients.” -- Auditor, Entry level, Bristol
• "Due to the widespread specialisations of the senior members of the team and the wide variety of national and international clients, I have been exposed to a wide variety of work which is challenging and interesting. I have lots of exposure to clients with regular contact.” -- Tax, Entry level, Manchester
• "The work that we do is very important and senior colleagues communicate this to us. There are strict requirements and it is important to comply with these requirements. This means that work is performed to a very high standard.” -- Auditor, Entry level, Manchester
• "I am given quite a bit of responsibility for my age and experience but am looking forward to being in charge of a whole audit for the first time next month! I enjoy the fact that I am always interacting with clients and am hardly ever in the office. All of my clients are very different from each other, meaning I have an interesting and varied working day!” -- Auditor, Midlevel, Nottingham
• "The work offers such a great opportunity to learn and gain experience. The work changes daily – keeping you fresh. The clients are also very interesting and responsibilities are handed down right from the start.” -- Auditor, Midlevel, Reading

Culture

• "KPMG has an amazing culture and this sets it apart from the other "Big Four" firms. You are never expected to struggle with things by yourself and others are always willing to roll up their sleeves, even if it means a late night. There are plenty of sports and special interest clubs to get involved with, and we have drained many a pub of its last drop." -- Information Technology, Midlevel, London
• "Although there's a strong hierarchy, people from every level are very approachable, colleagues are friends rather than colleagues and each employee has a "counselling partner" and manager to whom he/she can talk to..." -- Auditor, Midlevel, London
• "Although there is a set structure within KPMG, as with every other accountancy practice, there is no sense of people treating others differently depending on their grade. There is lots of interaction between colleagues in a open and honest atmosphere and colleagues are always willing to help others who have a heavy workload..." -- Tax, Midlevel, London
• "It’s very open and transparent. There is a hierarchy but everyone communicates freely and people are encouraged to share ideas, achievements and improvement points – no problems with arguing your point to a partner! Everyone engages as part of a team, and there is a huge support network with a lot of friendly faces and plenty of opportunity to socialise outside of work." -- Tax, Midlevel, London
• "Employees socialise about twice a week outside work; quite a lot considering the amount of overtime they have to do in this job! There is an indirect tax football team, and regularly we meet up for drinks after work. I don’t know much about the hierarchy yet except that I am at the bottom somewhere. The more senior people I've met have all made the effort to socialise with me and seem quite pleasant and down to earth." -- Tax Analyst, Intern, Birmingham
• "It is very friendly – I always feel like KPMG employs 'normal' people. Yes, they are also smart, but they all seem to have chat and personality also. If I need help I can approach anyone in my team (this is locally and nationally) and they will try and make the time to help. Partners have authority, but they are also very approachable. You will always get some personality clashes but I have found that on the whole they seem to be rare at KPMG and I really enjoy the team I work within. We have a social club that organises events nationally for the team, and people from the regions are encouraged to travel to London to foster a stronger team feeling. In the smaller Edinburgh team we also socialise together. We've recently completed the Rob Roy challenge together which was difficult but really fun" -- Entry Level, Edinburgh
• "The structure is directors, partners, managers, consultants and assistants. Everybody sits on the floor together so there is no divide between top and bottom. It is very easy to approach people and ask questions, and also easy to get to know colleagues in a social setting from being in an open plan office. Everybody works very well together, there is no competition between staff just mutual support and enthusiasm for the job" -- Junior Accountant, Entry Level, Leeds
• "Very modern, horizontal structure, everyone assists each other and conversations and ideas are very open and widely accepted, from interns to directors. Atmosphere is great and socialising has been brilliant." -- Information Technology, Intern, Manchester
• "At KPMG you are given a grading number depending on how many years you have been at the company and whether or not you are yet qualified. There are always people in the year above you that are available to coach you and support you when needed, and it is useful to know that they have been in the same boat as you at some point. As well as the summer/Christmas socials, we generally try to have one gathering every month, but this doesn't stop anyone in the office on a Friday heading to the pub at the end of the day." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Leicester

• "There is quite a defined structure within the company but that does not mean that you cannot progress more quickly than the prescribed route. Good employees seem to be promoted early. In Transaction Services there are not really any barriers between more senior staff such as partners and the more junior analysts. Whilst working on projects can mean long hours other team members will often make time to coach and help you develop skills. There are often drinks after work, especially amongst staff of similar grades or when working in project teams." -- Transactions Services, Entry Level, London
• "KPMG is a supportive and friendly firm. We do not work excessive hours like some of the other Big Four which leaves time for us to socialise after work. The work/life balance is well addressed at KPMG and it is a pleasure to work there." -- Auditor, Entry Level, London
• "The strong social culture is one of the best things about the company. We often socialise together outside of work and I've made many friends through work. The people get on well together and make the work environment enjoyable. There are not many levels between junior and partner, and depending on the client that you work on there can be little interaction between partner and junior levels but the top of the pyramid is very accessible, approachable and visible." -- Auditor, Entry Level, London
• "There is a definite structure and hierarchy with the company and the more experience you develop the higher you get on the hierarchy… There are many opportunities to socialise outside of work throughout the whole calendar year – if only there was enough time to attend them all!" -- Auditor, Midlevel, Birmingham
• "We work in an open plan office so there are no physical barriers in the way of you asking any senior members of staff for help. And when you do have a problem everyone is willing to help until you find the correct answer! The team I work in all get on really well and we socialise outside of work but with everyone's busy schedules it's probably not as often as we'd like!" -- Tax, Entry Level, Bristol
• "KPMG is 100% about the people that work here. As the firm works with the biggest clients it is important to ensure the best quality of service at all times and it is the people at KPMG that help this to happen. It is a supportive environment within which to work and people are always available to offer help and assistance." -- Tax, Midlevel, Leeds
• "It’s fairly supportive but also internally competitive due to the ranking appraisal system. There is some socialising outside work but the nature of the job (always being at different client sites) doesn’t make it very easy." -- Audit, Entry Level, Manchester
• "There is a defined hierarchy where grades and job roles are concerned. However, no matter what grade you are there is very much an open door policy, with all managers and partners being approachable if you have any queries or issues. There is a good group environment within my department – people of all grades go to lunch together and also socialise outside of work at department functions, etc. In my job, you are always working on different teams at different clients. This helps you to get to know many of your colleagues. Although teams often change, there are never any issues and teams seem to work well together." -- Auditor, Midlevel, Reading
• "The structure and hierarchy is clear without being intimidating. Staff are aware of who is responsible for what and the environment is open so that staff are comfortable to communicate with those at higher levels. There is an active sports and social committee who organise events such as BBQs, badminton and go-karting." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Southampton

Relations with Management

• "Immediate management is excellent. Senior management struggles due to the size of the firm. The quality of management in my department makes up for this." -- Tax Accountant, Entry level, London
• "Management all seem friendly and approachable, willing to help with any queries. The ones I have worked with have always taken me and the rest of the team out for lunch or for drinks after work." -- Auditor, Entry level, London
• "Partners and senior managers interact with staff at all grades – I work directly with a partner on a couple of projects. They are open and responsive to new ideas and challenges, irrespective of who is presenting them. We have regular cascade meetings where firm-wide strategy is presented to all staff." -- Tax Analyst, Entry level, London
• "Relations with management are good, partner exposure has been limited for the first couple of years but has improved as I have gained experience and gives a good insight into the quality of management." -- Auditor, Entry level, Birmingham
• "We are kept informed regularly of the firm's position by internal email or presentations by senior partners. You never feel that you are out of the loop and staff are always consulted on big decisions the company is going to make. Feedback appears to be very important to the firm." -- Tax, Entry Level, Bristol
• "The partner in my department is great, always keeping us informed of firm-wide decisions, acting with integrity and providing support whenever necessary." -- Tax, Entry level, Edinburgh
• "There are lots of means of recognition for good performance. At my level, however, good performance seems to be equated with working lots of extra hours." -- Audit, Entry level, Manchester
• "Absolutely excellent. Couldn't ask for a better relationship with those senior to me. We have monthly departmental meetings and almost daily updates on the firm." -- Tax, Entry Level, Cardiff
• "On the whole, there is the same treatment and level of respect given no matter what grade you are. As an assistant, I have no problem with discussing things with the Partner, or asking Senior Managers for help, etc. Everyone is always very kind and willing to help." -- Tax, Entry Level, Ipswich

• "The managers and partners I have worked with have treated me with respect, and have taken an interest in my career development." -- Auditor, Experienced, London
• "I am regularly in contact with very senior people on a daily basis. They are always approachable and willing to help." -- Information Technology, Midlevel, London
• "I am lucky enough to work on a listed client, which means I have regular contact with both managers and the engagement partner. The managers are extremely supportive – they expect a high level of work, but if there are any problems at all, they are easy to talk to and problems are always worked around. They are also very helpful with guidance on the job, and assist you if you are stuck..." -- Auditor, Entry level, Birmingham
• "Everyone who works in the department is invited for a regular departmental meeting where the management debriefs on financial position, prospective clients" -- Auditor, Intern, Bristol
• "There are near constant emails keeping everyone up to date with firm decisions and client wins, etc. Partners and managers in general are very friendly and treat staff very well (especially on nights out) however some can be very hard to get in contact with due to how busy they are." -- Auditor, Entry level, Leeds
• "There is a lot of communication between the levels of management within the company. There seems to be a series of strong working relationships and I have yet to come across any signs of conflict at all." -- Audit, Intern, Manchester
• "Employees are given a lot of responsibility from an early stage, but are expected to work long hours as a result. If you are good you can progress quickly." -- Auditor, Entry level, Reading
• "Firm-wide decisions are regularly communicated through briefings and newsletters. Department meetings are held monthly to communicate office specific issues. Communications are open with partners and management, at the very least through the appraisal process. In addition, the open office plan encourages communication between all levels and employees sit amongst people of all levels." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Southampton

Formal Training

• "Extensive training is available – you just have to be able to find it and enrol." -- Information Technology, Midlevel, London
• "We have on-line and on-site training. Some are elective, some are compulsory. Training varies from specific audit training, audit tool, to accounting standards updates, etc. Again, we are given time to attend the training, which is sometimes valuable from a personal point of view as well." -- Auditor, Midlevel, London
• "The training programs are divided in to external and internal training. They are well supervised, taken very seriously and employees are given time off to participate in them." -- Auditor, Entry level, London
• "We have internal and external training, and these are taken seriously. They are compulsory and pre-course work has to be done before attendance to courses. We also have e-courses that need to be completed, which we can charge our time to." -- Auditor, Entry level, Birmingham
• "Excellent training programmes – some mandatory to ensure that core knowledge is learned, others are up to individuals. Our firm also has its own business school to provide every graduate with professional qualifications through focused courses. This is done separately to work, so graduates don’t have to juggle work and studies at the same time. I was even given additional mentoring to help me with a particularly difficult area of tax, and extra time to study for the resulting exam." -- Tax, Midlevel, Edinburgh
• "Good training and mentoring structures, but often difficult to arrange training due to client commitments." -- Auditor, Midlevel, Manchester
• "The graduate program is well organised. Time is given to attend college and go for exams. Support is also given where required. Informal training can be asked for easily as all managers are very approachable." -- Auditor, Midlevel, Reading
• "KPMG are the only Big Four firm that support their graduates through both ICAS and CTA qualifications, you spend time living and studying in London at the dedicated tax business school. Post qualification there is an internal website detailing the many courses you can participate in to supplement your knowledge. Within my office we run informal training sessions and monthly meetings for lower grades of staff to help their learning. Our department all sit together and it is easy to ask questions of any grade of staff and everyone is really helpful." -- Tax, Experienced, Preston

• "We go to a separate training office to study for professional tax and accounting exams – very in depth training. There’s additional on the job training specific to our individual teams and roles…" -- Tax, Entry level, London
• "The tax training is done centrally to get you through the professional qualifications. There is lots of help for first time round but not much support for retakes. Informal training varies from department to department and person to person." -- Tax Analyst, Entry level, London
• "Training is very good, with every member of staff required to fulfil certain training every year for their own development. You can also attend other courses which may enhance your own skill set and all new employees are assigned mentors in which informal sessions can take place away from the office." -- Auditor, Midlevel, Birmingham
• "I had two days of tax training first, giving a taste of the KPMG business school. Then, when I entered the office, all the younger employees took me aside for two hours of tutoring in VAT. I also get trained in interesting case studies as they arise." -- Tax Analyst, Intern, Birmingham
• "Excellent training courses held in good locations in a friendly atmosphere. I’ve picked up presentation skills, networking skills, skills required to do my daily work. KPMG encourages each staff member, no matter what level, to complete so many hours of training courses a year…" -- Transactions Services, Midlevel, Leeds
• "We have a lot of formal training and exams – we get sent away to Edinburgh and London which is really good fun... We are all assigned mentors and get time to go out for coffee with them and they are really good to talk to. People are generally approachable." -- Tax, Entry level, Manchester
• "There is a set program of courses which your department will know you need to go on. Other courses are available but it is much more difficult to get time available to go on these." -- Auditor, Entry level, Bristol
• "The training programme is clearly structured for the duration of the course. It is clearly communicated when we will be attending college and when we will have study leave. Trainees have contacts within the office and nationally for any problems or questions regarding our training." -- Auditor, Entry level, Southampton

Career Progression

• "Work hard, play hard and get on with those around you. A promotion every three years is standard (until director/partner level); if you are good you can be promoted in two years." -- Finance, Midlevel, London
• "To progress in the company you need to be able to build good client relationships, and interact with senior management confidently. Building up technical knowledge in your area over time is also a necessity. You need to be able to lead a team and delegate tasks appropriately. Also, I think it is important to get involved with your department in other ways; i.e. 'extra-curricular' activities such as getting involved with CSR/the social committee." -- Auditor, Experienced, London
• "You need to be great at what you do, but also great at getting the right people to notice in the right way." -- Information Technology, Midlevel, London
• "Graduates will be promoted to assistant managers in three year provided that they complete their qualification(s) required. Further progression will depend on performance." -- Tax, Entry Level, Birmingham
• "The career progression is good and can be very quick – it all depends on your ability!" -- Tax, Entry Level, Bristol
• "Nobody wants it too easy, or it's just not valued. However, there are clearly defined achievements and timescales for every graduate, so there is no guessing about whether your career is on track. I am on track for promotion at the end of this year, and this is due to meeting challenging but achievable goals, making the gear change required and having the support of my team to ensure that my efforts are recognised." -- Tax, Midlevel, Edinburgh
• "There is a natural progression level through the company ranks in the early years up to manager levels. From there on in progression becomes more difficult, but is very highly rewarded." -- Audit, Intern, Manchester
• "Career progression in the first three – four years is straight forward as you automatically move up each year and receive a formal promotion once you have successfully completed your professional qualification. Once you are an assistant manager, it can be difficult to get promoted to manager as there are often fewer vacancies for these positions. It can take several years before a promotion is available. There are also opportunities to work abroad as KPMG offer secondments to offices worldwide for 6 months to 2 years." -- Auditor, Midlevel, Reading
• "Gets harder the further up the chain you get; however, progression from new starter through to assistant manager is the aim for the first four years of your career and provided you show the aptitude and appetite for the job, higher progression can be discussed and attained." -- Auditor, Midlevel, Nottingham

• "Career progression is completely driven by the individual. The work you put in will be reflected in your appraisal at the end of the year and promotions and pay rises will reflect this. Appraisals are annual with a half-year review. Hard work, dedication, innovation, and a 'can do' attitude will ensure that you progress quickly." -- Tax, Midlevel, London
• "Initially promotion is automatic provided that certain levels of skills are obtained – this is up to assistant manager level. After that promotion is based on having achieved certain targets and demonstrating a variety of skills. Progression is important and is reviewed every 6 months." -- Auditor, Midlevel, London
• "We all have half yearly reviews in which goals are set and you can review your progress and amend your goals as applicable. On audits you have a review form in place for each job which you have completed and this will monitor how well you have performed on these, feedback can be given from your in-charge, your manager and your senior on that particular job." -- Auditor, Midlevel, Birmingham
• "Once a qualified accountant you will automatically be promoted to assistant manager and will be in charge of your own audit team. It will normally take about 3-4 years from there to be promoted to manager. They do not normally recruit externally at higher grades, so that they can reward people who have stayed with the firm." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Bristol
• "We have a standard timetable for when you should expect to get promoted in younger years (it is expected it will take me about 3 years from starting until I am promoted), then a further 2 years before I am promoted again (however this is flexible to an extent). Once you get further up the ranks it's much more discretionary. We have interim reviews and then year-end reviews – we gather evidence of our performance and this determines promotions and bonuses." – Accountant, Entry Level, Edinburgh
• "You automatically go up grades for your first 3 years before you qualify, then as you qualify as a chartered accountant you get promoted to assistant manager. Manager and senior manager are harder to get but if you stay with the firm progression is extremely likely. Partner takes a lot of work and commitment, but is still achievable for those that want it enough." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Leeds
• "The company views your career progression seriously and if you want to succeed quickly, once you have passed your exams there are plenty of opportunities to move quickly up. However this does depend on the times – during the recession there were fewer promotions." -- Tax, Entry Level, Manchester
• "Tick the boxes – up you go. No fast track exists. It’s autocratic not meritocratic. So you can progress easily, but not quickly. You're in it for the long haul." -- Entry Level, St. Albans

CSR

• "We do a lot of community work. At the moment I am mentoring an ex-convict looking for a new job. Previously I have been a "dragon" for a dragon's den exercise at a local primary school." -- Finance, Midlevel, London
• "I've just been on a Corporate Social Responsibility day painting and gardening a school near Northolt and helping to put up four football goals. You are also allowed half a day per month to perform volunteer work." -- Auditor, Entry Level, London
• "This is a really big deal for the firm. The Edinburgh office alone is involved in the following; national bike ride for charity; reading and maths mentoring at a local primary school; workshops to help local ex-homeless individuals back into work (which I really enjoyed); Christmas presents for homeless/vulnerable children; helping a local hospice with their fundraising activities; various fundraising activities throughout the year for our national charity (a partnership created by all staff voting for the charity of their choice). Also, if you already have volunteering commitments, you can have time to maintain this, and the firm can match charitable donations to causes you are involved in. We raised money recently for Haiti, and the firm matched every donation, thereby doubling the amount raised." -- Tax, Midlevel, Edinburgh
• "The firm has a staff-selected charity, which it chooses every 2 years, and devotes many volunteering hours towards this. Every staff member has the opportunity to spend 3.5 hours (1/2 day) every month on CSR – typical things that are done in my office are helping to stuff envelopes at Christmas, painting, decorating and gardening at local community centres/schools, and distributing leaflets, etc. for the staff selected charity." -- Tax, Entry Level, Edinburgh
• "The CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) programme is very important to the firm and is headed by a partner. Each employee is given 3.5 hours a month to do CSR activities. There are charities of the year and regular fund raising activities. There are reading and maths mentors at local schools." -- Tax, Entry Level, Manchester
• "You get half a day off a month to be involved in community work. Initially it's pretty hard to get it into your timetable though!" -- Audit, Entry Level, Manchester
• "Throughout the year we do a number of small events and activities to raise money for local charities – for example having a cake rota. Each year we also try to be involved in one large community project, this year we did some gardening and painting. We also take part in a local fund raising event, where we are given £50 at the start with the aim to use it to make as much money as possible for charity within 1 month." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Leicester

• "Departments do CSR days e.g. digging a local allotment, painting a community centre. Can also volunteer to support local businesses or assist in local schools. Everyone can get 3.5 hours per month for CSR, but the scheme you do must be KPMG approved." -- Transactions Services, Midlevel, London
• "KPMG provides staff to local schools to help children for an hour with reading. They also offer the chance for employees to become governors at schools. KPMG does a number of CSR events and I have been involved in one CSR day with my team where we visited a museum grounds and helped dig trenches for piping and clearing over grown paths." -- Junior Accountant, Entry Level, Birmingham
• "KPMG is involved in many charities. I have helped in a business project for The Passage and am a job coach with Business Action on Homelessness." -- Tax, Entry Level, Bristol
• "Every employee is given 3.5 hours per month to use for CSR purposes, I have helped out at a school as business mentor for Young Enterprise and done an abseil down the side of the office to raise money for Alzheimer’s. There is also a specific CSR day every year in each department, this year they built a fence around a school pond." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Leeds
• "KPMG holds CSR values very highly. Staff are allocated an afternoon a month to undergo any CSR activities they wish to engage in. Further to this department CSR days are regular and events such as sponsored cycles, etc. are encouraged." -- Audit, Intern, Manchester
• "We have had a department away day painting a local rehabilitation centre. The nature of our job does, however mean that volunteering in work time, although offered, is not feasible for most." -- Auditor, Midlevel, Manchester
• "Nationally the firm chooses a charity to support for a two year period (currently we are supporting Alzheimer’s charities) and then at office level different events are organised to raise money for this charity and you can also donate salary and bonuses to the charity. At a local level we get involved with helping local schools with literacy and numeracy and have collected items for the local homeless shelter and women’s refuge. KPMG is really supportive of CSR projects and you can allocate 3.5hours per month to your timesheet for such activities and it is easy to get involved." -- Experienced, Preston

Diversity (women, minorities & LGBT)

• "This is an excellent career for women. The opportunities are certainly equal for women and the benefits in terms of flexible working, maternity leave, etc. are the best I have ever seen or heard of." -- Auditor, Entry Level, London
• "There is no gender distinctions made in my team with regard to the quality of the work assigned or retention policies. Maternity leave is always given and the same or similar position is always available at the end of this. Many staff choose to work non-standard hours or part-time in order to look after children." -- Tax, Midlevel, London
• "In my department 8 of the 9 managers are women." -- Auditor, Midlevel, Birmingham
• "There is an even intake of men/women each year. However there are a disproportionate number of men to women at senior management and partner level, though this is improving all the time." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Leeds
• "Excellent maternity leave for managers; high number of women in senior management positions, although not as many at director / partner level. Excellent flexible working options for parents." -- Auditor, Midlevel, Manchester
• "From what I have observed the company is very flexible and understanding with regards to maternity leave, etc. This does not seem to impact your chances of promotion and the company hours are flexible." -- Entry Level, Ipswich
• "Everyone is treated according to ability." -- Tax, Entry Level, London
• "KPMG has a very diverse employee base. There is also a lot of scope to go on international secondment with the company, and there are a lot of people who come to London on secondments from many different countries." -- Auditor, Experienced, London
• "You will be recruited on your talent, not your ethnicity. If you have the talent, you will get the job." -- Auditor, Midlevel, Nottingham
• "This was raised by the national senior team recently as an area they are currently working on because they are aware that the firm could do better. Where certain ethnic groups are not equally represented in the graduate sphere, they are looking at a possible school-leaver recruitment scheme in order to address this." -- Tax, Midlevel, Edinburgh
• "There is a very wide range of social and ethnic backgrounds within the firm; people are hired from all walks of life." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Manchester
• "There is a national network for lesbian, gay and bisexual staff to support each other and share experiences. I also have colleagues who are gay, and they decide for themselves whether to be open about it or not. Since this is a personal matter, this is as it should be, but I believe the firm's environment allows them that choice without influence." -- Tax, Midlevel, Edinburgh

• "I haven't witnessed any discrimination towards women. It seems to me that there is a perfect equality, although there are less partners who are women." -- Auditor, Midlevel, London
• "I believe women get treated equally to men. My colleagues who have children are always able to put them first. Maternity leave is good. Colleagues in my department often take one year." -- Junior Accountant, Entry Level, Birmingham
• "There is great support for women at our company, apart from promotion and maternity leave, there is a whole lot of other support including flexi time, part time work if caring for children, child care vouchers." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Birmingham
• "There are plenty of women in senior roles as well as many that are on part time and flexible working arrangements." -- Tax, Midlevel, Leeds
• "There is a drive within KPMG to keep women within KPMG. At recruitment stage the split is 50/50, however a lot of women do not return to work after having a family, mainly due to the demands of audit." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Leicester
• "KPMG respects all ethnic minorities, religion, etc. The company is a great melting pot." -- Auditor, Midlevel, London
• "The firm is very ethnically diverse and much of the work is international meaning that multi lingual people are very much in demand." -- Auditor, Entry Level, London
• "I don't believe there to be any prejudice to or against ethnic minorities when hiring. The racial diversity in my office pretty much represents that of the city we are in." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Leicester
• "We have a diverse workforce from all backgrounds, and ensure there is an equal spread across recruitment and retention. We have a lot of support groups and clubs for ethnic minorities." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Birmingham
• "KPMG have a diversity policy that promotes and encourages minorities into the firm. We also have forums for different ethnic and religious groups. It is not an issue when you are being hired, trained or promoted. In fact, a client in Birmingham commented on how they appreciated seeing a mix of ethnicities at a pitch which no other firm seemed to have provided." -- Entry Level, Edinburgh
• "There are societies organised by staff that cater for people of all persuasions, and diversity is encouraged and promoted within the firm." -- Tax Analyst, Entry Level, London
• "You will be recruited on your talent, not your personal life (obviously to a point – we vet our employees to ensure that people recruited are appropriate and respectable members of the community). If you have the talent, you will get the job." -- Auditor, Midlevel, Nottingham

Offices & Dress Code

• "Dress code is neat casual in office and matching the client when on site (if the client wears penguin suits, we wear penguin suits, etc.)." -- Information Technology, Midlevel, London
• "The dress code is business casual; people are quite relaxed about it. We have a brand new building in Canary Wharf, which is very nice, has a lot of space, right above the shopping centre. The building feels very professional while it's very nice to work and socialise." -- Auditor, Midlevel, London
• "…The main advantage is the location which is close to many gyms, bars, restaurants and shops, all within walking distance as well as good transport links. The dress code in the office is business casual which means I don't have to wear a tie on a regular basis. However, formal business attire is expected when meeting clients." -- Tax, Midlevel, London
• "We have just moved to a brand new ten floor state of the art office. It's very high tech. There is a cafeteria which offers three choices of cooked meals, a sandwich bar where sandwiches are hand made to order, a salad bar, a soup station, a global kitchen, a pudding bar, jacket potato station and a chocolate station! When out at clients there is a £4 lunch allowance to spend in any place of your choice... Our dress code is smart – however suits are not required in the office. As long as you are not wearing jeans or wearing anything too revealing it's fine. At clients, the dress code is to fit in with theirs..." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Birmingham
• "Some are modern up to date; some are in need of redecoration. Canteen could be better... Business casual in the office, full business attire during client meetings. Seems sensible to me." -- Transactions Services, Midlevel, Leeds
• "All offices have a cafeteria. Most trainees do not have desks so are required to hot desk. The Manchester office is fairly new and there are plenty of spaces to go to if you require more room." -- Auditor, Midlevel, Manchester
• "The Leicester office is not that snazzy, quite 1970s. However we are very proud of the new Birmingham office, which is a very slick and modern building..." -- Auditor, Entry Level, Leicester

• "London office has just moved to a new purpose built building – plush, good working facilities (break out areas, meeting rooms, etc.). Good choice in the canteen although it’s very busy." -- Tax, Entry Level, London
• "We’ve just had a new office built in Canary Wharf. The other office is now the old head quarters off Fleet St. There are plenty of atriums and open spaces to relax at lunch or for a break, and lots of green." -- Auditor, Entry Level, London
• "New offices, with its own cafeteria – with very nice food, and a coffee bar – company also pays for £2.85 of your lunch! Dress code in the office is business casual, so you are not required to have a full suit!" -- Auditor, Midlevel, Birmingham
• "Some offices are newer than others, but they are kept clean and bright. As far as I'm aware they all have onsite catering facilities – we are provided a daily lunch allowance, so we all eat well! …Some of the newer buildings have quiet rooms/prayer rooms put aside for people to practise their faith during the day, but this is readily accommodated regardless of which office you work in." -- Tax, Midlevel, Edinburgh
• "The offices are very nice and spread over 6 floors in the centre of Manchester with departments’ assigned floors and areas. There is a small canteen where each member of staff has a lunch allowance… The biggest problem is parking with only a limited amount of spaces in the underground car park." – Audit, Manchester
• "We have 22 offices throughout the UK and they differ in style. The Edinburgh office is a nice building; it has a theatre and several restaurants as well as some other firms in the building – plus a view of Edinburgh Castle! We have a canteen and lunch allowance, as well as showers and a place to store bikes, etc. The new London office is particularly nice – brand new, lovely new canteen, wifi and lots of break out space and cafes. As I work in a 'national team' I am there quite a lot…" -- Entry Level, Edinburgh