Company: PwC
Date: 2009-10-20
Overall rating: 2/5
Employment status: former

Proceed with Caution
Pros: Benefits
Vacation Time
Opportunity for Training and Certifications
Some opportunity to move into a lateral position
Flex Time - but depends on your boss
Bonus (before the economic slowdown it was good)
Cons: Senior Management sets unrealistic goals

Poor Leadership which creates a poor culture

Performance Appraisal Process is subjective - you can go the whole year, get great feedback forms, then get a bad overall review.  

Cut Throat - performance system pits peers against one another.  Have a culture where everyone is out for themselves.  They preach teamwork but since the performance system compares you to your peers people are less likely to share knowledge and truly work as a team. 

Politics - if you form alliances and kiss up, you can move up.  Every decision is rooted in some politics - they don't choose the path that is most benefical, they choose the one that is most popular for their personal career advancement.

Lack of advancement opportunity - they tell you to take control of your career and even if you get great ratings, promotions are hard to come by (unless you join as an associate or senior associate) 

Leadership is arrogant and treats staff like slaves.  They preach worklife/balance but if you go on vacation and they need you, your expected to work. Good managers would ensure you had a backup so you can enjoy your vacation - it's a benefit after all.  

PwC  = People Working Constantly

Internal processes - it is impossible to get anything done. So much red tape even for the simplest of requests.  The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.

A TON of offshoring - if you take an offer there be prepared to be let go in the near future.  They are offshoring in every department and line of service - even parts of the audit practice (although I have not heard of a single partner that had his job sent overseas)

Most of the management is poor but it depends on who your boss is.  I had 7 bosses during my tenure and I can honestly say I only had 2 good ones - and they both quit.