Company: PwC
Date: 2014-11-14
Overall rating: 1/5
Employment status: current
Experience level: Junior

Sweatshop
Pros: Good experience for fresh graduates. Many bright and brilliant employees. Provides good exposure to industry overview.
Cons: Negative work life balance. Be prepared to work 60+ hours a week; and weekends and nights. Asked to work at nights and weekends; often asked to cancel prescheduled vacation.

Tries to hire bright and brilliant people, but can't provide projects that are commensurate with the skills, knowledge and aspirations of the hired employees. Many get disappointed and leave. 

Bonus and benefits are dismal, and not comparable to banks. The vesting schedule of 401(k) and wealth builder plans are atrocious.

Annual review process is a joke. Although the business needs quants and technical people, the career growth for these folks is limited.  If you can't do sales and bring in revenue, you can't move up. Coaches are assigned, but they normally don't have time to do the coaching. The expectation is that the staff do that on their own, and keep the coach in the loop. So why assign coaches, what is their role? There is a new evaluation process this year, which requires more continuous coaching. This is good. However if the MDs and Partners did not find time under the previous review system, how are they going to find more time under the new system. What action will be taken against coaches who don't do their part (particularly MDs and Partners)?

The corporate standards are different for directors and below. MDs and partners are not expected to abide by the rules, standards and policies that are imposed on others.

HR is another big joke. They do whatever MDs and partners say. There is no process for fair treatment if you are wronged by a MD or Partner.