KPMG

Overview

They offer prestigious global exposure and strong training, making them an excellent springboard for early-career growth despite the heavy workload. KPMG operates as a global professional services firm headquartered in Amstelveen, Netherlands, with major international administrative operations based out of London. As one of the Big Four accounting and consulting networks, they maintain an extensive footprint spanning dozens of global offices and over 75 locations in the United States alone. They are actively hiring at scale across their audit, tax, advisory, and technology practices to support client digital transformations.

About KPMG

KPMG is one of the world’s leading professional services firms and the fastest growing Big Four accounting firm in the United States. With 75+ offices and more than 40,000 employees and partners through out the U.S., we’re leading the industry in new and exciting ways. Providing innovative business solutions and Audit, Tax, and Advisory services to many of the world’s largest and most prestigious organizations, our size and strength make us agile and responsive to changing trends. By helping other organizations identify risk and grasp opportunities, we’re driving positive, sustainable change for clients, our people, and society at large.

What to consider

• Demanding busy seasons: Employees frequently report long hours ranging from 50 to over 80 hours per week during peak client deadlines and audit periods.
• Strict personal compliance: Staff face extensive regulatory requirements regarding investment holdings, secondary income, and outside business activities due to strict independence rules.

Signals

• Strong career development: Career opportunities score is rated highly at 78 by employees.
• Generous time off: Offers flexible PTO policies including seasonal firm-wide summer and winter shutdowns.
• Compensation mismatch: Compensation and benefits rating sits lower at 64, with staff citing modest bonuses given the heavy workloads.
• Leadership transition: Gary Wingrove was named to succeed Bill Thomas as Global Chairman and CEO starting October 2026.

Technology & focus

KPMG develops enterprise platforms, automated audit systems, and AI acceleration tools for advisory, tax, and assurance services. Technical teams build secure cloud solutions, data analytics pipelines, and AI agent frameworks such as KPMG Clara and the Digital Gateway. Engineering focuses on enterprise software integration, regulatory risk tooling, and scalable client delivery systems.

• AI Advisory Solutions
• Enterprise Modernization
• Tax Automation
• Audit Platforms
• Managed Services
• Cybersecurity

Why people join & leave

Why people join

• Big Four brand prestige
• Strong career development and training
• Comprehensive benefits and flexible leave
• Supportive peer team culture

Why people leave

• Excessive hours during peak seasons
• Compensation not matching workload
• Staffing and utilization unpredictability
• Promotion and advancement bottlenecks