Putting people last - Tax Manager BDO Employee Review

1.0
May 9, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Its a place of employment Limited travel opportunities Office network

Cons

Terribly run company that relies on overworking employees throughout the year. In my opinion, bdo operates like it's stuck in the past. The company uses outdated software and processes for work that is already being automated by companies both in and outside of public accounting. For them to claim that one of their core values is "embrace change" is laughable. The company operates on a churn and burn model for its hiring- overworking new hires in the first couple busy seasons to extract the most billable hours, only for those employees to burn out and leave. It wouldn't surprise me to find out if they have the highest attrition rate in the business. There is no real direction from the top on where the firm is headed or how they differentiate themselves. This shows in the ambiguous "culture" the company claims to have. Those in leadership can't clearly articulate what this "culture" actually is beyond the usual buzzwords. During busy season, certain offices hoard work leading to extreme and unnecessary burnout for employees. To make things worse, the admin task of having to constantly confirm and coordinate what clients you're working on (even if there are no changes) creates an unnecessary burden for client-facing professionals. I get that it's public accounting and it comes with the territory to expect long hours, but the inefficiencies and the lack of forward-thinking leadership at bdo make for a terrible working environment.

Explore other reviews about BDO

5.0
Jun 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

It was a good place to work

Cons

Can be busy at times

3.0
Jul 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Consultants were not overworked, and people are generally staying in their own lane. Strong knowlegeable teammates and lots of internal resources to grow. Work life balance was good.

Cons

I left during a time of transition, since the top practice director retired and the EBA leader took over as interim leader. This interim guy seemed to be waiting for something to take any action with current resources, and he was not too interested in rallying or figuring things out as a team. If he had expectations, they were never communicated to me. The lack of clarity was very challenging for me personally, and it came off as a lack of support. I think others in the team probably feel similarly.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All