I'll go ahead and get this out of the way since most reviews you see on here will reference it: terrible hours.
The posted client service hours are 8:30 am - 6:30 pm, but those who actually leave at 6:30 are chastised and viewed as not committed to the organization, even if they have completed their work. You're more likely to leave at around 8:00 pm most days; potentially even later during the two tax seasons. Furthermore, it is highly discouraged / frowned upon to leave for lunch, so you are actually there in a glass box for the entire duration of your sentencing. Most people took work home with them during evenings/on weekends. They don't say work-life balance, they say work-life integration...even they know they are controlling people's lives.
The billing at best is highly unethical and at worst illegal. You're encouraged to bill 80% billable hours / 20% unbillable hours so the client still thinks you're paying attention to their file. You're expected to bill 50-60 billable hours, so at 80% that means you should also be billing 62-75 hours a week... you tell me if that seems reasonable. People are obviously billing for work they don't do and are encouraged to do so by upper management and even rewarded to do so with bonuses.
Their is a very cult like culture. If you don't go to after hour parties, dinners, happy hours, then you are viewed as not committed and a misfit for the culture.
This place is toxic. READ THE MOST RECENT ARTICLE BY THE HOUSTON PRESS. It is all true! If you do nothing else, read that article.
Very high turnover. The average time is less than one year and people who make it two years are already in management because they have the most tenure. New hire classes usually come in weekly with 10-15 new hires. If the Houston office has 300 employees (just a guess), that means they are replacing 3-5% of their workforce WEEKLY.
Most, although not all, of the positive reviews are written by current employees who are instructed to do so in order to get a promotion. Some people genuinely like this place. Think about it....the reviews are all either 1 star or 5 stars, doesn't that seem odd?? Furthermore, all of the "5 star reviews" come in bulk quantities on the same day. This is because when ratings start to plummet, management will send out orders for employees to write a raving review. What are they trying to hide you may ask? The toxic culture that is described in all of the honest reviews!
I ignored all of the warnings and I wish I hadn't. The time I spent at alliantgroup was the most miserable of my adult life. I feel so incredibly lucky to have gotten out and have found a job that I enjoy, where work life balance is actually a thing, and even making more money. Although I had to call in and pretend to be sick in order to actually attend interviews.
