Tell me your Big 4 experience. Being pushed

[Beingpushed]

I have been working for a few years in a Manager role in a big 4. My team has recently moved to another team which seem quite business oriented, only interested in people who want to work all hours/make partner. I feel like I am now being pushed out and the partner is making things up/exaggerating things and I am not being given enough work to keep utilisation up.

Should I leave or don’t go down without a fight? I joined in a very tricky time where they were struggling to recruit and I was thrown into the deep end with not much support.

I feel like I served the purpose, it is a different market and they just want young people who want to progress the career; they are not struggling to recruit anymore. They are also not interested in people who prioritise their family despite all what they say. They want people who want to give all to grow the business.

Do you work for Big 4 at a senior level too? Have to say I find it a bit bizarre that you're giving OP advice about how to manage her role based on hearsay from your DH. I would never give advice on my DH's job role!

I'm confused by this post. Are you also in a senior role at the Big 4?

This is like wading in to a discussion about golf techniques because your DH is an avid golfer.

Ah you beat me to it @FallOfSloths

I have a close family member who was pushed out. Basically given six months salary after she Protested.

Use your time to line up your ducks and leave.

Spend your emotional energy on protecting yourself and finding a new direction.

Don't waste emotional energy on having a fight with an organisation that you wouldn't want your good friend or DC to work at in the first place .

I used to work at a Big 4 many years ago. The culture at that time was everyone worked much longer hours than their contracted hours. In return you could be expected to be promoted very quickly and earn a great salary. There were a couple of people who worked the 9-5 but they were very much the exception. I remember one of my work friends working with me until 9 or 10 in the evening and he was phoned numerous times by his wife ,who had just had a baby , who was really struggling. I worked for someone who wanted to be a Partner by the time he was 30 and he put all his team under incredible pressure. It became too much for me and I got a job elsewhere. I think there is much more focus these days on health and well being and I'm sure you would be able to find some roles which are less pressurised within your company but it may take a while to find them. I would definitely look at roles outside of your job currently or apply for voluntary redundancy if it is available. I think fighting against the 'culture' of your team can be really tough and it might be easier to keep your head down and look for other opportunities.

Im in a non big 4 consultancy and they have a very difderent attitude to working parents. I am really enjoying it, mid 40s and joined 2 years ago. Look around for other consultancies if you are not happy there are so many out there with different ways of doing things.

Thank you, definitely not the partner track as I joined too late in my career life for that. my age plus taking quite a bit of annual leave to spend time with the kids on holidays have been my main downfall.

Thank you, definitely not the partner track as I joined too late in my career life for that. my age plus taking quite a bit of annual leave to spend time with the kids on holidays have been my main downfall.

How can you take too much annual leave? Everyone gets the same allowance and can buy no more than a couple of weeks extra, from memory? I don't think that's your downfall so I wouldn't be worrying about annual leave you've taken. It's more likely the not willing to put the hours in when you are working rather than how many holidays you've had.

I teach them for their exams. It is brutal
we privately call them cannon fodder

By putting up a fight I meant staying until they offer settlement. Is the settlement like a redundancy package free of taxes and NIC?

By putting up a fight I meant staying until they offer settlement. Is the settlement like a redundancy package free of taxes and NIC?

How long are you prepared to hold out for this @Beingpushed ? A year? 2 years? You're wasting your skills at an employer you see no future with. It's also a little bit grabby when you've admitted to not going over and above in your job and working fewer hours than your peers. But if it's a tactic you think will pay off (and you don't mind another year of misery), then go ahead, I suppose.

Thanks, you are right I will be wasting my skills, getting older; it is just the thought of having to start again but I have no choice.

I feel I was definitely putting the hours and handled some good clients with not much senior support and I have told them I have capacity to pick up new work; but due to my age and being a mother they don’t see future for me there reg making Director or Partner.

They want to grow that part of the business and the only way they will do it is by hiring AD and pushing people to Director, Partner so they can bring more business. Which is what they are doing; already 3 new ADs joining. They are looking for ambitious people who are willing to work 60 plus hours per week.

You are right, I am wasting my time and energy for a company and boss that doesn’t value me; time to move on.

@Beingpushed but why would you be starting over? You will just be taking the next step in your career. Don't forget most people leave the Big 4, and fewer than 1% who join will make partner. You've got a great name on your CV and you will almost certainly get a pay rise moving into industry. Find a company that is more family friendly and that values you. Good luck.

Thank you; just mean having to start job hunting and starting a new job; but yes, hopefully will be easier with the big 4 experience. Deep down I know it is a blessing in disguise as things are going to get though on this team; I can see all the changes they are trying to implement and it is all still very new.

I’m ex big 4. Was in a very toxic team there years ago, and it was still very much an “up or out” culture. When work began to dry up, they shipped people out on secondments to other teams, and when they went through the redundancy process you could apply for a role in that team if you liked it (and they wanted you of course). I was in a very technical team, and the pay scale for the other teams was a lot lower (although the team was a lot nicer, with a much better culture, so decided against applying). I ended up taking redundancy (bit more that statutory, and they paid for employment lawyer so I’d sign “compromise agreement” - don’t know if you get more if you make things difficult for them, but then that’s more stress for you)!

If I were in your position, I’d look for secondments in other teams you might be interested in, or that will look good on your CV for areas you might want to move to. Then apply for all the training courses you can (you might as well make the most of it - I went on some fantastic ones), and start talking to recruiters and looking for work elsewhere.

Good luck x

Thank you. This is good advice

I don’t think I will make things difficult for them; trying to fight with a big 4 is no worth the stress. I am trying to look for other opportunities within the Company.

I went into the big 4 at senior manager level as an experienced hire. The place destroyed me. They have a policy for everything to show what great employers they are but the reality is the polar opposite. I ended up in having CBT (through the work healthcare) and my confidence was on the floor making me feel totally unable to apply for other jobs.

I’m now back in the mid tier (top 10) and I love it. The money and bonuses aren’t as good but I wouldn’t go back to big 4 for anything. I’m supported and treated as an individual and integral member of a team, it is worlds apart.

Interesting thread, really sorry to hear about the experiences and perceptions. I am a Partner at one of the big four. I have two children and have always felt very supported and do my upmost to allow my team to have flexibility and reasonable working hours. I'm much more interested in outputs than time in the office. Yes sometimes the hours are long and clients can be super demanding but we do work together and provide support which can be a very different experience in Industry.

Have you had a conversation with your career counsellor/Partner to ask them about expectations?

Sorry to hear this. I am glad you recovered and found a better job.

It depends a lot on the Partners on each team. Previous team was not like that, yes they were long hours at times and high expectations but you were more respected, and valued, given more flexibility and autonomy. This team is all about making partners, controlling/monitoring people by demanding days in the office, etc.

My current Counsellor is not even a Director; a nice person but doesn’t have the power or experience.

If I find another job will the firm let me go straight away or asked me to stay the 3 months notice as per the contract?

I'm a big 4 director. I generally do not work stupid hours, I have two young children and I have a fine work-life balance. You do not have to sell your soul, and I'm on Partner track- just offering a different perspective. Manager is junior, I've found it easier being more senior and wouldn't have had kids before Senior Manager tbh as then I could put in those hours at the lower grades to progress.

It usually depends if you are on a engagement or not. If you are on the bench and/or going to a competitor they might let you go quickly.