KPMG celebrated its new year on Sunday, which means compensation discussions are starting. We’ve received several tips in recent days, and a couple of them not expecting much:
Firm is pushing out information that results have been disappointing, overall seeing raises and [variable comp] substantially lower than in prior years.
And:
I was already told that the firm didn’t meet plan and that “there just isn’t that much money to go around this year”.
Since we started covering compensation, I’ve always thought that KPMG was in an advantageous position to its Big 4 rivals. By having its conversations last, there’s really no excuse to not beat one firm’s raises and bonuses. Keep it respectable, at least. Plus, you can tamper people’s expectations with the mentions of “disappointing results” or “slightly behind plan.” This way everyone mopes out of their local office all-hands meeting and goes, “Well, I’m not expecting shit, and now I feel bad.” Then you throw a pleasant surprise in their lap and they say, “Wow, I wasn’t expecting shit, and now I don’t feel bad!” When you’re the fourthiest of the Big 4, you have to go with what works, and I gotta believe that underpromising and overdelivering is a regular go-to tactic for the KPMG brass.
Once again, here’s your checklist:
- Position, promotion (if applicable)
- City (preferred) or region
- Line of Service
- % Raise
- % Bonus (if any)
- Old & New Base
Best of luck, Klynveldians.
More threads from Compensation Season 2017:
Wondering how your new salary stacks up? Compare it to the findings from our 2017 Compensation Report.
Image: mattbuck/Wikimedia Commons
