Working at The Siegfried Group — Reviews by Employees

I believe a lot of the negative posts from earlier are from people that were downsized with the economy. Having just started with the Siegfried Group I got a great pay raise and guaranteed bonus about my Manager Big 4 salary. The director's work with you to get you scheduled and I have never been pressured to go to an out of town job. They want to make sure it is a fit for both you and the Company. And unlike the Big 4 they have us go in and meet the client and the client decides if they want to bring us on..not just assign whoever is available. All the people I work with are ex Big 4 and really like being able to see the inside of a Company more and get that operational expereince outside of just audits. I am very glad I took a job here and although much smaller than the Big public accounting firms they have found their niche and have a ton of large well respected comapnies (Chrysler, Hanes, Levis, Paramount Pictures, Qwest, etc)

08/16/2010

I am reading many of these reviews and am shocked at the amount of negativity surrounding this firm. I can only assume that some recent changes have drastically improved the Siegfried Group. I understand that the name of this website is "job vent" but I have to take a moment to put in my honest experience with TSG.

I have been in a couple of high level accounting and finance environments and have to say that this is by far my best experience to date. My interview process was very comfortable and personable. They took the time to get to know what my goals and motivations instead of just digging into my experience. I knew so much about the job before starting, which was refreshing to see.

Overall, management was very upfront about the type of work I was to do there and didn't "sugar-coat" things like almost every other employer does. Topics such as Travel, Incentives and work-life balance where set straight before I signed an offer.

Looking at the core of many of these reviews, they are actually positive. Then they go on to site personal gripes and grunts about the company without any solid reasoning behind them.

I think with their unique business model, it can be hard to please all of the people all of the time, but right know we are in a position for growth and there are so many engagements on the horizon. I don't think many firms are seeing the type of great opportunities I am seeing here. Everyone has mentioned the resources you work with as being great, and I find that to be true as well. Everyone is competent and pulling there weight.

If I was looking at a new employer I would interview and judge for myself, as I am a better judge of character than a website that revolves around venting. These comments are also easily taken out of context.

I also suggest reading all of the reviews and not just those on the first page before deciding to interview. I think their are more genuine thoughts in the positive longer postings.

TSG has been getting a lot of negative reviews and though some of them may be true, I must admit I had an absolute blast working for the company. I left because the late night dinners/meetings got to be excessive, but I truly made a ton of friends there. Las Vegas and the talent show was the highlight of the year!!!! And my salary and raises were great. I worked there from 2005-2007.

I am surprised to see all the negativity here with TSG. I had a great experience while I was there. The resources and middle managment are easy to get along with. My TL was lacking at times but, nonetheless there. I was laid off and expected it. No surprise and the method I experienced was very professional and courtious. Since then, my career flourished elsewhere. The training IMO was decent there (all web based). Overall, great relationships were formed and lasting friendships made.

Pay: Pay is average. It is comparable to the industry.
Respect: I felt I was respected when I was with the firm. I only had one issue with the MA when I was there but, we were able to work it out at least that was my understanding.
Benefits: Could be better. I think its average for the size of TSG.
Job Security: I think they are fair. Remember folks TSG is also a business. They are not the only one laying people off. I would say base on experience TSG is fair.
Work Life/Balance: Good.
Career Potential/Growth: Decent. I have seen my peers get promoted during my tenure.
Lacation: Good.
Co-worker Competence: Some are better than others. I felt there were skills from resources management does not recognize. Maybe a lack of communication. I knew people there with superb skillsets which management failed to recognize at the time.
Work Envoronment: Good..Clean..Professional..Fun...

Pay is fantastic. TSG does a great job of keeping up and exceeding market expectations
Respect: Management and personnel really hears you out and uses your ideas in a constructive manner. I felt that I was extremely valued
Benefits: All benefits, including the bonus structure, makes TSG a compelling place to work
Job Security: TSG provides a wide range of clients, so my job is safe even with such a bad economy. Management does a fantasic job of ensuring all employees are fully utilized
Work/Life: I am able to spend much time with famly and firends.
Career Potential: Superb job opportunities have increased the value of my resume and have improved my skilll set!
Location: Great location, right near home
Co-Worker: All TSG employees that I have encountered are competent and great people!
Work Environment: Great work environment which allows open conversation. I love going into work!

The base pay is very attractive at the firm. The one attractive feature I liked about the firm is that the firm is what you made of it. Most of the people I knew had exciting assignments but the assignments were what you made of them. If you got involved at your client you would be given other assignments. Your first assignment was your way in the door. Yes some assignments were not engaging or very beneficial to you career development. However, if you were active during your engagement and showed value to your client you would normally be rewarded with other responsibilities. This also would lead to new client bonuses.

The bonuses were once again based on what you did with your time at the firm and at your client. You could top obtain approx 3% of your fees for the life of your engagement if you identified additional sales at your engagement. This was a nice benefit.

The medical benefits were not very good or the work life balance. However you could smooth hours to offset these benefits. Such as you get approx 4 sick days but 2 go against your productivity so basically you got to sick days. This does not help out those with families. I will agree with everyone else on this site that having to make up the days at the Vegas trip or use your vacation hours was a big negative for me about the firm.

This firm is definitely not for the person who just wants to coast by and not get involved. If you are out going and would like an opportunity to get your hands in business development then this firm might be the right choice for you. I will say that unfortunately the market right now is probably not offering the resources at TSG the exciting assignments anymore. However, the firm will allow you to work at some exciting fortune 1000 companies. This will also allow you to make great contacts at these companies, which could also lead to a full time job offer. It will also allow you to get experience in other areas of accounting, which should help you identify different avenues for your future career choices.

There is no hiding the fact that the firm is doing massive layoffs but name a company or firm that is not down sizing in this market. If you are on the cut list at the firm then you should use the contacts you obtained during your assignments and hopefully you will land on your feet.

Best of luck to all in this job market!

I recently posted a comment on one of the previous reviews and I really hope that possible candidates and current employees are not skewed by the disgruntled employees on this site. I am a successful, female professional who has had a chance to know almost every office and their culture as well as meet many people throughout the organization.

Pay is +4. TSG offers extremely competitive wages. A majority of them are way above market average. I have noticed that many of these disgruntled employees can not find jobs because TSG was paying them too much. Biting the hand that feeds you…..

Respect is +4. I was very offended by the numerous reviews stating a lack of respect. I personally have most of management throughout my years and they were nothing but a class act. Very professional. I never faced any sort of harassment.

Benefits +2. The benefits were decent, especially when you brought in new business. Medical benefits are competitive. Also, in the past when the economy was not so tough, management would go above and beyond to help their employees (vegas retreat, great Christmas parties, etc.) All those people on this site complaining now were probably the same ones drinking and dancing merrily at all the parties.

Job Security -3. Obviously the economy is tough. To blame TSG for the US economy is like blaming Roger Rabbit for Enron. Everyone across America is feeling the pinch.

Work/Life Balance +3. I truly enjoyed my work life balance. My significant other and I did not have a problem seeing each other while I worked on engagements and we really enjoyed the down time on the bench to spend time together. I was even able to obtain another certification while on the bench.

Career Potential Growth is +5. EXCELLENT. I was placed on some very dynamic engagements and was also able to expand my business development skills.

Location is +4. I was close to the office and my engagements were reasonable.

Co-Worker Competence is +4. TSG has had and still has very capable people in every office across the nation. Upper management is sharp, professional and trail blazing in their approach to business.

Work Environment is +2. This would be a +5 if it wasn’t for all the typical complainers as you see on this site. As I noted before, I was exposed to many cities and met many people. There is always going to be someone who isn’t happy. “Don’t drink their kool-aid”. Drink the fine champagne of experience, professional development, fun and excitement that is TSG!

I’m very happy I am able to post this. TSG deserves credit. I had time off work before Christmas and posted a comment on a review. Moments later…there had to be several posts bashing what I wrote. THIS WAS ON CHRISTMAS. It just shows the character of the people posting negative things on this site.

I’d be more then happy to support TSG and I hope you all have the opportunity to work with or at this great company.

TSG! TSG! TSG! TSG! TSG!

Let's take this in order:

Pay - below market base with bonuses that bring that up, often times to above market levels. However the bonus structure was so fluid, and often changes were back-dated so that it's not in anyway the kind of "guaranteed money" that it is "sold" as. And, unlike a "bonus" at most companies, this is considered essentially commission and/or overtime. So unlike most bonuses it should be predictable based on production.

Respect - I agree with most of the other comments here. It would be hard to define a single instance, but the general attitude of "you're lucky to have a job" really says it all. No one, anywhere, should treat employees as though they are doing them a favor to employ them. (Nor, for that matter, should any employee treat an employer like they are lucky to have them work there. It's a mutually beneficial relationship, buyer and seller.) I would say the biggest morale destroyer was the approach to compensation. As stated above, it is a commission type of compensation - low base plus material incentives for meeting specific targets. In a competitive compensation environment bonuses really are gifts. In a commission based environment they are earned. To treat them as "gifts" or ask the employees to consider them as such when asking them to sacrifice for them is disrespectful of the efforts the employees make to meet targets.

Benefits - It's a small company. The benefits match that... they are lower than for larger companies.

Job Security - It is a contractual position, month to month. It is a politically charged atmosphere where the resource's accomplishments matter less than the resource's ability to cater to egos within the firm. Additionally, like all target based or incentive/commission based positions it is a clear case of "what have you done for me lately." You cannot rest on your laurels, on accomplishing great things at the last client... the refrain is "what are you doing today and how are you contributing to the bottom line now." Just a side note - this is not a bad thing except if compared to a salary only position. It is a bad thing if you are a security minded individual. Since most accountants are the latter some of the venting here is based on the mis-match of personalities to company purpose. Accountants are almost by default meant to be overhead. Making them inventory really messes with their sense of self.

Work/Life Balance - This started out as a real benefit. By the time the changes to the incentive structure began it became a detraction. The comparisons were inevitably made to public accounting at the big four. Unfortunately many of the benefits of the big four firms are not mirrored here (I cover that in the next bullet) and therefore stating that a resource will work fewer hours is not an apples to apples comparison.

Career potential/Growth - Here the firm receives a very mixed review. There is no standard growth. If you enter the firm at a certain level you will exit the firm at that same level in the rest of the world. What it has going for it though is that if you are looking to change the focus of your career (say, change industries or specialties) this is an excellent place to gain that experience. I successfully changed both industry and concentration based solely upon experience gained at TSG. The draw back at TSG is the lack of training in anything. Rather than maximize their investment in resources by providing a library, or allowing bench time to be spent learning new skills, there is the approach that if the resources are there for only a short time why waste money educating, training, or investing in them.

Location - This is neutral. When I left there were offices in major cities across the US and plenty of opportunities in smaller or more remote areas.

Co-worker competence - This is a definite plus. I worked with great individuals while I was there. At that time they were definitely recruiting the cream of the crop.

Work environment - This is mixed. The office environment was a mix of awful and marginally bearable, depending generally on who you knew and what kinds of projects you could get on the bench. The client environment largely depended upon the client and how the resource's services were sold to the client. Better assignments were available, especially if you were willing to try something new or go somewhere remote.

Overall, I am grateful for my time there, what I learned, and the experience I got. However I'm also glad I left when I did. Whether you wish to work there will really depend on what you wish to get out of working there. It is not intended to be a long term employer and it is not going to help an individual climb the corporate ladder. It will help round out your skill set if you work at it. I think it bears repeating that your career is under your control. If you expect them to guide you or help you, you shouldn't go there. If you want the opportunity to take charge of your career it is the ideal place to do so, but you should go in with your eyes open.

When I read the postings on this website, it made me think about the case when you are bad mouthing your ex in a divorce. This website has become a dump ground for those who want to release their frustrations in an economic downturn. You are poisoning those who do not really have a chance to know TSG. I am just another resource like everyone else; I know why you are upset. However, if the company could have choices, I am sure they will keep all of us... Move on, do something better for yourself and for others!

I have been with the firm for almost two years, and I have accumulated more experiences and exposures than all of my previous six-year's experiences combined. In my interviews for possible projects, it is those TSG experiences that highlight my profile. THE FIRM IS DELIVERING ITS PROMISES TO ME AND MORE!

Work-life Balance. As a professional, where else can you expect 45 hour average? I know my previous employers all expect me to work more than 45 hours, and I was never compensated for overtime. At TSG, your extra contributions will be rewarded by either time off later, or bonus.

Very hard to find job security in today’s economy. But at TSG, my confidence is growing every day as I am working on different assignments in different environments.

Great coworkers to work with, if some of those who posted negative comments could be more objective

Locations: it varies depending on your client.

I have read the many negative postings about TSG. Although the recent layoffs are unfortunate, be aware of the braoder business environment. In today's economy, you are lucky to have a job. And if you have a decent paying job, that enables you to develop and gain exposure to new industries be happy and stop complaining....