Nice work - Recensione dipendente - Assistant Manager presso Cooper Parry

- Flexible working - Supportive coworkers

The business is not quite as I remember it when I first joined. The private equity ownership has created a working environment has become much more pressured, with almost every level feeling constantly on edge. Managers often appear to be stretched across a very high number of audits, while Assistant Managers are also balancing several engagements at once. This has resulted in people being spread too thin, with work regularly extending into evenings and, at times, weekends. The recent change in audit software has also created challenges. While the business is placing greater emphasis on efficiency and recovery, the new workflow appears to have increased the amount of work required in practice. As a result, recovery rates often appear unrealistic when compared against the actual time and effort needed to complete the work properly. There also seems to be room for improvement in how juniors are trained and supported. In addition, the promotion pipeline feels quite congested, with a number of people remaining in the same roles for longer than expected. Overall, in its current state, it is difficult to see many clear upsides, and I would find it hard to confidently recommend the business as a place to work.

Struggle to see at the moment

Since the transition to private equity ownership, the culture of the firm has deteriorated significantly. What was once a collaborative and supportive environment has shifted into a highly pressured workplace where financial metrics—particularly recovery rates—appear to outweigh everything else. Teams are now spread far too thin, and as a result, meaningful support for employees has all but disappeared. Workloads have increased without corresponding resource or structural support, leaving many feeling overextended and undervalued. There also appears to be inconsistency in how performance is recognised. Certain individuals are clearly favoured irrespective of their actual output, which has impacted morale and trust within teams. Many of the benefits and perks promoted externally, particularly on LinkedIn, are either no longer available or fall short of expectations. Compensation is below market rate, yet the pressure and workload are increasingly comparable to larger firms such as the Big 4—where at least remuneration more accurately reflects those demands. The firm has grown rapidly, but not sustainably. Decisions seem to be driven more by ambition than operational reality, resulting in frozen promotions and halted recruitment despite increasing workloads. Employees are frequently expected to work overtime, often without pay, with little incentive given the lack of progression opportunities. Overall, it is difficult to recommend this organisation in its current state. Without meaningful changes to workload management, compensation, and internal culture, employee satisfaction and retention are likely to continue to decline.