Vault’s Verdict

BPM is ideally searching for personable, hardworking, open-minded, eager-to-learn candidates with strong communications skills who are team players but also have the ability to be themselves. For students, the firm runs an excellent internship program, offering interns great training, hands-on experience, access to senior staff willing to mentor, and exposure to various teams and clients. Development opportunities for full-time staff include clear and fast promotion tracks, the ability to drive your own career, and internal mobility options—you’re able to rotate through various areas or transfer to another area within the firm.

Busy season hours can be long and stressful, as they are at most public accounting firms, but a healthy work/life balance can easily be achieved throughout most of the year, thanks to an unlimited PTO policy, a lot of flexibility with where and when you work (along with hybrid/remote-work options), and a very understanding and supportive culture. The firm’s benefits and perks are said to be generous, but insiders note that salaries are low and need to be more in line with the industry average.

DEIB is a strong suit at the firm. BPM recruits at diverse colleges and has many colleague resource groups (for women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, individuals with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minorities, among other groups) that support and promote diversity. The firm is also a certified B Corporation, and practices and encourages green and philanthropic efforts. As for BPM’s business outlook, it is bright. The firm has been growing quickly, is well positioned in the market, and has a strong leadership team in place.

EMPLOYEE REVIEWS

Hiring Process

“The interview and call back process went in a timely matter in my case. I believe the firm is looking not only for those talented in what they do but also those who possess the ability to be themselves and individuals, speak up, be team players, be unafraid to ask for help or ask questions, and be personable and able to communicate well with colleagues and clients.”

“The interviewers are nice and answered a lot of my questions. After the interview, the HR gave me a call after two days and told me they decided to give me an offer. I think they are seeking a candidate who is willing to learn and develop. Because this is just an entry-level position, they don’t expect you to have many technical skills.”

“I spoke with a recruiter at a meet-the-firms event at my college. Since I had my internship application already submitted, not long afterward I was immediately able to have a final interview with the partner and manager I would be working with. Overall, it was a very quick and smooth process. I know my office is looking for people that they would feel comfortable working with on a daily basis and can be able to learn overtime.”

“The interview and callback process was very personal and quick compared to other firms I experienced. The ideal candidate is a diligent and open-minded individual ready to learn.”

Interview Questions

“What drives your interest in public accounting and, more specifically, tax? What do you know about BPM? Questions about difficult times, teamwork, etc.”

“Why do you want to join us? Why did you choose assurance? Please give us an example of your time management skills. Please give us an example of your communication skills.”

“Examples of past experiences from work and school that would apply to the current position. Examples of dealing with situational-based scenarios. Questions about how you would relate to our team or the culture, and what you are interested in learning or developing in your career. Some math potentially or an accounting question, too.”

“Tell me about a time when you were able to build rapport with a new person in order to help them achieve their goal. Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a team member. How did you handle the situation? What was the outcome? Can you give us an example of a time you were able to improve a process or make something more efficient? Feel free to use an example from any situation: work, school, extra-curricular activities, etc.”

Internship Experience

“BPM does a great job providing interns with as many opportunities as possible to perform client work and get a glimpse of what a day in the life of an auditor is like. Team members are very friendly and helpful in hands-on teaching of the ‘how’ and the ‘why.’”

“The firm put us through a lot of training, which ended up paying off because it allowed us to operate as associates despite being interns. I gained a lot of valuable experience that I do not think I would have at other firms.”

“Great people who are willing to mentor. I learned a lot about public accounting. Overall, it was a great experience. However, there was not too much work available during the summer.”

“I learned new skills, gained exposure to various clients, and worked with supportive teams.”

Career Development

“The firm’s size allows for a variety of clients, providing employees with excellent and relevant experience from small startups to established public companies. There are plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. The worst aspect of the firm’s career development is the onboarding and associate trainings. The learning and development team are generally removed from the professional work performed by Assurance, Tax and Advisory professionals, sometimes resulting in long and unhelpful trainings for new staff.”

“There is a clear track to follow to advance your career, and I see many people from other departments who started in one department and ended up in another. But we still have room to improve on our ability to provide valuable feedback, especially tough/constructive feedback when it is warranted.”

“At BPM, you can become whatever it is that you want to become. You just have to decide for yourself what that is and make it known. Working with the partners and coaches is an incredibly easy process to navigate once you can make the case for what it is you want to do.”

“My mentors at BPM have communicated many times that as a young accountant you have to make it known what you want out of your career. It is clear at BPM that if you want to fast-track your career through promotions, you can. It is also made clear that you are able to experience multiple branches of public accounting if you would like to, through a rotation program or a transfer.”

Quality of Life

“The firm and really every level of leadership promote quality of life. During busier times everyone is working substantial hours, although BPM’s minimum hour requirement is lower than the industry standard, which is a great example of BPM practicing what they preach. The worst aspect of the firm’s quality of life is the work distribution. If you are at all competent, you will have far more work than you have time available. This burns out experienced staff and leaves new staff sitting around with no work.”

“The best is that the firm promotes an environment where employees are encouraged to have a work/life balance and take time for self-care. The worst is that due to client deadlines, there are periods during the year where work/life balance is tough to achieve due to the nature of the work.”

“Moving to unlimited PTO was a great move to promote work/life balance and encourage people to enjoy time off. However, unlimited PTO now requires a double approval before taking time off, which could discourage people from taking time off and make it harder to attain that perfect balance.”

“BPM is truly a great place to work when it comes to work/life balance. There’s a lot of flexibility and trust for the individuals who work remotely, very easy communication and great access to partners, and great team events and other opportunities for people to stay connected even when working remotely. Also, there are great trainings and the ability to attend conferences or seminars for professional development. BPM is very invested in creating a friendly, safe, diverse working environment, and the partners are doing excellent in this regard. Very happy to be a part of my BPM family.”

Salary and Benefits

“The best aspect would be the summer Fridays, flexible hours, and remote/hybrid work arrangements. The worst aspect is that the salaries the firm pays are well below the rest of the accounting industry.”

“Salary is on the lower end comparatively with the rest of the industry. However, the work/life balance makes up for it. Benefits and perks are satisfactory.”

“Raises across the board going into 2024 were disappointingly low, barely constituting a cost-of-living adjustment, BPM could do better in offering a competitive salary, but the firm does offer great benefits.”

“I think, overall, the salaries have been fair and at most times generous. I have consistently seen an above average increase to my salary year to year (excluding very few times). I would like to see a more generous maternity/paternity leave program implemented.”

Wellness Efforts

“The company has several programs available to employees in regard to counseling and mental health services. The company also has a wellness program tracking fitness activity and giving employees that participate potential discounts on their portion of their healthcare costs.”

“BPM has counseling, Wellable exercise tracking program that includes meditation, and probably more I am not aware of. BPM encourages employees to utilize these programs to stay healthy and live meaningful lives.”

“The firm offers good rewards for exercise and for taking steps to focus on health and wellbeing. The wellness program is generous in its rewards.”

“I like the Wellable app. It can track our steps and transfer into points. If we can get enough points, the firm will give us discounts on the following year’s insurance.”

Diversity, Philanthropy and Green Initiatives

“The firm does a great job in this area via recruiting efforts to diverse colleges and internal groups that support and promote diversity. We are also a B corporation and practice and encourage green efforts. We have strong philanthropic efforts through firmwide efforts working in the community, including BPM Day, reading in schools, and donations to many nonprofits in all communities we serve.”

“BPM has many colleague resource groups for individuals of different gender, race and ethnicity, LGBTQ+ individuals, individuals with disabilities, and others. These CRGs meet and hold different meetings with guest speakers to promote and educate employees. BPM also encourages giving back to our communities with the BPM Community Day and Random Acts of Kindness.”

“There are a ton of committees dedicated to uplifting minority groups within the organization. There is a diverse workforce that works together effortlessly. And with B certification, ESG is at the forefront of the company’s mission and identity.”

“The firm not only is diverse but also has social groups within the company (for example, LGTBQ+, disabilities group, etc.) for those to join and support each other. One of the mottos is ‘we are free to come to work being who we really are and appreciated for who we are.’”

Business Outlook

“I have confidence in leadership to produce strong financial results and continue BPM's growth protectory. We must do so without losing sight of our company culture, which thus far has remained consistent. I joined BPM when we were about 300 employees, and with about 1,200 now, I can say that the culture has remained consistent.”

“BPM is always trying to grow. That growth adds some strain, but it is worth the effort.”

“The firm is well positioned in the market and has the opportunity, capacity, and expertise to compete with firms of all sizes. Additionally, BPM offers a variety of services beyond tax and assurance such as HR advisory, technical accounting, and payroll. The firm’s weakness would be employee retention, especially considering the low pay could result in people leaving the company in the next 12 months.”

“BPM is rapidly growing, and the partners are making excellent choices when it comes to investments into IT and technology, employees’ educational programs, trainings, conferences, etc. Very strong leadership!”