Vault’s Verdict

Eide Bailly is looking for hardworking, adaptable, accountable candidates who are eager to learn and willing to ask questions, take constructive criticism, and learn and grow from their mistakes. For students, the firm runs a valuable internship program. Interns get access to real-world experience, many formal and informal training opportunities, and a staff who is willing to teach and provide constructive criticism. For its full-time staff, Eide Bailly offers extensive career development opportunities, including pairing each new staff member with a mentor who acts as a career advisor, an exchange program that allows you to work in different areas of the firm, great informal and formal training, and well-defined career paths at the lower levels—some insiders say that career paths are more vague at the higher levels.

Since public accounting requires a lot of work during busy season, hours can be long and deadlines can be stressful to meet. However, Eide Bailly places a lot of value on the ability to have a meaningful personal life outside of work, encouraging staff to take breaks from work when needed and use their PTO. In fact, management is said to be very understanding of the various demands and needs outside of work. Meanwhile, compensation, PTO, and health insurance coverage are all competitive, and insiders especially appreciate that performance bonuses are paid annually once you reach the senior staff level. Also receiving rave reviews are the firm’s hybrid work policy, business casual dress policy, and many wellness benefits, including lifestyle reimbursements, Calm app premium subscription, and free Becker CPA exam prep materials.

DEI is highly valued at Eide Bailly, which has employee resource groups for LGBTQ+ individuals, women, ethnic minorities, veterans, and other groups. Insiders note that the LGBTQ+ and women’s groups recently opened their membership to allies and that there several women partners and managers at the firm. With respect to Eide Bailly’s business outlook, the firm is aggressively growing and has a strong, genuine, caring, and transparent leadership team in place. While some insiders worry that the firm’s growth could adversely impact work/life balance, others say that the firm’s aggressive goals mean it’s an exciting time to work for Eide Bailly.

EMPLOYEE REVIEWS

Hiring Process

“Typical order: informal interview/meeting, then formal interview, then callback about two weeks later. Ideal candidate is hardworking, eager to learn, adaptable, and accountable; has obtained or is seeking to obtain their CPA licensure; and is willing to ask questions, learn from their mistakes, and work long hours during certain months of the year.”

“I help with campus recruiting, so we look at resumes first and then offer an on-campus interview to those with good resumes. On paper, we look for a good GPA (above 3.2) and involvement in clubs or a job. In the interviews we look for a self-starter, someone who can talk through various scenarios and someone who seems motivated. Those offered a second interview in our office will meet with more partners and managers. I think at any level, an ideal candidate is someone who takes initiative, works through problems independently, and works hard.”

“Interview process is extensive. I feel like we identify good candidates timely and try to get them in the door as soon as we can. We’re looking for hardworking individuals who show a propensity to be go-getters and want to learn and excel at their jobs, while also wanting to learn and willing to take constructive criticisms and grow from their mistakes.”

“Our hiring process is heavily based on education over experience. Applicants for entry-level positions are encouraged to have an internship or summer leadership program, but it’s not required. The nature of the job is reliant on hands-on learning and on-the-job training. Applicants are eligible as long as you have or are working toward the qualifications to sit for the CPA exam. The other portion of the interview is based on how well you would fit into the firm culture. It’s important to demonstrate to your interviewers that you can work well on teams, take instruction, communicate well, and problem solve.”

Interview Questions

“Describe a time when you faced a particularly demanding deadline. How did you react? What was the result? Tell me about a time when you went beyond your normal job responsibilities to help on a group project. What was your role? Describe a time when you realized you needed to make an improvement in your communication skills and how you managed it. Think of a specific project you were working on and describe how you managed the details and follow-through.”

“What drew you to Eide Bailly? What do you know about Eide Bailly? Why do you see yourself at Eide Bailly? How can your previous job experience be applied to Eide Bailly? Share a time you experienced conflict at work. Share an example of when you actively sought feedback or guidance from a mentor, supervisor, or colleague to enhance your skills or knowledge. How did you apply this feedback to improve your performance?

“What is a challenge you’ve faced in a group project or work setting and how did you handle it? What roles have you played in group projects? How do you communicate best with your coworkers or team members?”

“Tell about a time that you were in a group project that went well. What role did you play in that and how did you keep the team together? Describe a situation where the team wasn't working well. What did you do to get the team back on track or handle their responsibilities?

Internship Experience

“The best aspect of the internship was that the tax work that we completed as interns was exactly the work we would be doing as full-time staff. This helped give a direct expectation of what working full time for the company would be like. The internship was not just ‘busy’ or ‘filler’ work. It was relative to what we were learning in school, and the work applied many topics to test and expand our knowledge. I think the hardest part about the internship was that although you go through two weeks of training and onboarding, the training isn't nearly enough to transition your way into the work. It definitely felt a little bit like being thrown into the water, but that also helped to encourage asking questions and a rapid pace of learning.”

“I really learned a lot during my internship experience. It was crazy to see how much I had learned in just a few short months. It was hard coming into the internship and learning everything all at once. The many different software programs, passwords, tax returns, and what things even mean. All while working 55 to 60 hours a week. But it taught me so much about accounting, and also a lot about myself.”

“The best aspects of my internship were the office culture and the learning opportunities I received. All of the tax department staff were willing and happy to teach me and provide constructive criticism. I learned so much in a short period of time. The office culture was another great aspect from my internship. One aspect that was not the best included trying to get information from in-charges that weren't in my direct office.”

“Although I felt super lost in the beginning due to information overload, I learned so much—everyone did their best to help me learn. And I really enjoyed the people of Eide Bailly, who made me like my internship that much more.”

Career Development

“Each person has a career advisor that we meet with at least twice a year to discuss performance, goals, and anything else. The firm also has an exchange program where you can go try out a different area of the company if you would like to. I personally know a few people who’ve taken advantage of this program and been extremely pleased that they did.”

“The firm is large and there are many opportunities in different areas, which helps our staff develop as they can try out new things rather than leaving our firm to go try something new somewhere else. The career path is well defined for new hires but gets vague and ambiguous at the higher levels, which is frustrating. It would be nice if additional information were shared regarding the path to partner.”

“Culture within the firm allows for really great informal career development opportunities. People are very willing to help you with new things and take pride in training staff informally. The formal programs are quite effective as well. Although I have no bad career development experience at Eide Bailly, I have seen new staff fail to improve because they never become involved in the office culture. When they don’t get involved, they miss the informal development opportunities.”

“As long as you have your CPA license and produce high quality work, advancing in your career is very easy. However, if you do not have your license, many opportunities will be closed to you. During the promotional process, roundtables allow for many partners and managers to speak up for you, preventing one individual’s opinion from preventing promotion or a raise. Eide Bailly also allows you to experience every industry within the tax realm without having to specialize until later in your career.”

Quality of Life

“So many amazing aspects that cover you financially (401(k), profit-sharing and matching, medical insurances, lifestyle spending account), physically (in-office gym, office bike rides and other outdoor activities, happy hours, team bonding), and emotionally (CALM app subscription, wellness room in office, hybrid work policy, Wellable app). One of the best things Eide Bailly promotes is its hybrid policy, meaning I can work three days in the office and two days anywhere else. This allows me to be able to have a very flexible schedule during the week and work according to my needs.”

“It's public accounting, so there is a lot of work that needs to get done (the amount seems to grow every year) and there are hard deadlines that have to be met. However, the leadership at Eide Bailly truly values the ability to have a meaningful personal life outside of work, and they aren’t just talking—they act it out, too. I am encouraged to take breaks from work, such as vacations in the off-season and early days during busy season when needed. If something is going on in my personal life that requires me to be away from work (even during busy season), I am supported by the partners and other managers in my office. As far as public accounting goes, I think this is as close to a great quality of life as one could get.”

“My firm offers a good work/life balance. During busy season, there are charge-hour goals and some requests made by management such as limited remote work from home. However, management is very understanding that every individual has different demands and needs outside of work. As long as hours are all worked and work is completed timely, they are not as strict on the ‘how.’”

“I love the flexibility to work hours that fit with my busy family schedule. Having two kids actively involved in sports makes for a crazy schedule. Someone constantly needs a ride to practice or a game. I appreciate that I can come and go as needed and make up any lost hours at a later time. Also, we work as a team. If someone needs help, the rest of us pitch in to get them back on track. We have a ‘one-fail, all-fail’ mentality. No one is on an island at Eide Bailly. The most difficult part is pressure (mostly self-created) to continue to grow while still managing your current workload and training employees. With the accountant shortage, there are fewer people to utilize, but that is not a specific Eide Bailly problem. This is an accounting industry problem.”

Salary and Benefits

“Best aspects: Performance bonuses every year once you are senior staff and above; business casual dress policy and casual weekends; Saturday lunches during busy season; $500 lifestyle spending; CALM premium subscription and ability to add up to five dependents; Becker CPA study program for FREE; and reimbursement for license fees and costs.”

“I think the medical benefits are great—my vision insurance is some of the best I’ve had. I also have a low co-pay for doctor’s visits, and my regular dental cleanings are 100 percent covered. I feel like I have a ton of paid time off each year. I also like that in the off-season I can do half day Fridays and work feels very relaxed. They also provide an avenue to work from home on a full-time basis if wanted, or the default is two days from home. I think there’s some inflexibility on the remote/hybrid front at the local level, but firmwide it is very accepted.”

“I enjoy my firm’s remote and hybrid policy, which has a standard work from home for two days out of the workweek and three days in office. They have a great profit-sharing plan that they contribute to annually. At my specific firm’s location, casual dress (nice jeans and nice blouse) is acceptable.”

“Competitive salaries, PTO, and health insurance coverage. Lifestyle reimbursements can be used on wide array of things.”

Wellness Efforts

“We have regular ‘challenges’ in an app called Wellable where we log exercise and snacks for points. Winners are given Awardco points, and participants are entered into a raffle for Awardco points. We also have mental health resources. I think Eide Bailly does a good job of encouraging and supporting wellness in its employees.”

“There are many programs provided by Eide Bailly to encourage mental and physical health, including the Calm app subscription, several seminars/webinars on mental health, physical health challenges, etc. They also encourage that you take time off and utilize your PTO.”

“We have a wellness benefit, reimbursement for wellness, incentives to use not only physical but mental wellness tools, premium Calm membership included with employment, etc.”

“The firm is always looking to add new activities and programs to help cater to everyone's needs. We have a whole wellness app/program as well as free access to the gym in our building. We have competitions and challenges throughout the year, and there are plenty of webinars/activities to participate in.”

Diversity, Philanthropy, and Green Initiatives

“I don't live in a very diverse area, but I truly believe Eide Bailly values diversity. We have employee resource groups for LGBTQ+, women, minority ethnicities, veterans, and more. The LGBTQ+ and women’s group have recently opened membership to allies, which I think is great. We are also encouraged and monetarily supported for boards we are on (sponsorships at events, internal emails about upcoming events, etc.).”

“Eide Bailly offers many opportunities to be inclusive toward everyone. They offer many different committees and clubs that focus on different groups or issues. I am a part of the Women’s Employee Resource Group here at the firm. We also have a committee for diversity and for philanthropy, in which we fundraise for specific groups and participate in food drives, pet drives, walks for cancer, etc.”

“We have various staff-run groups for different diversity team members. I can see the diversity in the firm with the many women who are employed and have high-level positions. As far as diversity, I do see efforts in that with HR requires trainings that include training on microaggressions, sexual harassment, etc.”

“My office does a great job fundraising and volunteering for organizations in the community. I also feel that there is a good representation of women in the office. I enjoy seeing that some of the women in the office are partners and managers. I have worked a few places before that were dominantly led by males, so it is pleasant to know that there are advancement opportunities for women.”

Business Outlook

“Our firm will always be a top contender in the industry. We will always be looking to compete and make changes to match the overall direction of the industry and our competitors. Our company is owned and managed by amazing, genuine people who want what’s best for their employees. Although we won’t ever make our way into the Big 4, we are big enough to receive the benefits, recognition, and workload of the larger companies.”

“I feel as though the leadership is very transparent and keeps us informed if things are going really well or when they’re not going as well. They have a vision for the next few years that they share—and we’re encouraged to support the vision at the local level. This vision encompasses a lot of things, including growth in clients and in employees, diversity efforts, internal development efforts, and more. I think sharing and working toward these goals is great. However, I am concerned that given the size of the desired growth, we will not be able to maintain the work/life balance I like so much about working here.”

“Very aggressive outlook to double in size in eight years. Exciting, but going to be difficult, as we need to increase fees to reach that, and I feel like our clients may get tired of that.”

“Our CEO has grown our firm in size by acquiring other firms in different states. We have been expanding while still trying to keep our firm unified and present as one firm.”