Vault’s Verdict

KSM is ideally looking for driven, personable, detail-oriented candidates who value teamwork and are committed to delivering high-quality work while continuously developing their skills. For students, the firm runs a valuable internship program, offering interns hands-on experience, an inside look at what entry-level full-time staff really do, and direct access to all levels of colleagues, including partners. For its full-time staff, KSM offers extensive career development opportunities. There is a focus on learning and development throughout the firm; there are many opportunities for trainings, licensure, and leadership development; and promotion paths and role profiles are clear.

While the busy tax seasons can mean long hours and tight deadlines, KSM goes to great lengths to make sure its staff do not get overwhelmed. There is a lot of flexibility with respect to where and when you work, the PTO policy is generous, and the firm culture is caring, collegial, collaborative, and understanding. Meanwhile, compensation and benefits are competitive. Although some insiders say the health insurance can be expensive, most insiders agree that the ESOP plan is generous, allowing for significant upside if the firm performs well.

KSM also focuses on belonging, with inclusion of women getting stronger reviews than inclusion of people of color. And as for KSM’s business outlook, the firm is committed to continued growth, and while this means the firm is experiencing growing pains, the majority of insiders think the firm is heading in the right direction and the financial outlook is bright.

EMPLOYEE REVIEWS

Quality of Life

• “Great remote flexibility for the most part. Hours have been growing as we grow. We have a set number of days of PTO to use and it is plenty, which is great vs. having one of those unlimited PTO plans where it is really a trick and a crime to use the days.”
• “They do the best they can, given the industry. It’s hard to answer the average hours because we work over 70 for about a month in March and early April. We work around 60 in late February, early March, and September. However, we get a lot of time off in the other months. It probably averages to about 2,300 hours a year. Culture, relationship and satisfaction are the reason I’m still here.”
• “The culture and people are great. And KSM offers so much flexibility and understanding when it comes to where you work and when. It’s incomparable, truly. However, I think there has recently been mixed messaging on the number of hours necessary to work, especially in busy season. A few years ago there was a push to spread things out more, so the year is more balanced and busy seasons wouldn’t be so stressful or painful. Recently, that has changed, and it seems like it has been brought back to higher hours expectations for busy season.”
• “The firm’s culture is wonderful, and they try to make sure that no one is overwhelmed. With that being said, it is still public accounting, and the hours can be incredibly draining, especially during busy season”

Compensation

• “I think salary is fair and comparable to other firms in the area. KSM also offers free meals and employee discounts, which is great. I think the area that KSM lacks in would be health insurance and 401(k) contributions. For 401(k) contributions, KSM doesn’t match. However, they do put in 5 percent towards an ESOP that fully vests after six years with the firm. The growth of this is completely dependent on how well KSM performs. As far as I am aware, KSM has performed well historically, so this isn’t a huge issue.”
• “You are rewarded for your loyalty as well as your accomplishments at KSM. We are an ESOP, meaning the employees own the company. If we do well as a firm, the value of your ESOP shares goes up. Better alternative than a 401(k) match.”
• “I think the firm’s salaries are competitive and they definitely do their best to compensate people well. Additionally, they have so many benefits that ensure security. They provide good health insurance plans, good perks in the community, and seem to always try to be sure that there are benefits just within the culture of KSM like busy season meals.”
• “The ESOP is a strong benefit, particularly the 5 percent employer contribution. Health insurance coverage is just okay. The employer HSA contribution is a positive benefit. Base salary growth appears to lag behind competitors year over year.”

Career Development

• “The firm’s training is comprehensive and almost covers all the CPE requirement for the year. The firm also provides opportunity for outside CPE to meet the CPE firm and state requirements. In addition, the firm provides training to help you move through the management levels.”
• “KSM provides clear and transparent paths to promotion, so you are aware of what it takes to move to the next level. In addition, KSM provides support to assist you to move up.”
• “I think the best part is that they want you to grow and will help you get the other certifications and development you need. I think the most challenging part is that scheduling and busy season doesn’t give you a lot of time to get certifications. I think that should matter with promotions and you shouldn’t need a certification to get promoted until you get to the highest level where you are signing the returns.”
• “Learning and development is considered a top priority across the firm. I appreciate that the firm is constantly looking for ways to improve the L&D processes and is willing to pivot when needed. I think a current challenge with recent acquisitions is getting all office plugged in to the current systems, as well as the new systems that are needed given the natural growth of the firm.”

Inclusion Efforts

• “I don’t think KSM disregards anyone based on gender, sexual orientation, or race/ethnicity. I have personally seen many women in partner and executive roles, but I only know of one person of color that ranks high up within the firm. However, I do not think this is intentional since they actively try and create groups for minorities to get together and feel safer.”
• “I’ve seen a lot of growth when it comes to women in our firm. They hold significant positions, and I think the firm has been very cognizant in the inclusion of women. I think there has also been growth in the inclusion of other races and ethnicities. I think KSM has been good in including them and supporting groups within the firm to foster discussion about what it looks like to work in public accounting as a minority. I just think their representation is pretty low. Even recently with promoted partners—almost all white men. For those with disabilities, I don’t see much representation or inclusion.”
• “I think the firm wants to be inclusive, but there really are not many people of color in the firm in higher positions. That may be more a function of the profession not attracting as many African Americans as other professions.”
• “There are employee resource groups such as a BIPOC group. There are equal opportunities for people of all backgrounds. I believe we try our best but are limited given we’re in Indiana.”

Business Outlook

• “KSM is growing significantly, especially in recent years. The financial outlook is great. Some may have concerns about how the culture will change with the growth, but I’m confident in KSM to continue focusing on its people.”
• “We are going through unprecedented growth, which includes acquiring offices in other cities. Firm leadership acknowledges that such growth can cause ‘change fatigue’ and focuses on retaining the best parts of firm culture despite changes necessary from growth.”
• “I think our leadership is strong and they know exactly where they are taking us. They are focused on growth and sustainability and are succeeding in those based on their decisions. I think they are striving to be competitive and adapt as we grow continuously. But I think employee morale is a little low in this case. The growth has been very fast-paced and employees are uncertain about how things will change—culture, benefits, etc. We don't get too many opportunities to address these things and have become nervous and worried about what the next three to five years looks like.”
• “I think it’s great how much the firm has grown in the past eight years. It went from around 400 to 1,000 people, mostly through acquisition. The downside of this is the vast change in administrative duties to accommodate the growth, such as upgrades to new audit software, which has made it tough to keep up. And I think this could be affecting morale.”

Intern Experience

• “It was a great internship experience. I got to do tax and audit. I did a full-time internship one spring semester and then a part time in another spring semester when I was in class. The only thing I would change is that I was hoping to get more OT to earn more money while I was in school. However, it was nice to not be forced to work long hours while I had campus activities, and I was able to go on spring break both times.”
• “The best aspects of my experience were the people and culture. I felt well-trained, and the current employees intentionally built relationships with me. They took time in my learning opportunities, and I felt like I grew so much. There was never really a ‘bad’ aspect of my internship. The hours were hard but it came with the job.”
• “The best part was getting to learn a lot from my group and getting to know several people within the firm. The worst part was the learning curve related to performing tax and audit work. It was overwhelming at first.”
• “I was treated the same as a first-year full-time associate (doing real work) and had meaningful support throughout the internship process. I also interacted directly with all levels of colleagues including partners. ”

Hiring Process

• “Our interview and callback process reflects our people-first culture. We are intentional about creating a positive and inclusive experience, with clear timelines, timely feedback, and open communication. Candidates are encouraged to ask questions and engage in honest conversations about their goals and expectations. The ideal candidates we seek are driven, personable, and excited to grow their careers in a collaborative environment. The ideal candidate is someone who takes initiative, values teamwork, and is committed to delivering high-quality work while continuously developing their skills.”
• “We are seeking people who want to work hard and learn. We are looking for people who want to be included in the amazing workplace culture that has been built over the years, and I will say that I am happy to be part of it. The hiring process was pretty simple, but there were a lot of items to go through on Workday before the hiring process was complete.”
• “The interview process is detailed, but not overly complicated like at some other firms. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, good with communication, and committed to maintaining an inclusive company culture.”
• “I think we definitely attract high performers and great candidates. We’re looking for people who align with our values and are committed to having a great work ethic.”

Interview Questions

• “Can you tell me more about yourself and your interest in careers within public accounting? How do you prioritize tasks when managing multiple deadlines? Describe a time when you received critical feedback. How did you respond? Describe a situation where you worked with a team to meet a deadline. How do you communicate complex information to non-technical individuals? Tell me about a time when you identified an error in your work, whether that was in an internship, school project, exam, paper, etc. What was your process and how did you resolve it? How would you approach learning new systems, software, or process? What coursework or experiences have best prepared you for a career in tax accounting and why? Describe a complex tax concept you’ve learned and how you applied it. How comfortable are you with tax software and research tools (only asking candidates with one or more years of experience)? Which ones have you used?”
• “Describe a time when you received constructive feedback from a teacher, coach, or supervisor. How did you respond, and how did it help you grow? Share an example of a time you didn’t get the result you were hoping for (on a test, job, or team). How did you respond, and what did you learn?”
• “Tell me about your experience at [blank]. What skills did you learn and how do you think that would translate to this potential position? If you were given corrective feedback, how would you approach and respond to it? Tell me about your experience with [blank] club at school. Tell me about what you’ve learned and about why you chose that club.”
• “Explain a time you had to manage a conflict between yourself and others. Give an example of a time you exhibited innovation in solving an issue. What are you looking for in a firm?”

UPPERS

• “I love the culture, and the people are absolutely phenomenal.”
• “Growth opportunities—the work is challenging but rewarding.”
• “Flexibility and ability to work remotely.”

DOWNERS

• “Busy season hours.”
• “Growing pains as we make acquisitions.”
• “Clients can be very demanding.”