Vault’s Verdict

While it might fly a bit under the radar, BPM is an intriguing option for new consultants. Backed by a highly successful accounting firm, BPM’s Advisory group is free to innovate on everything from approaches to client engagements to its internal staffing policies.

As a result, BPM insiders say that it’s a great place to work that emphasizes flexibility and work-life balance, despite the long hours that are inherent to consulting. Employees have the opportunity to work wherever they have an internet connection, and PTO is easy to schedule. Plentiful training opportunities provide ample opportunities to grow.

BPM consultants also take immense pride in their firm’s diversity. Insiders point to its diverse leadership team as a sign that they take DEIB seriously, and they rave about the company’s points-based health and wellness programs that incentivizes employees to take care of themselves with discounts on medical and dental insurance.

Firm Culture

“I feel respected and heard when I bring up concerns, and everyone from my direct manager, managing partner, and other leadership keep employee happiness at the forefront.”

“Work life balance is very important to both the C-suite, partner group, and mid-management.  Policies and benefit programs are in place to support employees and ensure a balanced work and home life.”

“BPM goes by the motto BPM = Because People Matter.  It sounds corny, but they back it up.”

“I appreciate that I'm empowered to manage my time and work my way.”

Quality of Life

“The firm offers great flexibility in working arrangements. I happen to enjoy working in the office, but I collaborate with remote and hybrid teams members as well. It is easy to take time off. There are necessary blackout periods around the income tax deadlines.”

“The firm actively promotes working where the work can and needs to be done. We can generally perform our work from anywhere that we can get a connection.”

“BPM does a great promoting work-life balance. They encourage time off, allow flex time to participate in personal activities throughout the work week, and provide avenues for colleagues to share fun personal experiences. There's a strong ‘human’ factor at BPM.”

“It depends heavily on your role. If you want to exceed and get promoted, you can’t take it easy and only do what is expected of you.”

Career Development

“BPM offers many career growth opportunities. We consult for a variety of industries. The promotion process is very fair and focuses on performance rather than politics.”

“I enjoy the trainings that are available as they teach me a lot of the technical side of the job. The team I work with is also very helpful whenever I need to learn something I've never seen before.”

“There has been no shortage of opportunity for advancement and the support needed to get there.”

“BPM’s promotion parameters appear to be guidelines at best. Subjectivity is very prevalent.”

Compensation

“I think the bonus payouts could be improved but the overall salary is competitive with industry standards depending on regional averages.”

“We pay market rates, but bonus percentages aren't standard so it's hard to know if I achieved my full bonus potential.”

“The travel matching benefit was new last year and is a great benefit to encourage employees to make time to rest and recharge.”

“BPM has a wellness program that I believe is very conducive to the health and wellness efforts of the organization. The program consist of ‘Wellable’ points, which is a reward system that encourages staff to walk or run consistently and rewards us with discounts on benefits, such as  medical and dental.”

Community Engagement/DEI

“BPM has several colleague resource groups, and it holds remote and in person activities to encourage participation and involvement in groups that feel like home to the unique individuals within the firm. Partners within the firm come from all backgrounds, races, and walks of life.”

“The firm takes great efforts to create an inclusive environment with many groups to join based on your life interests.  Most people participate in areas that they are passionate about, want to learn more about or feel comradery with fellow colleagues.”

“Best in the nation: We have colleague resource groups, DEI board representation, and CEO commitment.”

“The firm encourages a healthy lifestyle and staying active. I participated in our offices Softball team which was a great time and built comradery.”

Business Outlook

“The firm is moving toward a subscription model with monthly recurring revenue. It’s developing a name in wealth management services and maintains good company morale. The firm acts on feedback from its employees and is receptive to change when necessary.”

“BPM is in touch with the driving factors for the accounting industry and helping clients navigate the current economic and business environment.”

“The firm is growing at a strong rate, but I think it needs to improve on procuring higher quality clients to continue to grow and engage the workforce. Some clients are high demand with low profit which causes stress on employees to remain within budget.”

“The firm is becoming more global which allows for better customer service.”

Hiring Process

“Interviews are broken out into two to three sessions. There’s an intro interview, a case study, and a final interview. The process takes about one to three weeks in total.”

“My firm took a long time to hire me but kept in touch through the entire process. If I had a random question or reached out about the status of my application, they would answer within 24 hours.”

“The callback process could be better. I was unsure when I was going to receive my offer and what date I would be starting, and it moved from a supposed August start date to January so that was not ideal.”

“We’re looking for someone who is hungry, wants to grow, and has an entrepreneurial spirit.”

Interview Questions

“There are questions related to specific process areas, case studies around revenue recognition, and fixed asset management.”

“The interview consisted of mainly behavioral questions about myself: Why do I want the job? What about the advisory practice interests me? What about the firm resonates with me? What do I do for fun outside of work?”

“We use behavioral interviewing and check references extensively.”

“Tell us about your background.  List one weakness. Why are you looking to come work for us? Why did you leave your last job? What are your professional goals?”

Uppers

“BPM is a firm for the future. BPM Leadership has vision and does an excellent job of providing a quality service model.”

“Qualified, experienced professionals who are down to earth and enjoyable to work alongside.”

“The firm's commitment to social responsibility.”

“Independence and the authority to do my own thing.”

Downers

“The number of projects can become overwhelming.”

“Sometimes the BPM Accounting world dominates the airspace and doesn't apply as well to the technology area.”

“Promotion can be difficult at higher levels.”

“Working across so many time zones takes some getting used to.”