Toxic, political, and unsustainable — avoid at all costs - Deal Advisory Manager BDO Employee Review

* Chronic understaffing forces managers to handle multiple engagements simultaneously, often relying heavily on interns for essential work * Leadership appears disconnected from operational realities while maintaining intense scrutiny over billable hours, even during periods where there is limited available work - Frequently commenting about using too many hours for certain work when there is no other work being assigned which can be contradicting (Who would want to spend extra hours if he/she can chill?) * It is not uncommon to observe senior leaders spending significant time addressing client concerns, apologizing for mistakes, delays, or deliverable issues. This raises questions about whether persistent understaffing, compressed timelines, and pressure to deliver work within extremely limited budgets are compromising quality and creating avoidable client dissatisfaction * Managers can lose engagements or resources to more senior staff with little transparency, creating confusion and frustration (probably to protect their own billings especially when pipeline is poor] * Office politics are deeply embedded within the department; perceived favoritism and personal relationships can influence staffing decisions, opportunities, and career progression * Promotion outcomes are viewed as inconsistent, with some employees advancing exceptionally quickly while other capable staff struggle to progress * Internal politics extend across all levels of the team, contributing to unhealthy competition, cliques, and occasional bullying behavior * Being asked to leave is a norm, especially fresh associates, while being underpaid with limited coaching * Trust within teams is often undermined by gossip, shifting alliances, and colleagues presenting themselves as supportive while acting differently behind closed doors * Resource allocation can appear politically driven, with some teams remaining overloaded while available capacity elsewhere is not fully utilised * High turnover is normalized, and departures under revenue or utilization pressure appear to be treated as part of business as usual * Unrealistic expectations combined with micromanagement of billable hours create significant stress and contribute to burnout * Staff are frequently reallocated under the guise of “training” or development, often resulting in additional workload without meaningful learning opportunities * Selected employees are sometimes expected to perform work outside their primary area of training or expertise without adequate preparation, support, or transition time. For example, valuation professionals may be assigned due diligence engagements despite limited prior experience, while still being held to demanding delivery expectations (potentially hinder promotion opportunities on the basis that you do not perform well enough while doing due diligence work even though you are not due diligence trained etc.] * Leadership frequently promotes narratives about achieving more with fewer resources, resulting in increasingly compressed timelines and unrealistic delivery expectations * Associates with available capacity are not always deployed where they are most needed, leaving certain managers disproportionately stretched * Administrative and people-management practices can be applied inconsistently, including differing expectations around medical leave and varying levels of trust toward employees taking MC * Communication is inconsistent, morale is low, and the culture often appears to reward political positioning more than competence, collaboration, or performance * Frequently gaslighting employees that they are not good enough (probably excuses not to promote them and save cost) but many whom has exited has managed to seek better opportunities be it better salary, benefits, working conditions or brand name