Overview
Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, known by its brand name, Deloitte, is one of accounting's Big Four, with offices in 140 countries. Like its peers, it's organized as a global network of legally separate and independent country-based partnerships, offering audit, consulting, financial advisory and risk-management services. Deloitte is unique among the Big Four in retaining its consulting business; the others (Ernst & Young LLP, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and KPMG) exited theirs following Arthur Andersen's demise.
While a host of initiatives have landed the firm on several top-employer lists, there's no denying its work-hard culture. Employees were working so hard that the company instituted a ban on nonessential work email on weekends. But Deloitte isn't afraid to poke fun at itself. A favorite entry in a employee video contest spoofed its food-obsessed meetings.
Although the company shed jobs lately, the firm has a push to retain employees, which includes internal career coaching and a Personal Pursuits program that welcomes back boomerangers. Among its alumni: Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 World Series of Poker main event winner.
Recruiting
Deloitte's "Mass Career Customization" offers employees a high degree of flexibility. They meet twice a year with a counselor to decide whether to "dial up" or "dial down" in any or all of the following areas: pace of career, workload, location and schedule (including travel and telecommuting), and role. Those who scale down productivity by 40% or more will get a pay cut.
The firm's careers site is an applicant-friendly multimedia full-court press. "Deloitte University," a $300 million training, conference and hotel complex outside Fort Worth, Texas, is expected to open in 2011.
Deloitte21 is the firm's latest corporate social responsibility initiative, a yearlong program aimed at helping school-age students focusing on ethics, innovative thinking, and global awareness.
For a look at some of the career issues of a former Deloitte senior consultant, check out his entries on WSJ.com's Laid Off and Looking blog.