For the second year in a row, EY is pushing back start dates for some new hires, in this case about 200 people who were expecting to start at Parthenon next month or in January. Earlier start date deferrals happened in November and August of 2023, there may be more we haven’t mentioned. Probably are more.
FT:
On a call with staff, EY-Parthenon bosses blamed a disappointing market for mergers and acquisitions and private equity activity, meaning advisory revenue growth has been slower than expected since the start of the firm’s fiscal year in July, according to people familiar with the discussion.
EY said the decision to delay start dates for a second year running was made “after careful consideration of the current M&A environment and our business needs” and that it would “ensure that our new joiners have the quality and breadth of assignments to ensure a successful start and strong professional trajectory”.
The firm will provide stipends ranging from $12,000 to $35,000 to those affected, depending on their original start date and whether they are joining with an undergraduate degree or an MBA, according to a person familiar with the figures.
Just last week, on the same day PwC began a big batch of layoffs, it was reported EY partners would be getting about two percent sliced off of their yearly compensation, money that will go back into the business to manage cash flow.
When EY compensation numbers came out in August, several people reported no raise, no bonus, and/or no promotion. To quote one manager who received a 2.4% salary increase and 0.88% bonus: “Balls in my throat.”
EY is certainly not the only Big 4 firm dealing with a significant slowdown in deals activity but it is the only Big 4 firm that burned a $500 million hole in its pocket to explore a split of audit and consulting practices that never materialized. After Project Everest crashed and burned, the firm went on to lay off 3,000 people immediately after (they claimed this axing of 5% of the workforce was totally unrelated to Everest) and forced out an unknown number of partners just before Christmas.
We expected EY’s FY24 revenue announcement to come out some time in September so obviously that’s late. Whether or not it’s an intentional delay is anyone’s guess.
EY delays start dates for graduates because of slowdown in deals [FT]