Life at EY

The experience of working here: diversity, inclusiveness, rewards

Talk to anyone at Ernst & Young and they'll tell you it's a rewarding place to work in so many ways.

Diversity 

We attract high-performing individuals from different backgrounds and experiences who – like you – bring a unique point of view, which in turn helps you develop as an individual, achieve your potential and make a difference. Diversity of thought is what drives Ernst & Young’s innovative approach to our people and our clients’ ever changing needs.

Inclusiveness 

Our inclusive work environment means that everyone’s opinion is listened to and valued. You’ll learn about our shared values, how to work in teams effectively, how to work with individuals who are different from you, and how to bring out the best in yourself and others.

Support and rewards

We’re committed to giving you the right experiences, learning and coaching to help you become an effective professional. You’ll be encouraged to take ownership of your career goals and make the most of what’s on offer. And of course you’ll be rewarded and recognised for your performance. Our approach to flexibility also means that you’ll have the opportunity to play a significant role in the firm’s success whilst ensuring that you also meet your own personal needs.

Getting everybody involved

You'll find that Ernst & Young is a place where respect, integrity and teamwork define the way we work.

You'll be encouraged to think in global terms, build strong relationships and embrace diversity in all its forms.

By valuing the differences in those you work alongside you'll find that you improve your perspective, benefit from diversity of thought and, ultimately, provide better answers for your clients and communities, while being supported and developed in a personal and unique way.

At Ernst & Young, our goal is to provide an environment where individual differences are celebrated – where our people are supported to achieve their personal potential, while meeting the ever-changing needs of our clients.

Diversity and inclusiveness is not only a social responsibility, it's a business imperative.  Diversity drives innovation, promoting creativity and more innovative solutions to problems. We acknowledge that nurturing diversity is essential to our future success: our people deserve it, our clients demand it and our society expects it. 

Our Diversity Council, comprising 11 Partners and Executive Directors from various cultural and professional backgrounds, has been established to act as a think tank, providing the Oceania Executive with timely, independent and strategic advice on matters relating to the direction and implementation of our Diversity and Inclusiveness agenda.

This agenda encompasses the issues of gender equity, ethnic diversity and working flexibly and, even though our leaders are held accountable for reaching our goals and targets, we recognise that each of us has an important role to play in ensuring that we succeed.

Our Diversity and Inclusiveness agenda is driven from the top, receiving the support and personal endorsement of our most senior and influential leaders.

"Building an inclusive culture and developing a diverse workforce is a prerequisite for business success in today's competitive landscape. The world has changed dramatically in recent times, providing us with both tremendous opportunities and significant challenges. If we are to capitalise on these opportunities and tackle the challenges ahead, we must ensure that we have the best and most engaged people working for us. We need to be open to new ways of thinking - we all need to get informed, get involved and take personal responsibility."
Rob McLeod, Oceania Managing Partner and CEO

"Gender diversity in leadership and management is not just about fairness - it's also a prudent business strategy. The returns on equity, sales and invested capital are significantly higher in businesses with three or more female board members, and these results hold up across industries. Diversity is a also big driver of innovation - Businesses with homogenous teams are missing out on huge competitive advantages."
Uschi Schreiber, Oceania Accounts & Business Development Leader and Government & Public Sector Leader

"At Ernst & Young we are committed to embedding a sustainable, inclusive culture in the way that we operate that will enable our people to reach their full potential and make a difference. A coming together of ideas, thoughts, styles and experiences, in an environment that respects and celebrates these differences, is something that each of us at Ernst & Young strives for daily."
Lynn Kraus, Sydney Office Managing Partner

Helping you go further

At Ernst & Young, you’ll be given the experiences, training and coaching you need to achieve your potential.

You’ll be inspired to achieve your aims, both professionally and personally, while making a difference to our clients and in our communities.

We’ll work together to ensure your career takes you in a direction where you’ll be able to reach your goals.

Find out more about the learning, experiences and coaching that will frame your development.

Putting you at the heart of what we do

By being a part of Ernst & Young you’ll have the satisfaction of feeling part of something big. You’ll feel like you are making a genuine difference to clients, communities and the world in general.

Our commitment to engaging you in what we do will add to your enthusiasm for your work, your colleagues and our organisation. We also want you to feel confident that you have the support you need to achieve your professional and personal aspirations.

This is done through:

• From our Corporate Responsibility work to our Alumni network, we give you the chance to be more involved with local communities and your peers.
• We’ll listen to you and engage in open and authentic dialogue at all levels of our organisation.
• We believe that people perform best in organisations to which they feel truly connected and empowered to make their own choices. Ernst & Young has earned a reputation for having a culture that enables people to meet both their personal and professional goals. More than work/life balance, our efforts to create a supportive culture have grown to focus on workplace flexibility: helping our people navigate where, when, and how their work gets done. 
• To support and motivate you to continue achieving your potential your performance will be rewarded and recognised.

We can make a difference – and we do

There is a wide range of opportunities for you to increase your sense of belonging at Ernst & Young. Corporate Responsibility provides the chance to give something back to the local and wider community, while our Alumni network provides you with networking opportunities among your peers.

Corporate responsibility at Ernst & Young

At Ernst & Young you’ll have many opportunities to make a difference.

First, you’ll join an organisation that takes community leadership seriously; our support for the United Nations Global Compact and Transparency International are just two examples.

Second, you’ll find many opportunities to volunteer in our three focus areas – entrepreneurship, education and environmental sustainability – in a way that connects your unique skills and capabilities, which enables you to have a far greater personal impact.

Volunteering your skills and time to make a difference to communities is an important part of our career development framework. Through community engagement you’ll have the opportunity to develop in new and different contexts. This may involve improving your public speaking or sharpening your ability to negotiate and collaborate with people from a variety of backgrounds and countries.

Ernst & Young Alumni

When you join Ernst & Young, you do more than launch a career.

You may spend your entire career with us or you may seek new challenges elsewhere at some point. Regardless, we believe you’ll want to stay connected with your Ernst & Young colleagues, as these relationships will prove invaluable throughout your career.

As an Ernst & Young Alumnus, you’ll be offered many opportunities to network with your peers. So whatever direction you choose to take your career, you’ll benefit from your time with us. And if you do leave to explore other opportunities, we hope you’ll become one of the many people who rejoin, bringing valuable experience and perspectives that enrich our organisation.

Find out about being part of the Ernst & Young Alumni

Rewards and benefits

In exchange for meeting challenges and consistently high performance, you deserve to be rewarded for your contribution to Ernst & Young's success.

You'll have access to a great range of benefits including:

Leave arrangements

Career break* You can apply for a three-month career break to take time away from work to go travel or explore other personal interests.**

FLEXleave* You'll have the opportunity to purchase up to six weeks extra leave. This provides you with more time for study, family or other personal pursuits.

Paid parental leave* You're entitled to 14 weeks paid parental leave if you have been with the firm for less than 5 years and 18 weeks paid parental leave if you have been with the firm for 5 years or more. This is on top of the Government's paid parental leave provisions. In addition, there is an investment that the firm has made for people returning from parental leave which includes professional coaching, career development programs, financial advice or domestic assistance. We also provide each of our returning parents with the option of having a parental leave mentor – a person who has already experienced the challenges of returning to the workplace following the birth of their child, to assist new parents in navigating this time in their lives and careers.

Flexible work arrangements. We aim to promote a flexible work culture by assisting our people to balance their work and personal responsibilities through the availability of flexible working arrangements.

Discounts

Technology. You're eligible for discounts on some terrific leading technology brands on items such as laptops, mobile phones and accessories.

Banking. You'll be entitled to banking discounts when you combine a loan, credit card and transaction account.

Travel. You can take advantage of flight and accommodation discounts, and enjoy cheap car rental. And you can explore the world with discounted tours as well.

Insurance. You'll also be eligible for a discount on private health insurance* and general insurance.

Health. You'll also have access to our Corporate Employee Eye Health Benefit Program too.

Health and well-being

We support initiatives such as social and competitive sporting events, and offer employees complimentary flu shots, nutritious snacks and fruit in the office and the ability to pay for the cost of your membership to one of our in-house gyms* (some of our offices have them) or an 'approved' gym near your office from your pre-tax salary.

Employee Assistance Program. You and members of your immediate family can access independent, confidential counselling, free of charge, from professionally qualified counsellors should you need advice on personal, family or work-related concerns.

Work|Life Links. Work|Life Links is an independent national telephone information and resource service which will assist you in making care arrangements for your dependents, including children, teenagers, adult dependents and older relatives; or health and lifestyle services such as fitness programs, pet care and more. 

Social Club. The Ernst & Young Social Club organises a range of activities, from sporting events to informal and formal social functions, including – in most offices – an annual ball.

Childcare. We have a range of support processes and material to assist you in managing the juggling act between work and life. This includes emergency childcare support, providing easy access to information on childcare facilities; childcare fees, including government assistance and rebates; and access to our purpose-built childcare centre (Sydney based employees). We also provide considerable support for our employees returning back from maternity leave as well.

Financial

Salary packaging* From your pre-tax salary, you can package airline club memberships, novated car leases, car parking, study expenses, 'in-house' or 'approved' gym memberships and childcare fees in some locations, as well as make extra contributions to your superannuation.

Study Assistance. We'll help you meet the cost of approved external studies, which may include providing you with financial assistance to cover all or part of your course fees and the cost of your study materials. We may also offer you study and exam leave.

Professional memberships. We'll cover joining and annual membership fees for one professional body each year. This includes the Institute of Chartered Accountants or an equivalent body for qualified professionals.

Global Employee Referral Program. Recruiting the best people is critical to our success, and employees like you are often the best source of the best candidates. The Global Employee Referral Program provides you with a cash reward or shopping voucher if you successfully refer a candidate to the firm.

Working interstate, working overseas

We offer domestic and global mobility opportunities. That means you could find yourself working in other Ernst & Young offices within Australia – or in one of our offices overseas. You can apply for an overseas secondment once you've had a few years experience with us.

*If you are a temporary visa holder these benefits may not apply.
** These benefits are subject to compliance with the EYA&NZ Policy and Procedure manual.