Kroll reviews

PV has to use the VAS staff (Analysts and Senior Associates), as they aren’t allowed to hire their own (every once in a while they will be allowed to hire one or two). This part of the business model makes no sense at all, and can only be explained as poor senior management. If PV had its own dedicated staff, this would be a great place to have a career (with the possible exception of being underpaid, but more on that below). Often times, PV managers and staff get burnt out from not having enough help to do the high work load, and will then leave to take jobs elsewhere. Also, everyone in PV is doing very complex work, but unless you’re a director that’s been there a very long time, or you were hired from outside, you will most likely be underpaid. If you’ve risen up through the ranks you will certainly be underpaid, and management will only maybe give you a significant raise up to market value if you have another offer in hand and you’re threatening to leave. PV continues to grow every year, but somehow they aren’t given their own staff, and bonuses still leave much to be desired. The poor performance of the VAS group means that PV ends up getting slighted – the bonuses are not good, which makes no sense at all. If PV was its own separate group completely bonuses and pay would most assuredly be much better as the group has a record year each year. Who’s going to be happy working very hard and then getting a 15% bonus (in the highest performer bucket), when you could be elsewhere receiving a bonus that’s double or triple that? A lot of people want to stay hoping the pay will improve, but somehow the bonuses are the same every year. The new owners, Permira, paid too much to acquire D&P, and as they now realize that they have been trying to do whatever they can to cut costs. Layoffs in VAS sunk morale, and given the hot job market it is now (in 2018), junior staff are running for the exits and taking jobs offering over 25% higher pay. If PV wants to stay competitive, they need to pay their very talented and extremely hard working team market rate, or else Houlihan, or any number of other valuation or PE firms will continue to poach the best talent.

I have worked at Kroll for over 10 years, and the recent decline in morale and culture is troubling. Diversity is lacking, and after firing 95% of executive assistants in the U.S., we now rely on international support from individuals who often struggle with English fluency. Layoffs have become a constant reality, with numerous VPs, directors, and MDs leaving the company in the last two years. There have been no raises or bonuses, and roles like analysts are being targeted for relocation. It's disheartening to see employees asked to create SOPs only to be let go shortly after! Additionally, hiring practices are concerning, as friends and relatives of current employees are prioritized for roles, even while their family members are still working here. There’s also a lack of transparency from the CEO and executive team; town hall calls feel pointless and fail to address real issues. Meanwhile, we see the colleagues traveling the world for pointless reasons, while employees can’t even secure a modest 2-3% pay increase. Overall, the work environment has deteriorated significantly, and I cannot recommend Kroll as a place to grow or thrive professionally.