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Overview

Introduction

Wipfli is a leading accounting firm looking for exceptional candidates with srong technical abilities and teamwork skills. Interns get a lot of training and are given real work to do, and full-time staff get valuable training and can move among various areas of the firm. A healthy work/life balance can be achieved at the firm, and compensation is very competitive.

Company Stats


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Employer Type

Private

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Size

1,001-5,000 Employees

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Featured Rankings

Best Accounting Firms for Audit & Assurance
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Major Office Locations

Milwaukee, WI


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Employment Contact

Scott Hoyoss- Senior Manager, Field Human Resources

Vault Verdict

Wipfli runs an informal interviewing process; ideally, it is looking for exceptional candidates with good technical abilities who work well in teams and will fit with its firm culture. Internships with the firm are said to be great learning experiences where interns get a lot of training and are given real work to do. Wipfli also provides valuable training for its full-time staff and allows employees to move among various areas of the firm.

Flexible hours are offered to insiders, who say they have a healthy work/life balance in general. However, hours can still be long, particularly during busy season. Compensation is said to be very competitive with other firms of Wipfli’s size, while benefits and perks could be improved. The firm is not all that racially d...

About the Company

Wipfli LLP began in 1930 when Wisconsin native Clarence Wipfli opened an accounting practice in Wausau, Wis., where the firm's headquarters stand to this day. In 1942, John Ullrich became the firm's first managing partner, and the business was rechristened Wipfli Ullrich & Co. a few years later. 

The firm's expansion across the Midwest was propelled by its founders' determination to recruit top talent and provide ongoing training for its employees. Wipfli now has 45 offices in the U.S., two offices in India, and more than 2,400 employees. It's also a member of PKF North America, the North American member of PKF International, one of the world’s 10 largest global accounting networks.

In 2021, Wipfli ranked No. 19 on Accounting Today's Top 100 ...

Employee Reviews


  • “Overall, Wipfli promotes a solid work/life balance, and the hours are definitely less than a Big 4 firm would require you to work early in your career. However, the hour requirements seem to increase drastically once you hit manager (65+ during busy season). The firm culture is great at Wipfli! There is always a firm sports league going on that anyone can get involved in (softball, kickball, etc.). All of the people that I work with are great and that makes it a lot easier to go to work every day. One aspect of the Wipfli lifestyle that I do not like is the rural travel that is involved on some audit clients (this depends on what industry you are working on). Overall, I do not mind traveling, but traveling to rural towns can get old.”
  • “They are very flexible. We are able to work from home if need be, while there are suggested guidelines for when to work, as long as it is getting done, they are flexible about it. Family is a priority and they are very accommodating in that regard.”
  • “The worst aspect for me is the fact that I very rarely meet with clients. I am interested in meeting with our clients to get to know their background and what is going on in their life that may impact what we do for them. The best aspect for me is the flexibility in scheduling. The firm is really understanding about needing time off for appointments and the importance of taking a break from work.”
  • “Wipfli provides a fast track to those that want to excel at a faster pace and also provides flexible working arrangements to accommodate those with family obligations. This spectrum of different tracks for each employee and ‘work at your own pace’ makes this firm a great place to work. This firm makes a career in public accounting with a family a reality and I don’t feel many other firms can honestly say that. A typical workweek in busy season is 55 to 65 hours, and during the summer is 40 to 50 hours a week. Again, this depends on your workload and the track you are on.”

Getting Hired Here


  • “The firm is usually pretty quick to respond if they are interested in hiring you after your interview. Everyone that I have talked to was called within one or two days; I was called the same night and given an informal offer. Being yourself is really important because the firm is really big on culture, and they want to make sure they hire people whose personalities will fit in here, so if you are too serious during your interview they may view that as a bad thing and not present an offer.”
  • “Wipfli always looks for people who stand out and who have a personality that we think will fit into our culture. We are always looking for new people who want to bring new ideas and clients to the table. Wipfli will usually do a phone screen after resumes are received and then set up interviews. If the first interview does well, we set a tour of the office and a lunch to talk to the candidate and finish with a second interview before an offer is given out.”
  • “We have a very informal interview process in my office and stress people’s willingness to be a team player. We want excellent people who want to push themselves, but our team is the most important thing. It doesn’t help us if we have a really strong individual who can’t get along with the team.”
  • “Most of our hiring happens in the fall when we recruit interns for our spring tax season. We are very aggressive in our approach as other firms are also out seeking the best candidates. We do our interviews and usually try to call the candidates back within two days. We have found that the longer we wait, the more likely it is that our top candidates will already have accepted offers with competing firms. We use behavioral based interview questions. As a jobseeker, come prepared to talk about real life examples that fit the questions. Prepare ahead of time and maybe even bring an outline with you. It is best to be prepared. We look for exceptional candidates that will be able to handle the technical aspects of the job, but more importantly, we look for people who will fit with our culture. At the end of the day, our culture is what sets us apart from our competitors, and we need to continue to seek individuals who also value the same things as us. It will result in a more pleasant work environment and less turnover.”

Perks & Benefits


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