Irena: returning to Grant Thornton

I like Grant Thornton so much that I’ve joined twice. I originally left in 2018 to join another large firm, and I returned in April 2021. I had maintained close contact with my former colleagues and I really missed the culture.

Grant Thornton is rare in that it’s a large company that also offers the benefits of a smaller organisation. It’s big enough that you can get involved with a lot of different types of client - big, small, and anything in between - but small enough that you can really get to know people in a way that you can’t elsewhere. In larger firms you usually end up being a tiny piece of the machine and can’t make a difference to anything, but it’s not like that here.

Commitment to excellence

Grant Thornton doesn’t just talk about its values, it lives them. We do what we say we will. We don’t just talk about flexibility and meritocracy, we live them. There’s sincerity here, and firm-wide alignment on communication.

In all of my time working here I’ve never had a traditional 9 to 5 week. Flexibility was part of the culture long before COVID-19. I can organise my own diary so if I need to pick up my child, I can. There are busier periods where work just needs to be done, but those are few and far between. In my experience, flexibility has never been an issue, and this helps us to deliver the best possible service to our clients.

Constant opportunities

Looking back at the projects I’ve been involved in, there isn’t a particular one that defined my career. You don’t need to worry that missing out on one project will stop your growth. There are always lots of opportunities.

I put forward a specialism that I wanted to have, and I was given the opportunity to develop it. This snowballed because I got to know colleagues across the business, and our global scale also introduced me people at other member firms around the world, which also opened doors.

So, my advice to people at a more junior level is to grab everything with
both hands. My career definitely benefited from just getting stuck in, going to as many meetings and getting to know as many different people as possible. It also made me a more rounded adviser, and gives me a better understanding of clients' concerns.

Diverse perspectives

I experience inclusivity every single day here. I’ve honestly never felt propelled forward or held back because I’m a woman or a mother. Instead, the firm has given me a level playing field to achieve everything that I want to, and I think that’s amazing.

Diversity is so important. By including a variety of experience, social and economic backgrounds, and ethnicities, we get fresh thinking that helps us deliver a better service to clients. Grant Thornton careers are open to all races, sexualities, and genders. This is brilliant from a service perspective because these experiences and views come together to build a stronger whole.

Irena: returning to Grant Thornton

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