QUALITY OF EMPLOYMENT AND LIFE RANKINGS
Consultants want more than just a paycheck. They’re seeking flexibility, growth, and purpose.
They hunger for leaders who listen and innovate, always positioning their firm to be in the action. They’re drawn to a culture that taps into their strengths and passions and increases their capabilities and value. And they long for flexibility – the kind where they don’t have to sacrifice those once-in-a-lifetime moments with their families.
At the end of the day, more than anything, they want to say, “I had a great time and learned a lot. I can’t wait to do it again tomorrow.”
That’s what the Vault Consulting 50 measures: What matters most to the top consultants – and which firms deliver on their promises. Each year, Vault surveys consultants on 19 Work and Life Dimensions. This year, there were two clear-cut winners.
BCG AND AMINAD ARE A CUT ABOVE
Aminad Consulting achieved the highest scores across eight dimensions. The top consulting firm among boutiques, Aminad earned the #1 spot among some of the most important areas to consultants, including Overall Satisfaction and Overall Business Outlook. This enthusiasm is reflected in the survey responses of its consultants.
“Our firm concentrates on measured, sustainable growth, so as not to lose sight of our core values,” observes one anonymous survey-taker. “As a result, we can build fantastic rapport with our clients, which further contributes to the value added in all our projects.”
The Boston Consulting Group posted high scores in five dimensions, including Compensation and Promotion Policies. More impressive still: BCG ranked 2nd in ten dimensions (and 3rd in another two) – a testament to the firm’s all-around effort to bring out the best in its people.
“I’ve grown from an associate to firm leader at BCG, and over the 30 years I’ve been here I’ve felt challenged to learn and grow the whole time,” explains one BCG consultant. “Learning at BCG is lifelong, through formal training, individual coaching, and learning from others, you work with others who constantly push your thinking.”
ghSMART EXCELS BELOW THE RADAR
Like previous years, Bain & Company reigned as the top consulting firm in both Formal and Informal Training according to survey respondents. In a surprise, ghSMART produced three 1st place finishes: Interaction with Clients, Level of Challenge, and Selectivity. At the same time, ghSMART ranked 2nd in six dimensions, including Compensation and Overall Satisfaction. According to one consultant, the firm sustains a virtuous cycle through its culture and structure.
“ghSMART enables me to have direct client relationships with the most impactful senior leaders while also giving me the autonomy and freedom to work on my terms. That allows me to do my best work and manage to live a full and happy life, which in turn makes me more effective with clients.”
Stern Value Management is the outlier of the group, achieving a #1 ranking in International Opportunities (and tying for 3rd in Informal Training).
How do consulting firms rank in other areas across the Work and Life spectrum? From Compensation to Work-Life Balance, here are the Top 5 firms across 19 dimensions surveyed by Vault.
Benefits
1) Boston Consulting Group
2) Aminad Consulting
3) Bain & Company
4) Putnam
5) Dayblink Consulting
Compensation
1) Boston Consulting Group
2) ghSMART
3) Bain & Company
4) Cirque Analytics
5) Aminad Consulting
Firm Culture
1) Aminad Consulting
2) Boston Consulting Group
3) Bain & Company
4) Level5 Strategy
5) SciVida
Firm Leadership
1) Aminad Consulting
2) Boston Consulting Group
3) SciVida
4) Putnam
5) Iberia Advisory
Formal Training
1) Bain & Company
2) Boston Consulting Group
3) Health Advances
4) SciVida
5) Insigniam
Health & Wellness
1) Aminad Consulting
2) Boston Consulting Group
3) Putnam
4) Bain & Company
5) Stax
Hours in the Office
1) Aminad Consulting
2) ghSMART
3) Eagle Hill Consulting
4) Censeo Consulting Group
5) Potomac Point Group
Informal Training
1) Bain & Company
2) Boston Consulting Group
3) SciVIda
3) Stern Value Management
5) ghSMART
Innovation
1) Boston Consulting Group
2) DeciBio Consulting
3) Putnam
4) Ignyte Group
5) Avasant LLC
Interaction with Clients
1) ghSMART
2) Boston Consulting Group
3) Bain & Company
4) The Keystone Group
5) SciVida
Internal Mobility
1) Boston Consulting Group
2) ghSMART
3) Kenway Consulting
4) Putnam
5) Bain & Company
International Opportunities
1) Stern Value Management
2) Boston Consulting Group
3) Roland Berger
4) Arthur D. Little
5) OC&C Strategy Consultants
Level of Challenge
1) ghSMART
2) Boston Consulting Group
3) Bain & Company
4) The Keystone Group
5) Roland Berger
Overall Business Outlook
1) Aminad Consulting
2) Boston Consulting Group
3) SciVida
4) Stax
5) ghSMART
Promotion Policies
1) Boston Consulting Group
2) ghSMART
3) Putnam
4) SciVida
5) Bain & Company
Relationships with Supervisors
1) Aminad Consulting
2) Boston Consulting Group
3) ghSMART
4) Bain & Company
5) SciVida
Satisfaction
1) Aminad Consulting
2) ghSMART
3) Boston Consulting Group
4) SciVida
Selectivity
1) ghSMART
2) Bain & Company
3) Boston Consulting Group
4) SciVida
5) Putnam
Work/Life Balance
1) Aminad Consulting
2) ghSMART
3) SciVida
4) Potomac Point Group
5) Eagle Hill Consulting
Next Page: Practice Area Rankings
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