Bain & Company
Headquarters: Boston
Locations: 31
Impact junkie? Come to Bain & Company for your fix, beckons a veteran.
"We have a maniacal focus on client results," says Diane Ledingham, one of the leaders in Bain's North America technology and telecom practice area, who joined the firm 15 years ago. "The culture at Bain is set up in order to make sure that every level of the organization is impassioned to make a difference at the client."
Be that as it may, the firm says that having impact is the best way for consultants to broaden themselves professionally, and it today boasts an extended menu of career paths. Beyond the traditional consulting world, consultants may spend six months in Bain's Private Equity Group, which focuses on leveraged buyout cases, or do an externship at the Bridgespan Group, Bain's nonprofit firm. They may do an externship at a client site of their choosing or transfer to another Bain office. For those who want to get off the fast track, there are part-time options, sabbaticals, leaves of absence, and internal corporate roles.
All new consultants get two weeks of formal training. This is perhaps above average for the profession's top strategy firms, but Bain is quick to also point out that its training is now being supplemented by the firm's proprietary online "Bain Virtual University," which provides training materials at their fingertips. And, as at most firms, pros here are assigned coaches and mentors.
"Our fees are high enough that people only hire us to address challenging problems," says a partner in the firm's Boston office. "Our track record of achieving results on those challenging problems will make you proud. Face time is not important here. All people care about is whether you achieve results for your clients to get your work done."
Hours are long and above average for the profession, but the travel, for a large percentage, is not as bad as it is for peers at some competitors. According to our Best Firms survey, the majority of Bain consultants don't travel more than two days a week. This may reflect the firm's evenhanded approach of having consultants work on no more than two cases simultaneously.
Bain's culture is described as cohesive and collegial, and coworkers are said to be passionate, energetic, and funny. The firm also hosts a number of employee diversity groups, including Bain Gay & Lesbian Association for Diversity, Women at Bain, and Blacks at Bain. One 25-year-old consultant advises future colleagues to make Bain a part of their lives beyond the elevators — for professional advancement and for the great friends they will make. "People come for the learning and professional growth, but they stay for the people," says Chris Bierly, a partner who joined the firm 17 years ago. "The culture is incredibly hard to leave."
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