Mercer Management Consulting
Headquarters: New York
Locations: 23
Day 1 at Mercer Management Consulting: Hit the ground running, solving client problems.
Day 2 and on: More of the same.
At Mercer, consultants claim that they are constantly involved in hands-on projects that have direct impact on the client. The learning curve is steep and challenging, and assignments call for creativity rather than a cookie-cutter approach.
"Mercer encourages intellectual curiosity and will give you as much responsibility as you are ready to take on," says Thomas Escourrou, a 27-year-old consultant based in San Francisco who joined the firm two years ago. "In less than two years, I have worked in several industries from high-tech to retail, from conceptual strategy cases to large-client-team management roles, in Europe and in the United States."
Pros are given lots of autonomy as well as mentoring from partners, consultants claim. Consultants who prove themselves early appear to find upward paths quickly here, but the firm allows for a flexible and individual career development path. There is no promotion schedule, and up-or-out is not practiced here.
"The firm provides an intellectually stimulating environment where professional growth is fostered through the placement of individuals in challenges that are new and uncomfortable but always meetable due to the resources provided," says a research analyst.
Be that as it may, Mercer consultants appear to have a high opinion of their coworkers, describing them as "brilliant strategists," "down-to-earth," and having "wry senses of humor." The culture, consultants claim, is analytical, team-oriented, and nonpolitical. Ethics are part of the firm's fabric, consultants say. Mercer's compensation and benefits appear to be competitive, and the firm offers its people a menu of developmental programs, including externships with client companies and six-month fellowships with nonprofits. Mercer pays consultants 40 percent of their salary during the fellowship.
New consultants spend two weeks in intensive orientation and toolkit training, which is supplemented a few months later by a weeklong case simulation training. "You have ample room to grow, take on larger roles, and learn about your development objectives through the top-notch career review cycle," says Steven Han, an associate consultant who joined Mercer five years ago.
Depending on the office, consultants may travel Monday through Thursday, which can be stressful for those with families, some consultants say. And the hours are long. "They'll work you until you say 'uncle,' but then they'll respect you for it," says a witty Chicago-based senior consultant.
But one of the firm's more famous work/life benefits is the opportunity to work a shortened year. Some consultants choose to work a 10- or 11-month year and have their compensation adjusted accordingly.
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