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Rank: 6 (2005 Rank: 4) | | | Consultants: 558 | | Male to Female Ratio: 62/38 | | Locations: Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo, Benelux, Birmingham, Düsseldorf, Leeds, London, Manchester, Paris, Zug, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Madison, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Princeton, Relocating, San Bruno, San Francisco | | Categories | 2006 Rank | 2005 Rank | | Overall | 6 | 4 | | Compensation | 7 | 4 | | Work/Life Balance | 7 | 3 | | Career Development | 9 | 6 | | Job Experience | 5 | 5 | | Firm Leadership | 7 | 4 | | Firm Culture | 11 | 5 | | An in Depth Look at Kurt Salmon Associates This year marks the third consecutive year KSA has made our list. Though it has been bumped down a few spots since last year, it is clear that this firm is no one-hit wonder. What is the secret to its success? Many consultants who filled out our survey touted the firm's tight-knit culture, interesting array of projects and its many opportunities to gain responsibility early on. Tom White, 24, a senior consultant elucidates, "KSA offers the best of both worlds." With 560 consultants around the globe, he explains that it has the infrastructure and training opportunities big firms typically offer, and the relationships with firm management that you typically only find in a small firm. But its size, though convenient for personal development, may also be partly responsible for a common gripe. When asked, "What would you warn a colleague about at your firm?" Several consultants at KSA responded with comments akin to: "Low levels of compensation compared to competitors," and "compensation is not competitive with the top consulting firms." Farzan Bharucha, 28, a senior consultant agrees that compensation has "historically been at average or a little under," but explains that the upside is that relative to other firms, "there's a much wider range in the variable compensation, and it's tied directly to merit; so, the range of bonuses—even at the level of consultant—are pretty big." Apparently, health benefits have also been a bit lackluster. One consultant described the benefits as, "good but not great," and the sentiment seems to be shared by many of those who completed the survey, given their ratings. On the other hand, many consultants describe how the firm places a great deal of responsibility on the individual for his or her personal advancement, which many seem to appreciate since it means having a greater say in one's career path. A senior consultant from California explains, "Like other consulting firms, the culture at KSA rewards entrepreneurship. You've got to take an active part in your own experiences and advancement." | |
