Executives responsible for developing talent at consulting firms tend to concentrate on cultivating analytical and relationship-management skills during the early stages of their consultants' growth. Bain & Company Chief Talent Officer Russ Hagey prefers a more unconventional approach.
"I think development is much more around industry expertise, consulting capabilities, a global perspective, how to drive change in organizations and how to be a counselor around an organization's unique challenges," Hagey explains.
"Those capabilities come with time and experience, and they are all supported by training and development programs that we continue to put in place throughout a consultant's career. We try to create developmental environments where our people can test their approaches, take risks and experiment to find out what works and what doesn't."
The approach is thriving, judging by Bain's stranglehold on the top slot of this magazine's Best Firms to Work For rankings year in and year out.
Hagey also favors an unorthodox recruiting style. "We're looking for renegades," he says. "I use that term often. It describes a willingness to take risks, to change and to do new things for the firm and for our clients. It's an energy that represents an important part of our culture."
Bain also expects its renegades to focus their energies on the communities in which they live and work. "A big part of my time at Bain, and a big part of our firm's time, involves giving back to our communities," Hagey notes. "That is another piece where Bain has been able to make a difference."
For his part, Hagey personally leads the nonprofit consulting efforts for Bain's Los Angeles office. He led the development of funding strategy for LA's Best, a nationally recognized after-school program for children, led the strategy effort for the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art and helped refine the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation's growth plans and governance structure.
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