When scanning A.T. Kearney's data from our annual Best Firms to Work For survey, one figure, in particular, jumps out. When consultants were asked if they agreed or disagreed with the statement: "My firm fosters a team-oriented culture," A.T. Kearney respondents overwhelmingly agreed. In doing so, Kearney consultants racked up a score of 4.89 out of a possible 5.0 on the question—the firm's single highest response on the entire survey.
The fact that so many consultants can unanimously agree on any one thing is impressive enough, but when it's the one thing the firm has been so focused on, it becomes even more essential to receive that feedback, says Paul Laudicina, managing officer and chairman of the board
at A.T. Kearney.
"This is an absolute validation of the all things that we've been working on as a firm," Laudicina says. "This is still very much a work in progress, but I think this recognition confirms what we've all been feeling inside the firm—that we've turned the corner from where we were a couple of years ago and are in a much better place today."
Laudicina is referring to the firm's successful management buyout of EDS in 2006 to become, once again, an independent, privately owned firm after 11 years of EDS ownership. A few months after the buyout, Laudicina was named as managing officer and chairman of the board. Since that time, he has been focused on "rediscovering our roots and re-affirming our legacy values and culture," Laudicina says.
Those legacy values go back more than 80 years when founder Tom Kearney helped establish the science of management consulting. Much of Laudicina's current vision comes straight from the vision of Tom Kearney. Kearney said: "No one ever succeeded in building enduringly into this firm by being a lone wolf or by belittling the value brought by others."
For Laudicina, that's practically gospel. "It's part of what we call collaborative aptitude and intimate authenticity," he says. "It's essential that we're genuine in our relationships with our clients and with each other. That's what we've been working so hard to restore."
That relationship with clients is also a big strength for A.T. Kearney. The firm scored high on the survey in the area of The Job, that is how consultants feel about the work they are doing and how often they think they are meeting client expectations. "The pride that employees say they feel about being part of A.T. Kearney is very much driven by the quality of the service that we believe we are delivering to clients," he says. "This is all about delivering results to our clients, not producing reports, but delivering the right results."
These attitudes around Culture and The Job catapulted A.T. Kearney onto the Best Firms list for the first time since the survey began in 2001.
"I think people at A.T. Kearney are feeling a certain pride in what we're accomplishing. To do what we have done in a relatively short period of time is gratifying," says Laudicina, who is quick to point out that this is not an end, but rather a beginning. "We will not rest on our laurels for one single minute because we have a lot of work ahead of us. We're just getting started."
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