The 2013 Best Firms to Work For: Bain & Company

But Hagey insists the firm will not be caught looking back and says the "award is a wonderful validation that Bain continues to deliver on our promise of being a great place to work," but the firm "will remain focused on our own continuous improvement—trying to improve in each and every office and team around the world."

He says Bain listens to what employees say—both in Consulting's survey and in its own annual Worldwide Employee Survey—to identify "where we need to improve, determine what we need to do differently and to measure our progress year over year."

But listening to what Bain's own employees have to say, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot to improve upon. Michael Robbins, a Partner, says: "Our clients always tell us that our people differentiate us most from other firms. I think being recognized as the Best Firm to Work For creates a reinforcing cycle of where we continue to 'wow' our clients with our people which, in turn, allows us to attract the best people—a true differentiator for Bain."

Chio Verastegui, a Principal, joined the firm the first year Bain topped the rankings. "It's been an extraordinary journey to see Bain go from strength to strength and—more personally—to feel like I was contributing to it," Verastegui says. "This is particularly true now as part of the leadership team, as I contribute to the direction the firm takes. I am immensely proud to be a 'Bainie,' regardless of the award, but the external recognition is an added bonus."

That external recognition, of course, goes a long way to reinforcing what Bain leaders see every day, according to Paul Meehan, Bain's Regional Managing Director, EMEA. "It is significant to all of us that this comes as we celebrate our 40th year as a firm," he says. "Our internal tracking of our own Bain NPS (Net Promoter Score and loyalty measure) has just hit record levels for this year—so morale, satisfaction and a willingness to promote Bain as the consulting firm of choice continues to trend in the right way across the firm."

Many factors drive morale, Meehan says, but it starts with Bain's client mission and the impact teams are having every day with clients to drive results. In addition, the strong and sustained growth of the firm provides new opportunities for people to learn and accelerate their career trajectories across clients, geographies and practices.

And Meehan says sometimes it's just the way that the firm finds ways to spend time together to celebrate and have fun as a team that's really the secret sauce, such as more than 1,000 Bainies from all over the world at the 27th annual Bain World Cup this summer in Amsterdam.

Dale Cottrell, a Partner, says the people are, by far, the biggest differentiator cited by clients. "Bain teams are consistently characterized as 'putting clients first,' and 'offering talent second to none.'
And Bainies agree. Karsten Fruechtl, a Principal, says: "For me, it's the people I can work with every day, and that's not only true in the individual office people work in but globally."

And Richard Spady, a Principal, says: "This teaming drives better results and a fun, energized atmosphere internally and externally. Bain is about action, not about recommendations or reports," he says. "We help our clients take action that drives their business results."

And driving business results—particularly in emerging markets—continues to be a main focus for Bain. Hagey says: "Some of our strongest performing markets right now are some of our newest markets, like South Africa, Moscow, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Not only is this great for the business, but it's great for our people."

Hagey says the firm has transferred more than 50 consultants into these markets over the past 12 months. "My top priority over the next 12 months is to keep our edge in ensuring we deliver on our value proposition to our current and future employees. We tell our recruits that if they come to Bain they will have the opportunity to work with the world's top leaders and help solve their toughest challenges," he says.

"We are a supportive team culture and a firm that makes a significant investment in everyone's personal development. That's why we invest in ongoing training for all employees and continue to be the innovator in the professional development, mentorship, sponsorship, and work practices and norms for our industry."

ON THIS YEAR'S SURVEY, THE FIRM SCORED HIGHEST IN THE AREAS OF CULTURE AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
Russ Hagey, the Global Chief Talent Officer at Bain, says: "We often say it feels different to work here, and it is often what draws people to the firm, but more importantly it's why people stay. We strongly believe our culture is an important part of Bain's success over the past 40 years.

Our people contribute their best culture stories to OneBain, our cultural intranet site, using videos, pictures and presentations depicting not only our culture, but our history in terms of our people, our offices, and our values. In terms of career development, it is so important to each and every employee and it's what stands out with our recruits. We talk about thriving with support at Bain. Consultants at Bain succeed because of the supportive team culture and the significant investment in their personal development."