Back in the early-1990s, the Buffalo Bills went to four consecutive Super Bowls and lost every single one of them. The losses overshadowed the incredible accomplishment of actually getting to the big game four consecutive years—something that had never been done before, and hasn't since.
The Boston Consulting Group is the only consulting firm that's appeared in the Best Firms to Work For rankings every single year since it debuted in 2001. In that initial year, the firm grabbed the top spot. Since then, BCG has never been raked outside the Top 5. That's an incredibly impressive run of consistency. This year, fresh off its 50th anniversary last year, BCG is back at No. 1.
The Buffalo Bills comparison is not entirely fair. The Bills, after all, ended each of those four seasons with the crushing disappointment of a loss. There are no losers on the Best Firms to Work For list. But still, it must've been pretty frustrating to be a bridesmaid the last several years. And I'm sure BCG would've preferred to unseat the perennial powerhouse Bain & Company rather than win in a year Bain chose not to participate in the Best Firms survey. (Company officials said the firm wanted to focus its efforts on its own worldwide employee survey.)
Still, BCG's survey numbers continue to improve—as do many of the other up-and-coming firms. Clearly, Bain has its work cut out for it if it decides to participate next year.
Either way, 2014 marks a turning point for the survey. For the first time since 2003, a new consultancy wears the crown as the Best Firm to Work For. What that means internally at BCG is tough to say. And what impact the No. 1 ranking will ultimately have externally, especially on campus, remains to be seen. What is crystal clear is that BCG's perennial perseverance paid off in a big way in 2014.
You are the champions, my friends.
It's too bad we can't say the same for the Buffalo Bills. They haven't been back to the Super Bowl since 1993. And most pundits agree this won't be their year, either.
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