5. North Highland
It's eight years and counting for North Highland, the employee-owned, perennial top-of-the-charts Strategy firm. Year in and year out, the Atlanta-based firm delivers the results, and this year was no exception.
"Being named a Best Firm to Work For for the eighth year in a row further reinforces that we can indeed have a positive, encouraging and collaborative culture along with financial strength and growth," says Dan Reardon, CEO of North Highland. "We're incredibly proud of what we've built and this recognition is validation of the uniqueness of our employee-ownership business model, which allows us to deliver the best value and expertise to clients while creating a place employees want to come every day."
And that's clearly reflected in the firm's survey scores year after year. While North Highland is near the top in nearly every category, this year, Work/Life Balance was its strong point. At North Highland, "people are the top priority" is not just a motto or mantra, Reardon says.
"We've spent the last year laying the foundation for a number of internal initiatives focused on ensuring that we are able to attract, retain, and reward our people in better and more meaningful ways, while building an even stronger culture of performance and excellence in everything we do," he says. "We want to continue to be a destination for the top talent within our industry and deepen our expertise."
Many of the services clients are looking for—data analytics, digital insights and strategy—are emerging industries so there's a need to look beyond what's been a traditional North Highland hire. "Our definition of experience is evolving," he says.
So is the client work. From a services perspective, Reardon says the firm is investing in its digital expertise and launching new solutions, like a Social Insights Lab, to ensure that it's on the cutting edge of everything digital and data related in the coming years. "This is the next frontier for our clients and we plan to have the right data scientists, digital gurus and innovations in place to make sure clients stay ahead of the curve," he says. "We're also expanding our global strategy capabilities and advisory services within our Operational Strategy Division, which will continue to enhance our ability to partner with clients throughout the business life cycle and deliver meaningful value to the C-suite."
Reardon says challenging the status quo is in North Highland's DNA. "It's not about what we do, it's how we do it," he says. "We are the pioneer of the employee-ownership model in the management consulting world, knowing that we could build something truly unique in our industry. Let me be clear—we have no intention to become like our competitors. We are carving our own path and want our consultants to do the same. We're setting out to change the way the world thinks about consulting."
What words would you use to describe your North Highland's culture?
Dan Reardon, CEO, says: "Ownership, integrity and collaboration are all cornerstones of our core values. Our people are by far our most important asset. They are the heart of our business and without them we wouldn't have anything, and they are the gate-keepers of our culture. The fact that employee voices are heard, that we're all owners, and therefore do what's right, sets North Highland's culture apart from other management consultancies."
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