The 2019 Best Firms to Work For: Boston Consulting Group

"This recognition by the flagship publication of the consulting profession is an honor and an acknowledgement that we have created a vibrant workplace where our people grow and develop the capabilities to be leaders who will help our clients tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities," he says. "Morale continues to be very high. The firm continues to grow at a very healthy rate, allowing us to continue to offer an ever-expanding set of options and opportunities for our people."

As an added bonus, Davis says the firm's consultants, data and analytics, knowledge professionals, and business services teams know that they can develop their own career paths and continue to learn valuable skills that will serve them in their career at BCG and onward. 

"We provide a growing set of opportunities for our people to expand their capabilities in areas such as digital innovation and tools, transformation, and advanced analytics. Our full range of firm-wide, office-level, and affiliation programming builds camaraderie, preserves our values, and drives retention," Davis says. "Our team spirit, deeply rooted values, and aspiration to be the best at transforming client organizations to win in a rapidly-shifting digital world inspires our people and provides a foundation for our unique culture of care." 

People-Centric Business

One of the contributing factors to the firm's continued success, Davis says, is the fact that the firm is "a people-centric business" that invests in innovative people programs that sustain BCG's ability to attract, develop, and retain top talent. "This reinforces our culture of supporting every individual according to his or her needs," Davis says. "To improve the ways our teams work and communicate with each other, we leverage our predictability, teaming, and open communication. Before a new team begins a project, members discuss how they will do their work and define their norms for things like travel, email response time, and how often the team will meet face-to-face." 

In addition, BCG's Time for You program allows its Consulting Track employees to take a leave of absence while they continue to receive full benefits, allowing them to take a break and do things they are passionate about, such as traveling and volunteering their time. "We have major ongoing efforts to attract and retain diverse talent and provide an inclusive culture," he says. "We aim to unlock the full potential of every person in the firm, improve our career development at all levels, and to support those transitioning out of the firm to join our large and highly engaged alumni community." 

Indeed, Davis says one of his top priorities remains attracting, developing, and retaining the best talent and creating an environment where people can thrive and make a difference in the world—by serving as catalysts for our clients or through their actions. "That long-term focus never changes," he says.

Davis says at the core of the business is a close collaboration, among BCG's employees at all levels, and with clients. "We bring the right people together to challenge established thinking and drive transformation," he says. "We partner with clients from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in all regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their enterprises."

In a rapidly-shifting digital world, BCG's diverse, global teams bring a tremendous depth and breadth of industry, functional, digital, and analytical expertise to clients, he says.  When the firm integrates these capabilities, BCG's teams deliver enormous value, and the response from clients has been phenomenal.

Digital Transformation

And that's led to some pretty big wins for BCG, Davis says. To succeed, organizations must blend digital and human capabilities to unlock new sources of economic value and achieve improvements in productivity, flexibility, and speed. "The opportunity to help our clients own their digital future by leveraging the depth and breadth of BCG brings our clients extraordinary results," Davis says. "As I look to the remainder of this year and beyond, I believe leaders will need to question their current assumptions and be willing to transform their companies for the coming decade.'

Meanwhile, adapting to an evolving digital world will require new strategies for growth, driving productivity, and to embed technology into its business models. 

"We continue to focus on our clients' ambitious transformation agendas to incorporate digital and other evolving technologies, such as AI and machine learning, into their business models, find growth, drive productivity, and better prioritize and serve customers in today's fast-moving environment," he says. "But, as we continue to transform and grow, we are unwilling to allow the breadth and pace of change to compromise our values."

Davis says the firm has built a solid foundation on which diverse minds can collaborate so that the best thinking can grow. "This is personal for me—this is what leads people to BCG—the opportunity to bring our shared values to life and together live our purpose of unlocking the potential of those who advance the world," he says. 

On the survey, the firm excelled in the areas of Compensation & Benefits; and Career Development. Why do you think that is?

Davis: Career Development is an area of intense focus and where we consistently score high, year after year. Our people appreciate the many opportunities to grow personally and professionally—which is accelerated by our own rapid growth as a firm. Our people build skills and knowledge quickly, helping them prepare for even greater challenges, at BCG and beyond. They also value our non-hierarchical and team-oriented culture, and the ability to build relationships and grow with smart, exceptionally-talented colleagues. In terms of compensation and benefits, this is always a source of pride for our people. We aim to attract and retain top talent and work hard to exceed expectations on this front, offering a best-in-class and progressive benefits package.