The 2022 Best Firms to Work For: Boston Consulting Group

Client Industries Served: Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, Consumer Product, Education, Financial Services, Heath Care, Industrial, Insurance, Oil and Gas, Power and Utilities, Principal Investors and Private Equity, Public Sector, Retail, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Transportation and Logistics, Travel and Tourism, US Public Sector and Government

Consulting Service Lines: Strategy, Operations Management, HR, Financial Consulting

CMAG: How would you say you've managed to stay among the industry's Best Firms to Work For amid these unprecedented times?

COVID-19 accelerated changes that were already reshaping the workplace, including digitization, remote working, distributed workforces, asynchronous and virtual collaboration, and reskilling and upskilling.

We approached the future of work, by balancing two fundamental goals: managing the operational challenges of near-term decisions regarding a return to premises and investing in innovative work and talent models designed to address customers' and employees' changing demands.

We also prioritized the needs of our employees and their families during this time, rethinking and taking immediate action to ensure our benefits were aligned with the needs of our employees. With specific focus on the safety and wellbeing of our employees by providing free COVID-19 testing kits, investing aggressively in mental health resources, training our leaders, and taking a patient and paced approach to return to work. Giving individuals and teams flexibility, while also creating the opportunity & motivation for people to come back together in the office and get the apprenticeship and community they need.

CMAG: Were there any specific programs or initiatives (internal or external) that contributed to you being a Best Firm to Work For?

We are a people-centric business that invests in innovative people programs that sustain BCG's ability to attract, develop, and retain top talent. This also reinforces our culture of supporting every individual according to his or her needs.

To improve the ways our teams work and communicate with each other, we leverage our predictability, teaming, and opening communication program called PTO. 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.

While PTO has been in place to 15+ years, we have invested majorly in this over the last two years to take our teaming to the next level.

We have introduced new methodologies, team rituals, and upskilled our leaders and new BCGers alike in the ingredients required for great teaming.

This is helping keep our teaming model second-to-none while we relearn rhythms and norms in a hybrid world. Our Time for You program allows our Consulting Track employees to take a leave of absence while they continue to receive full benefits. This allows them to take a break and do things they are passionate about like travel, spend more time with family and friends or learn something new like yoga or cooking.

We have major ongoing efforts to attract and retain diverse talent and provide an inclusive culture. 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. In addition to core training embedded into every aspect of the role, hundreds of partners and senior leaders have opted-in to a 2-day training to upskill themselves on matters of racial equity.

We also continue to raise the bar on our learning and development programs, benefiting staff and clients. We have exciting opportunities for staff to work across our growing portfolio of companies, such as BCG Digital Ventures and B Capital Group, a VC firm that invests in pioneering startups. Our Digital Rotation program allows consulting staff to experience our digital businesses through half-year rotational programs.

CMAG: What's unique about your firm? What sets it apart?

We have a fluidity in how people work across topics, sectors, and disciplines that allows us to bring the best to our clients & enable variety and cross-functional learning for our staff.

At the core of our business is close collaboration — among our employees at all levels, and with our clients. We bring the right people together to challenge established thinking and drive transformation. In our rapidly-shifting digital world, BCG's diverse, global teams bring a tremendous depth and breadth of industry, functional, digital, and analytical expertise to our clients. When we integrate these capabilities, our teams deliver enormous value, and the response from clients has been phenomenal.

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.

CMAG: What's the top priority over the next 6 to 12 months?

Year in and year out, our top priorities include 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.

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.

But, as we continue to transform and grow, we are unwilling to allow the breadth and pace of change compromise our values. We have 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 change the world.

CMAG: When you look at the remainder of this year and 2023, what excites you? What opportunities do you see in your future?

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.

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

I also think leaders will need to double down on diversity and take a hard look at the role their business plays in society. Our own research—and success—is testimony to the impact of this approach and mindset.

CMAG: What impact do you think being a Best Firm to Work For has on the firm? Employees? Clients?

We are incredibly proud to be recognized by Consulting Magazine as a Best Firm to Work For in 2022. This recognition by the flagship publication of the consulting profession is an honor and an acknowledgment 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. Because we are a great place to work our employees bring a different level of motivation, dedication, energy, and creativity to our clients.

CMAG: Thank you, and congratulations.