The 2022 Best Firms to Work For: Protiviti

Client Industries Served: Financial Services, Technology, Media & Communications, Health Care, Energy, Consumer Products & Services, Manufacturing & Distribution, Private Equity, Government; and Non-profit

Consulting Service Lines: ALL

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

Our long-term, consistent 'people first' philosophy has served us well. Throughout the pandemic, we avoided layoffs, continued to promote our people and give out bonuses and made additional surprise payouts to support their wellbeing and home office needs. The double-digit growth that we've achieved in the last two years is in large part because we were able to keep our workforce intact and engaged, and exceed our client's expectations.

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

We recognized early on that the future of work post-pandemic would demand not only a new model but also a new mindset, and that the critical key to a successful hybrid workforce is flexibility. For us, hybrid work means finding a way for our people to fulfill their job responsibilities through a blend of in-person and remote work that works for them, their colleagues, and their clients. It also means empowering people to make the best choices for themselves and the business and having a deeply rooted trust in each other to do the right thing. Our hybrid strategy is still evolving; so far, we've received very positive feedback from both our people and our clients.

We've also empowered our people to innovate by giving everyone in the firm access to training in innovation techniques and the tools and encouragement from leadership to put forward and develop new ideas. Innovation is one of our core values, and we see the results of this every day in the ways we are evolving as a firm and in the innovative solutions we offer our clients.

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

We lead with our core values, which are integrity, inclusion, innovation and commitment to success. These four values are built into every program and initiative we create, and we receive regular feedback from our people that tells us they trust us to put our people first, behave ethically, deliver excellent results to our clients, and invest in our people's future.

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

In addition to continuing to grow our core business, we'll focus on our fast-growing managed solutions offering and also on our emerging practices in digital, human capital, ESG and, in the U.S., legal consulting. We've hired nearly 2,000 people in the last year, a large number of whom are experienced hires with specific expertise and capabilities in these emerging areas, so we feel well-positioned to assist our clients with a wide range of modern business challenges.

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

We plan to stay relevant by continuing to diversify our portfolio of client offerings and building on our strong industry program, which has already enabled us to withstand significant shifts and pressures in the marketplace.

Beyond that, our research tells us that our clients and prospective clients are looking for more nimble business partners – consulting firms that have the ability to scale and execute, not just diagnose the problem. Our business model, which includes our partnership with our parent Robert Half's Talent Solutions, is fully aligned with these objectives and I believe gives us a competitive advantage. I'm also excited to see the current strong growth in our international business and anticipate that this trend will continue, particularly as our brand becomes increasingly recognized around the world.

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

Being named to the Best Firms list every year since 2014 has helped grow our global reputation as a consulting firm that can be consistently trusted to take care of its people and deliver great results to its clients. This recognition is a continuing source of pride at Protiviti.

CMAG: Thank you, and congratulations.