The 2022 Best Firms to Work For: North Highland

Client Industries Served: Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Health Care, Life Sciences, Media, Entertainment & Communications, Public Sector, Transportation, and Hospitality & Leisure

Consulting Service Lines: Strategy, Technology, Change Management, Data & Analytics, Program & Project Management, Process & Business Analysis, and Managed Services

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

Everything we do at North Highland begins and ends with people. The powerful experience we create when working with clients is unique, trusted, and collaborative. It is more than an approach or a methodology, it is a way of working that translates into real value, now and into the future.

Empowerment is a core tenant at North Highland, and we believe that teaching our clients "how to fish" is a critical component of our work. We won't just tell you where to go and how to improve. We provide clarity—not complication. Binding our team with your structural, long-term aims, you'll learn about self-directed change and, eventually, make it happen yourself.

We've renewed our employee value proposition in the past year to fully reflect and encompass who we are and what we do. We are change champions, we put people at the heart, and we believe in flexible growth. We believe that if we challenge and support our employees, creating space for success, they will do the same for our clients.

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

We are proud of the powerful and unique opportunities for all our employees to have a place to belong, to grow, and to excel. We have seven unique ERGs that provide a safe place for our diverse communities to connect with one another, make real change together in the community and to provide resources for all of North Highland. Each of our employees is integrated into our DEI initiatives through yearly personal goals. Our People Experience Leaders (PXLs) lead each of our offices across the United States, UK, and SA in increasing our employee engagement, championing company culture, and building relationships

We see the importance of helping people build skills and competencies to keep up with our ever-changing environments. We offer a wealth of growth opportunities, new learnings, and upskilling through North Highland's Learning Labs. One of our top priorities is integrating our employees in agile practice training and operating the firm in an agile fashion as well. Our employees know they can pursue a flexible career path within North Highland and try new areas of work that interest them. Our leaders make time to intentionally invest in the next generation of consultants through our Academy and apprenticeship programs.

We will end this year with our own Changemaker Awards program that will allow our teams to highlight and reward team members for their alignment with our firm's values and differentiators. We are proud to have a culture of care for our people and keep them at the heart of all we do.

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

We make change happen, helping businesses transform, with people at the heart of every decision. We deliver a truly people-first experience.

We often hear that it "feels different to work with us" and it's all in the "how." From day one, we bring the right mix of people, creating relationships, delivering unique experiences, and becoming part of our clients' teams. It's no surprise that we outperform the competition. Clients brag that we are team players and are flexible to change. A massive 2 out of 3 clients surveyed believe North Highland feel like part of their team.

Those that partner with us, like that we listen and then move quickly to create value. We roll up our sleeves, are intentional about driving action, and deliver real results. We outperform the competition in terms of taking action based on recent survey results. We also heard that 2 out of 3 people believe North Highland makes recommendations that are actionable and that we deliver results quickly.

The people we work with know and love that "we build client capability and not consulting dependency." We pride ourselves on sharing knowledge and embedding skills, to make sure our clients can sustain success long after we've gone. This is an area where we truly excel. Two thirds of people surveyed believe North Highland efficiently and effectively transfer knowledge to their team.

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

As we continue to grow exponentially, we want to continue doing what we do really well: Making Change Happen. We want to create a culture of change by empowering people (our people and our clients) to get better little and often. It's about progress over perfection and a key part of being a business that is 'Made for Change'. We want to fail fast, learn from our mistakes, and create change that lasts for the long-term not just producing for the next quarter. We want to continue our record-breaking growth trajectory, acquire businesses that push us to new thinking, like Decooda, and create new, exciting opportunities for our people.

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

While there are many opportunities for us, one of the most powerful to me is feeling that "the rules" are once again being challenged. There's a greater sense of openness to experimentation and trying new ideas. The unknown doesn't feel as scary and leaders are far more willing to break from traditional patterns. We have a strong sense of purpose, new tools and, importantly, a refined perspective to bring to bear on driving progress.

So, as we head into the back half of 2022, I encourage everyone to be curious and tap into the wisdom which surrounds you.

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

As we celebrate our 30-year anniversary this year, North Highland continues to dominate boardroom conversation as the partner of choice when it comes to change and transformation needs, with the most enviable culture in consulting, inspiring people to reach their full potential.

Our WOW factor is believing in our people. We know they make change happen through their appetite for curiosity, authenticity, leadership, agility, and collaboration. Together, we solve tough problems, create value for our clients, and consistently deliver the highest quality while always putting people at the heart of our decisions.

Receiving this honorable award builds credibility that our people believe in our mission and values and gives others an inside look into our truly enviable culture.

CMAG: Thank you again, and congratulations.