Bain & Company Reviews in Singapore, Singapore Area

Pros

Great bosses and co-workers, not overly competitive, results are put first which means that input from lower levels are treated very seriously in order to drive to a "True North" answer.

Cons

Office wide performance reviews are opaque (extremely difficult to compare qualitatively between people who are staffed on different cases; different managers also have different thresholds for the elements of our professional development plan). This though is a problem that is probably impossible to solve.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep doing what you're doing, the company is headed in the right direction.

Pros

Results oriented firm that is focused on true collaboration with clients with a management team that truly cares for individuals professional development needs.

Cons

Work-life balance can be tough at times. Management team having a tendency to over-promise or over-scope engagements. Inconsistent promotion cycles globally.

Advice to Senior Management

Improve or create a more effective project management and project scoping process. Better incentive system to accommodate extreme work-life balances. Streamline promotion criteria and cycles globally instead of catered to certain geographies.

Pros

Pros include: The team/people you work with - most are both smart and friendly; The training provided - both on the job and during training programs such as global ACT; The overall work is fairly intellectually challenging; The exposure you get to clients and the amount of responsibility given even at a junior level; The general respect given to personal vacation time

Cons

Cons include: Managment will still always put the clients' needs above your needs for work/life balance or professional development; Work experience, hours and team can differ hugely from case to case; Lack of visibility into travel and work schedules

Advice to Senior Management

-

Pros

Excellent culture - meritocratic, open, driven. Translates into ambitious yet down to earth people who are a pleasure to work with and also spend time with outside the office. Prioritizes results, which means no needless face time and manageable hours. Top notch reputation and wide-ranging alumni network provides many exit options. The vast majority of those seeking MBAs go to top-ranked business schools (Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton). Private equity firms also recruit heavily from Bain, including firms with deep Bain roots like Bain Capital, Golden Gate Capital, and Berkshire Partners. By far the most established private equity consultancy. Opportunities to transfer temporarily to other offices. Some partners and managers will stand up to the client for their team and their findings. Very strong brand in North America and London. A conscious effort to minimize travel. Generalist model at Associate Consultant and Consultant (and Manager, to some extent) levels allow for broader-based experiences, and staffing is done with an eye towards this aspect of professional development. Extensive training programs - annual worldwide gatherings and also on the job.

Cons

Because we get along so well, Bainees tend to spend much time outside of the office together. Though there is no overt pressure to follow along, it can be difficult to branch out beyond colleagues. Diversity can be lacking, though this probably has more to do with self-selection and the strong culture. There is some variability between managers/partners. On a whole they are quite respectful of underlings' work/life balance and other concerns, but there are a few exceptions. While offices tend to be consistent on culture, there is also variability on some issues: e.g. international offices do not all offer the Habitat for Humanity option prior to start nor are equally generous about leave time. The focus on private sector work means that there is no government or non-profit done in-house (spun off to Bridgespan), which may or may not be appealing. Airplane trips under 5 hours are economy class. Finally, the brand is weaker outside North America and London. In Europe and Asia, lags behind McKinsey and BCG.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep respecting work/life balance - it is a big reason people love the firm. Don't be afraid to push back on the client sometimes when their demands are unreasonable. Expand our presence more aggressively in fast developing regions - we were late to India and China and have some work to do to catch up to competitors. Be more open to people doing cases worldwide with different offices beyond the formal transfer programs. Be more generous about expenses: 5 hours is too long for economy class and meal budgets could be expanded slightly given the price increases over the past year.