Bain & Company – “Strategy powerhouse that provides great professional development opportunities in a supportive and fun environment.”

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.