PA Consulting Reviews

Pros

the work can be very interesting - you are often dumped in a situation where you do not have the knowledge/skills so you learn very very quickly

Cons

the senior management are in their own world - they do not live what they preach this company is only about money - this is not a people centric organisation

Advice to Senior Management

look in the mirror and do the red face test - Pretend you do not own the company and see what your investment decisions would be

Pros

Great people and great assignments

Cons

There are lots on individuals but no team

Advice to Senior Management

Change the model to allow for collaborative

Pros

Variety of work experiences available

Cons

Some incentives are mis-aligned, so that employees are able to game the system and make poor choices.

Pros

Friendly colleagues who are good people, with less competitiveness relative to other consulting firms; very good work/life balance where managers will most often respect your personal life and avoid imposing face time; solid review systems in place and open dialogue always possible with those above you

Cons

The firm doesn't always engage in the most interesting or intellectually challenging assignments; the direction / niche of the firm in terms of types of clients and assignments it pursues is a bit vague which can make it difficult to become very passionate about the company and what it does; promotion can be counted on for good work, but is uneven across departments within the company

Advice to Senior Management

Narrow the strategic direction of the firm - and stick to it, top-down. Provide higher compensation to attract greater talent, particularly at the senior management level.

Pros

great benefit health, dental, vision, 401-k package, 3-4 week vacation paid, 10 sick days, 2 floating days plus any holiday time paid off.

Cons

less chance of carrier mobility and promotion, company does not give more than the average on annual review ratings.

Advice to Senior Management

Train top management on how to be more strong leaders and train lower level admins and workers.

Pros

Great colleagues
Little hierarchy
Good work life balance
No face time
Possibility to do things if you want to
Good training

Cons

Poor development opportunities
To some extent not very exciting projects
Too little responsibility in the analyst role
The company has not grown during the last years and also too UK focused

Advice to Senior Management

Get less dependant from the UK and try to grow in other areas instead. Ensure better possibility to get a specialisation within different areas.

Pros

PA has a very unique culture and approach to consulting. They pay very well and the benefits were great, especially for the US. Very talented people that provide high-value consulting services.

Cons

Their business model is inflexible and it was difficult to find and stay engaged on projects. Consulting gigs have to meet criteria set by the parent company and they are very proud of their brand (expensive) and risk adverse. Due to their high cost and inflexible engagement criteria, it was difficult to find and stay engaged on projects. When on assignment the work was fun and challenging, but they price themselves out of too many opportunities.

Advice to Senior Management

Need the flexibility to compete in good or bad times and to be more price competitive in the US market. PA would be a top-tier consulting firm in the US if they were competitive on price and less risk adverse. You can maintain a strong brand and still engage in a mix of high / lower value work. PA should be killing the competition, the only thing holding them back is PA.

Pros

There are a good number of down to earth, nice and surprisingly fun individuals working at the firm.
Can provide a good variety of work experiences.
As with most consultancies, work life balance and potential amounts of travel is suited towards young and singletons.

Cons

Bonus scheme generates pockets of selfishness amongst senior staff.
The firm might continue to shrink this year if it fails to deliver on its pledge on improving renumeration.
As with most consultancies, work life balance and potential amounts of travel is suited towards young and singletons.

Advice to Senior Management

Look at the total staff numbers over the past few years, just how many will be left in a couple of years time? Something has to be done immediately to address it.

Pros

OK platform and environment to work in, where somebody can try out new things. Management supports the development of Thought Leadership activities.

Cons

Good Performance and a high commitment is not respected within the company. Performance Appraisels are very standard and are not reflecting the real situation.

Advice to Senior Management

Executive Management should take into account a up-or-out principle, so that all the underperformer are get sacked

Pros

Some great people who are very bright and can be very co-operative (but they tend to be the ones who don't progress)
Possibility to work in many different areas and direct yourself to where you want to be
If money means a lot to you, then you can make a lot

Cons

The reward model drives a lack of co-operation and communication - MCs and Partners fail to look for the right people beyond immediate group
In general Partners are not strong enough to hold convincing dialogue and relationships at senior levels in client organisations - many do not lead sales, but sit on accounts or wait for MCs to bring them in.
Lip-service to many valuable processes such as knowledge mgmt, TL and people development. Utilisation and profit are all that matter.

Advice to Senior Management

You are losing the good people and the junior staff as they cannot see the way forward. Attrition is lowest at Partner and then MC level. You need to change the reward model, drop the emphasis on high rewards for order-takers, have leadership that really drives the right behaviours, and rip out a significant proportion of MCs and Partners.
 Lots of 10 minute videos don't amount to a strategy. Try listening and talking instead.
Be realistic about where we really are in comparison to competitors.