Vault’s Verdict

If you’re a go-getter with a bit of a competitive edge and an entrepreneurial spirit, Advancy may be a good fit. This international firm’s North American firm offers promotions as often as every six months, and while the criteria to advance are steep, high performers can rapidly advance to the manager level and above, when they start earning equity in the firm. According to insiders, that’s a huge financial milestone.

That said, Advancy may not be for everyone. Insiders at the firm report that, while they don’t work weekends, they often work late into the evenings during the week. A lot of learning at the firm occurs on the job, too, without a lot of formal training to help you get started.

That said, the firm is doing quite well from a business perspective. It continued to grow over the last year, even in a difficult economy for consulting, and it can afford to provide a high-level compensation package. If you’re looking for a strategy consulting gig with lots of international exposure, this firm may be for you.

Employee Reviews:

Firm Culture

• “The firm’s NYC office has a great culture, with lots of free food socials and fancy project dinners.”
• “I have a close relationship with most of my colleagues.”
• “We highly value leadership potential and an entrepreneurial mindset.”
• “You’re able to grow how you want and have the support to do so.”

Quality of Life

• “Advancy provides a lot of flexibility in managing time off, as the firm encourages work-life balance by allowing consultants to take breaks between intense projects. The firm also provides opportunities to work on projects with varying travel requirements (usually, we have no travel in the NYC office because we focus mainly on strategy projects), allowing for some control over the level of travel involvement. However, like many consulting firms, the long hours, especially during project deadlines, can be challenging.”
• “I am satisfied with our work-life balance, as are never required to work weekends. Also, on weekdays we usually get off around 8 p.m., which is about average for consulting.”
• “The hours are definitely long but accompanied by many good benefits. We have a decent amount of PTO as well.”
• “Staffing is not transparent and not communicated beforehand, so it can be hard to plan ahead for weekdays.”

Career Development

• “At Advancy, the best aspects of career development include strong mentorship programs and opportunities for international exposure, which allow consultants to gain diverse industry experiences early in their careers. The firm's emphasis on meritocracy ensures a clear, performance-driven promotion process, even though it’s very competitive. Additionally, Advancy provides a robust training framework that supports both technical and soft skill development.”
• “Advancy gives us the possibility to actually fast track our development. Many other firms say they do it but end up having a somewhat fixed timing per position. I went from junior consultant to manager in three years, and I’m far from an isolated case.”
• “A lot of learning is done on the job, which can be difficult at times and requires a lot of internal motivation to figure things out. Asking questions is the best way to learn and acclimate, even if it feels like you have asked a lot of questions.”
• “Our company has great promotion opportunities, which happen every six months.”

Compensation

• “We get a generous performance bonus and a tier-one base salary.”
• “The compensation is in line with the market overall and superior when you account for the equity.”
• “From manager onwards, you get with equity that comes with dividends that make the total pay much higher than other companies.”
• “Our health insurance is 100 percent covered by the company. We also have a $1,000 per year wellness benefit that we can use on whatever we want.”

Community Engagement

• “All our consultants have equal access to promotion and high-quality work. Diversity by ethnicity and gender are very good.”
• “It’s a very international office with many different cultures and celebrations of them. We could have more women in leadership positions, but otherwise the company is fairly balanced.”
• “Our company only assesses people based on their work performance, not on their identities or backgrounds.”
• “Advancy includes employees with lots of different nationalities and is friendly to international new graduates.”

Business Outlook

• “We're very specialized, so we’re not suffering from any slowdown in the market.”
• “We’re a fast-growing company with international expansion plans.”
• “We keep ourselves at the frontier of industry, trying to solve clients' problems based on innovative strategies.”
• “We’re growing, or at least stable, in a bad economy with more projects coming from customers in new industries, but the opaque promotion process is leading to low motivation for some workers.”

Hiring Process

• “We have four rounds in our hiring process. First is an online test, with both numeric and intentional parts. Second is a 15-minute initial screening to understand your motivations. Third is a case study and set of behavioral questions, and fourth comes a three-hour in-person interview with some behavioral questions and lots of casing.”
• “Advancy’s interview process is rigorous, focusing on case studies and cultural fit, with prompt feedback during callbacks. The ideal candidate is analytical, adaptable, and a strong communicator.”
• “We’re looking for someone that brings a diverse, global perspective. You have to be decent with numbers and be able to think outside of the box.”
• “Our firm gives quick feedback after each round of the hiring process. I heard about how I did in each round within three days, including my final offer.”

Interview Questions

• “Expect to see a case interview that covers mergers and acquisitions, product introductions, and market sizing.”
• “There’s a logical test, a phone screening, case interviews, and behavioral interviews.”
• “Expect to see standard business case questions and fit questions.”
• “Be prepared to talk about your motivation to join Advancy and your relevant work experience.”