Vault’s Verdict

With a growing presence in the APAC region, Alvarez & Marsal stands out for its vibrant working culture, characterized by challenging projects for well-known clients. While A&M is a firm with a reputation for preferring seasoned pros (who are vital to its turnaround work), insiders are nonetheless complimentary of the career growth on offer—even if the majority of it comes in the form of on-the-job learning.

A&M is also known for its no-nonsense approach to competitive compensation, which allows consultants to reap the rewards for their expertise and hours in an “eat what you kill” arrangement, with very few additional perks or benefits. The benefit of that approach is in the levels of compensation enjoyed by A&M employees; the downside is in work-life balance, with insiders citing long working hours and the intense nature of transaction diligence work.

Looking forward, the firm is rapidly growing in the Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on technological innovation and expansion in emerging markets. As such, A&M remains a dynamic and rewarding place for those seeking a fast-paced, growth-oriented consulting career—provided you’re willing to put the hours in.

Employee Reviews

Firm Culture

• “A firm centered on expertise with integrity.”
• “Collaborative working culture”
• “High quality people and good customer perception.”
• “No excessive bureaucracy or hierarchy—everyone matters!”
• “This firm is growing and there is lots of opportunities for growth and development as long as you are willing to work.”

Quality of Life

• “As per consulting standards, work life balance is very good with limited travel.”
• “Best: Work/life balance is good for consulting industry. Worst: Nature of the work is unpredictable. It isn't the number of hours, but not knowing in advance when the work will intensify (due to the crisis / acute nature of many of our engagements).”
• “Everyone is understanding, and time can be taken when required.”
• “My leave applications are always approved quickly and smoothly. Team leaders and members are always doing their best to not bother me during my leave.”
• “We work hard when on projects and management (project and office) is flexible on remote working when not on project.  Management treats staff as equal and is trusting.”

Career Development

• “Best aspect: No bureaucracy within the firm and an entrepreneurial mindset which allows you to grow and leapfrog in your career.”
• “Best: Many opportunities to take senior roles on client work early in your career.”
• “Firm is based on meritocracy principles and integrity which drives passion for professional services among its employees.”
• “Promotion processes lack transparency, and factors are quite ambiguous. Training is mostly on-the-job, yet the company provides annual training.”
• “The training opportunities are really good and I got to learn a lot even in my first month. Nothing bad.”

Compensation

• “Based on merit. Sign-on bonus. Guaranteed bonus for first two annual cycles, equivalent to 1 full annual salary.”
• “Compensation can be better to match the top tier firms.”
• “From my experience, the compensation package is fair and highly related to my performance.”
• “The compensation package is very competitive and I am completely satisfied.”
• “Very limited annual salary increase. The bonus is generous, but it depends on the UT. if you don't have a chance to get into a project you will get average pay.”

Community Engagement

• “Awareness programs particularly on gender equality is ongoing.”
• “Continuous DE&I sessions, hires to promote these efforts.”
• “Provides equal opportunity and have actively recruited from LGBTQ+ community. Very supportive firm culture towards DE&I.”
• “The firm has already realized the shortcomings in diversity and has decided to make a change.”
• “There is complete equality in terms of the kind of opportunities everyone has. There are a lot of awareness programs conducted as well.”

Business Outlook

• “A&M might still be young to Hong Kong, but it is developing rapidly.”
• “Best: One of the fastest growing firms. Worst: Need to catch up on technological innovation.”
• “Has brought in AI in client offerings, ahead of the curve.”
• “More companies are looking out for consultants. Many competitors are coming at us.”
• “We are a firm focusing on operational solutions. Clients always appreciate our abilities on the operational side while our competitors sometimes only do ‘desktop/paper work’. As an expanding firm, from a branding perspective, we still have a lot to do.”

Hiring Process

• “Good financial analytical skills and attitude to develop career.”
• “High analytical skills, creative and fun loving.”
• “Ideal candidate: Besides having core skills, must be entrepreneurial and have the leadership necessary for dynamic, high stress environments."
• “On the next day of interview. They are looking for the right candidate that suits the firm's culture.”
• “We want to have team players. Proactiveness is essential for success, and learning skills/willingness to be coached are also important as we need to resolve complicated issues in every cases we faced.”

Interview Questions

• “Expectations for the company.”
• “Financial modeling case study.”
• “Live cases which are practical and relevant.”
• “We usually discuss the candidates' previous working experience and real projects."