Vault’s Verdict

With a reputation for high quality work in a highly academic environment, Analysis Group insiders sometimes present their firm as more of a lifestyle choice than an employer. To be clear: that’s a good thing. For those with the chops to handle the due diligences and complicated economic analyses, there are few outfits in the industry that come close to taking care of their employees as this firm.

One of the most impressive features of a career at the firm is the amount of time and care that goes into development opportunities: not only does this firm provide consultants with training and almost daily access to top experts who are even willing to serve as mentors, it also has a program to sponsor junior consultants’ grad school studies.

For those with an interest in and capacity for economics (particularly as it relates to competition), Analysis Group should be near the top of your list of firms to check out.

Employee Reviews

Firm Culture

• “AG is and has been my second home/family for over a decade.”
• “Even with all of its flaws, Analysis Group is the best place I’ve worked, and the most academic setting that I’ve ever been in. It’s the only job where I have consistently felt challenged and have never grown bored. It has introduced me to so many new people and perspectives on healthcare, which is the industry I’m most passionate about. I have full confidence that after working here I can take on any job as well as higher education, whether it is an MBA or JD or PhD.”
• “For many partners, this is the only place they have ever worked. People make enormous progress in their careers and very few leave.”
• “It comes down to the people. There are a lot of kind and humble people here. Our work can be demanding, but we can always lean on each other for support. If I'm going through a tough time, there is always at least someone I feel comfortable opening up to. I've built many great relationships here, including friendships that I hope will last even after some of us leave the firm. I'm not sure if I'll be able to have such a great support network in a different firm.”
• “The work itself is great, and the people are smart. The career can be a grind, but if you kind of like the grind, it can be very satisfying.”

Quality of Life

• “Analysis Group is very flexible and has generous PTO. But like any consulting, our workload can be variable. We expect ‘all hands’ when there is work to do and deadlines to meet. We do not expect anyone to ‘punch a clock’ and sit in their offices when there isn't as much to do.”
• “Best:
  - Extremely caring colleagues that check in on one another constantly
  - Firm protects work-life balance and respects weekends
  - Managers encourage to take time off and respect that time off
  Worst:
  - Sometimes need to work under very tight and unexpected deadlines.”
• “Easy to take time off and leaves of absence. Working on litigation timelines can be inflexible.”
• “Our consulting workload can be hard to predict.  But given the size of the firm, we are able to help distribute workload and help ensure consultants get the support needed to complete projects.”
• “There is very little travel required, and a lot of work/life flexibility. So long as the work gets done and gets done well, when, how and where it gets done is of little concern."

Career Development

• “AG is a meritocracy, and one that rewards initiative and creativity. I've been provided with opportunities to create and lead new practice areas.  Further, we focus on talent retention and find ways to promote from within and to facilitate moves into admin roles from consulting to make a more cohesive and connected firm.”
• “Difficult to get promoted (very slow to promote); Trainings not sufficiently tracked; Negative incentives to do training/get better at the job.”
• “I like that we're not tied to a particular practice area, at least in litigation. We do a lot of cross-office work, so we have a wide variety of cases to choose from. You can try a variety of cases and work with different people to find what fits you best.
  Promotion decisions are not transparent enough. While there are general competencies that need to be met, sometimes it seems that exceptions are given to some people and not others.”
• “Strong training program and encouragement of leadership to develop new skills.”
• “The best part about the firm is the internal labor market, which allows individuals to pick their own cases without being staffed. Some of the hardest parts about the firm with promotion policies are needing an advanced degree to move from the analyst to the associate role.

Compensation

• “Analysis Group offers competitive compensation and generous benefits, including sponsorship of graduate school for junior staff.”
• “Best: our 401(k) options are top notch, we have matching, and you have 1-on-1 opportunities to speak with investment professionals.
  Worst: we don't have on site childcare—though we do subsidize back up care.”
• “I am generally satisfied with my compensation as I'm not sure if I would be able to obtain the same salary if I worked somewhere else in the place I live. Because promotions can be opaque, the pay differentials between staff could be significant without the employee fully understanding why.”
• “My favorite perks are the company outings. For example, Analysis Group often hosts all-inclusive weekend getaways for employees and their families, such as skiing in Steamboat Springs, or sightseeing in Aspen. These are amazing experiences in their own right, but also help to facilitate strong personal relationships outside of the office.
  The worst part is the lack of transparency around pay progression. Analysis Group is notoriously secretive about its compensation, both in how your compensation increases as you progress at AG and in how your annual bonus is determined. Some people have a hard time trusting the process here, but I've been overall very impressed and satisfied with my pay progression thus far.
  The biggest perk that is missing is transportation-related. Analysis Group only pays for parking/reimburses transportation costs for the most senior members of the firm (Vice president and partner).”
• “There is a huge leap in base salaries between analyst and associate levels but senior analysts have the same responsibilities as associates despite only being paid slightly more than analysts.”

Community Engagement

• “Affinity groups, frequent DE&I training, externship program, provision of an equitable work environment. All around, top notch in this area.”
• “As a white male, I don't have much to say here, other than its clear to me that Analysis Group is making a strong effort to ensure its DE&I practices are among the best in the industry. We have (very active) affinity groups for Women, LGBTQ, Asians, Latin, and Veterans. These groups host events throughout the year, some of which are just for the affinity groups themselves and some of which are open to the entire firm to spread awareness and foster inclusion.”
• “Strong push in recent years to improve here. Lots of changes in firm recruiting, advising, and other areas to reflect these efforts.”
• “The firm is getting more diverse in several dimensions (e.g., ethnicity, LGBTQ+), especially as a result of concerted efforts by the firm to improve along these dimensions. Women have a strong leadership presence in the firm, starting from the CEO/Chairwoman to other very senior partners and vice presidents. I think that all consultants do have equal access to interesting work and promotion.”
• “We have a lot of very active affinity groups for people with different identifies. Firm hosts DE&I educational events for recruiting, advisors, and all local offices, and have office representatives for people to discuss these topics.”

Business Outlook

• “Analysis Group continues to grow and thrive as an organization, including internationally. The economics of the firm are strong and getting stronger."
• “Analysis Group continues to thrive. We have a diverse and robust set of capabilities across industries and topics, and we continue to innovate. I don't have any concerns about the business outlook.”
• “Resistant to economic downturns because those also produce litigation work. Strong and sustainable leadership group.”
• “The firm is busy, and we have recently hired several quality lateral hires at the senior staff level from competing firms. Senior staff are always looking for new niches and avenues to expand our business.”
• “We are subject to the economy like everybody else, but business seems to keep coming in the door. Demand for our services is high.”

Hiring Process

• “Creative, independent, and self-motivated. We want folks who could either get a PhD in economics, or people who could get an MBA, but love math. Looking for careful thinkers with a lot of curiosity.”
• “Our ideal candidate is well-rounded, possessing both the technical skills for the quantitative work and soft skills to be a good team player who we'll enjoy working with. Because we are in a niche industry, someone who demonstrates that they understand and are keen on what we do is also important.”
• “The ideal candidate will have evidence of being smart, resourceful, and hard working. Evidence of being able to collaborate well is also very important.”
• “There are usually two rounds of interviews. The ideal candidate thinks like an economist and is curious, very smart, and can think like a statistician.”
• “We have a coffee chat. An initial interview and then four back-to-back interviews each focused on analyzing a different quality (data analysis and research experience, communication, teamwork, and general). Our ideal candidate can code in multiple languages, has conducted research independently and as part of a team, has good oral and written communication, has knowledge of the firm and multiple practice areas, pays attention to detail, and is receptive to feedback.”

Interview Questions

• “Behavioral and research questions.”
• “Can you tell me about your research project/thesis? Can you tell me about a time when you had conflict in a team?”
• “Case based interviews are not used. Questions are primarily behavioral or focused on research experience (e.g., ‘Describe your motivation for pursuing your thesis topic.’ ‘Give an example of a time you had to negotiate conflict with a team member.’)”
• “Tell me about a time you took initiative and solved a problem. Tell me about a work project that you're most proud of. Describe your role in the project, what you did to make it a successful outcome, and why you're most proud of this accomplishment. Tell me about a time you had to communicate bad news to a client or a supervisor. How did that conversation go?”
• “What is your knowledge of coding/programming? What is your independent and team driven research experience? What is your interest and experience with data gathering, cleaning, and analysis? How do you know when to stop going to down a rabbit hole? How do you manage your time between classes, projects, activities, etc. How do you address issues in team work situations?”