Vault’s Verdict

Arthur D. Little insiders love the quality and complexity of work on offer at their firm, as well as the early responsibility and opportunities to work internationally that often accompany them. A firm that is entrepreneurial by nature, ADL offers consultants the chance to make their mark internally, with a flat hierarchy contributing to an environment in which everyone is encouraged to think and act as a leader.

Unsurprisingly, the firm’s culture is frequently highlighted as a positive by insiders, with a particular emphasis on collegiality and a supportive environment—even if hours can sometimes be on the long side, and internal structures not as developed as they might be elsewhere in the industry. However, the pursuit of excellence comes with its challenges, notably in work-life balance and long hours. All told, the firm represents a solid choice for a consulting career, with an opportunity for the most ambitious to carve a lasting path through the firm.

Employee Reviews

Firm Culture

• “A work culture that allows you to thrive and engages in exciting topics.”
• “ADL is a great firm for learning the craftsmanship of consulting and is a stepping stone to exciting opportunities.”
• “Great place for entrepreneurial people with drive for quick career progression.”
• “Only strategic oriented projects, very good wellbeing at the office, all colleagues become friends after a short period of time, no competitive mind between colleagues, very supportive atmosphere between everyone.”
• “The smaller firm model offers each individual a chance to set one’s own agenda: International opportunities are many for those who wish and the direct exposure to working directly with Partners as a Junior creates a steep learning curve.”

Quality of Life

• “Arthur D. Little is a hard-work firm, and this is what we came for. Some projects can be very demanding but efforts are made afterwards to compensate. ADL made recent efforts in terms of quality of life, launching different initiatives (well-being seminar with all staff, end-of-week quality-of-life surveys, afterworks, cultural opportunities, etc.) to ensure a correct level.”
• “Best aspects: very easy to take vacations and time off, few travels for work and if the case in very decent hotels or accommodations. Worst aspect: Long hours of work on understaffed project quite often.”
• “Not that much client travel; very steep learning curve resulting in sometimes long hours.”
• “So far I find it reasonable and manageable.”
• “Very reasonable approach to time & time management, incl. shorter hours on Fridays.”

Career Development

• “Clear and fair promotion path with great mentoring to facilitate success.”
• “Entrepreneurial opportunities to develop new clients/topic and have an impact on the growth of the firm.”
• “The best aspects are that the evaluation process and career development possibilities take place every 6 months, allowing for quick evolutions, and the high quality of internal trainings. As per the worst aspects, I’d say that the intensity of casework over a period is not taken into account at all when evaluating one’s performance, whilst some cases are much more intense than others.”
• “Truly meritocratic, quick promotion processes (every 6 months).”
• “Very clear guidelines for career development.”

Compensation

• “Base salary is low in comparison to other London firms, but this is balanced by a (relatively) better work/life balance.”
• “Entry salary slightly below industry’s level but faster promotion processes making it quick to catch up or exceed competitors.”
• “Good salary progression, favorable compensation package (pension etc.) and benefits.”
• “Sharp salary progression + good overall benefits (incl. healthcare and additional insurance).”
• “Very advanced pay compared to competition, a lot of vacation days and very nice car. Not fully optimized with regard to tax advantages.”

Community Engagement

• “All consultants have equal access to good project work, but we are pretty bad about hiring diversely.”
• “Huge focus within the organization, with many themed lunch lectures etc. on the area.”
• “No discrimination at all on consultants, whether the gender, the sexuality, or disabilities, equal salary, equal promotion opportunities.”
• “Organizations and meeting events on diversity subjects.”
• “We are open to hire anyone that has the right qualifications.”

Business Outlook

• “Compared to other consulting firms, we are growing strongly, despite the industry downslope.”
• “It’s a great place to work in considering that the number of employees is constantly growing.”
• “Significant growth of the firm with the recruitment of new partners.”
• “Strong pipeline with overall good utilization.”
• “Very strong growth in multiple regions, driven by a strong team and solid leadership.”

Hiring Process

• “5 interviews (2 rounds of 2 interviews + final interview with the managing partner).”
• “Brilliant candidates from top universities.”
• “Interview process is very efficient: usually done within 1 day.”
• “Seeking candidates extremely curious, integrated, with a sense of humor, and smart obviously.”
• “The recruiting process is undergoing transformation but still has a long way to go.”

Interview Questions

• “Business case.”
• “Case interview—individual by interviewer.”
• “Growth strategy, acquisition cases.”
• “IT strategy for utilities player; G2M strategy for manufacturing company; operations case for postal company.”
• “What differentiates ADL from one of the MBB?”