Vault’s Verdict

Year after year, when the reviews come in on our annual survey, Bain & Company lands in the upper echelons of Vault’s rankings. Why? The firm sees being a differentiated employer as a part of its business strategy.

Bain insiders love how the firm starts them off with a best-in-class training and onboarding program, then supports them through mentorship and additional training as they grow. The firm also provides high performers with the opportunity to fast-track their careers, earning promotions quickly while taking on advanced responsibilities as soon as they show they’re ready.

Of course, challenging work and career opportunities aren’t enough to land Bain among the top of our rankings on their own. What really differentiates this firm is the quality of life it offers. While hours are long and Bain consultants often travel, the firm is dedicated to helping employees build careers that suit their lifestyles, embodied by its ‘build your own Bain’ mantra. It also offers strong maternity leave policies, helping make it a more inclusive workplace for those who want to balance a high-speed consulting career with parenthood.

Employee Reviews

Firm Culture

• “Alongside other learning programs, Bain has a strong apprenticeship culture where you will be challenged to grow but also set up with support from mentors.”
• “The active feedback and coaching culture is a real strength, as is our culture of collaboration—both internally and with clients.”
• “A Bainie never lets another Banie fail. We presume trust and prefer being open, honest, and direct.”

Quality of Life

• “Work-life balance varies depending on your project situation. It can be challenging at peaks, but there are also periods of comparative calm. Bain puts a lot of focus on spotlighting challenging situations and course correcting to ensure everyone's well-being. The benefits are great, and travel can be managed to a degree depending on your preferences.”
• “While we have increased flexibility to ‘define your own Bain,’ consulting as a job still highly depends on being present at client sites, which affects quality of life.”
• “We have great learning opportunities and are stretched but supported, but the hours are unpredictable.”
• “We have some days at client offices, but that’s usually in the city as our main office.”

Career Development

• “The best things about the start of my Bain career were my first manager and my formal training. The New Consultant Training (and every training program since) gave me the basic skills to succeed. From my first supervisor to now, I have been actively mentored, apprenticed and supported.”
• “I chose Bain because of the training opportunities and the firm has exceeded my expectations. The trainers are people in the role one level above me who really know their stuff. I have built a network of colleagues from around the Bain system through meeting them at training programs.”
• “The firm offers an amazing global program almost yearly to learn together with peers. If you’re a high performer there are ample opportunities for fast-track promotion.”
• “While our training and development is excellent for general consultants, overall development and career progression are still a work in progress for expert populations.”

Compensation

• “The firm offers maternity leave with the option to take a full year off. Six months are full pay, three months are at the statutory minimum, and three months are unpaid. However, pay in the U.K. is much lower than similar cities globally.”
• “We have a holistic health and wellness program. The firm provides an integrated set of services, including a company doctor on site, a nutritionist on site, a physiologist on site, and a gym on site. The firm also provides active mental health programs that include awareness, mental health first aid, counselling, and external resources.”

Business Outlook

• “We have made early moves and built momentum in generative AI to support our clients.”
• “We have a great driver for growth between our investors and AI progress.”