Vault’s Verdict

Axel Springer hy distinguishes itself with a vibrant company culture that thrives on innovation, flexibility, and a hands-on approach to consulting. Insiders love the firm’s entrepreneurial outlook—something that is heavily influenced by a diverse team with experiences both starting and consulting for a wide variety of different types of businesses. 

While the company’s youthful status is reflected in many of the aspects that insiders love, it is also something that gives rise to the few criticisms that emerge—the most significant being a lack of structure and defined processes at times.

Overall, however, hy continues to attract those who are passionate about driving change and embracing innovation. For potential candidates, the firm offers an inspiring setting for personal and professional growth, particularly for those who thrive in innovative and dynamic environments.

Employee Reviews

Firm Culture

• “A strong hands-on mentality. While other consultancies focus on pretty slides, our slides may be slightly uglier. Instead we focus on a 100% PowerPoint-to-reality implementation rate.”
• “Challenging on great projects with great colleagues.”
• “Don’t expect too much guidance, take ownership and get rewarded with endless support from your colleagues.”
• “Hy is a leading innovation consultancy and a fast-growing pricing consultancy with a very unique company culture.”
• “We are extremely hands-on (most of us don’t have a consulting but industry/founding/startup background)."

Quality of Life

• “At hy, we promote a healthy work-life balance. Everyone’s personal life is respected no matter what age or level they are at. The flexibility allows me to integrate my job into my life. Still, we are a very high-performing team that is very driven and face-paced. I feel challenged in my everyday work life, and I receive the guidance from managers/ partners in order to be going in the right direction.”
• “Best: Amazing team culture, work-life balance across all levels Worst: Too little on-site time (at the office).”
• “hy has a unique company culture I have never seen before in a consultancy. A team with very diverse backgrounds, many of them having founded companies in the past. Overall, a strong spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship.”
• “My firm’s policy is very generous in regard to private life planning. However, customer-related responsibilities like in-person workshops make it hard to enjoy theoretical flexibility.”
• “Working hours are flexible and the amount is great. Job, family and hobbies are good to integrate with each other.”

Career Development

• “At hy, hierarchies are very flat and thereby, I am able to learn a lot from everyone in the team.”
• “Clear feedback process is very good, training yet limited on all levels.”
• “It is very positive that promotions are not based on contingents but purely on achievements.”
• “The pricing and sales unit at hy is growing very fast.”
• “Very good feedback culture and yearly career steps.”

Compensation

• “Direct investments into the company possible for anyone (not just partners), thus participation in company growth.”
• “Best: flexible working hours and home office as much as I want. Worst: below average pay.”
• “Yearly bonus depending on the company’s targets.”
• “Zero gender pay gap due to fixed salaries per consulting level.”

Community Engagement

• “No hirings in DEI&I so far because of the size of the firm.”
• “We have set up an own #hywomen group a year ago addressing DE&I initiatives."
• “Yes, at hy we are talking about diversity a lot and how we can ensure that we have enough diversity in our teams.”

Business Outlook

• “Early adopter of KI in our working approach which is very satisfying for clients.”
• “Hy is the leading consultancy in innovation and therefore, it’s not only in the core of our consulting for our clients but also ourselves.”
• “One of the leaders in pricing topics, high need from clients.”
• “We constantly learn about innovative topics, how they change our industry and our client’s industry.”

Hiring Process

• “At hy, we are combining industry knowledge, consulting experience, and entrepreneurship skills.”
• “Consulting experience or industry experience, at least two years of professional experience, ideally start-up experience.”
• “Very timely and transparent process.”
• “We love candidates with an entrepreneurial and innovative background and mindset.”

Interview Questions

• “Decode markets or value chains and identify opportunities for business model adjustments.”
• “In an interview process at hy, we usually give the interviewee a case question that he needs to prepare to present in the interview.”
• “PEI interview - Hiring Manager Interview - Case Study - Leadership Interview.”