Iberia Advisory

Vault’s Verdict

If you have a passion for public service and want to set up shop in Washington, DC, Iberia Advisory is a strong firm to consider. This intimate-but-growing firm serves the federal government on financial management challenges, which makes it resilient to economic downturns and provides access to rewarding work.

Insiders at the firm love how it puts a personal touch on taking care of its employees. The leadership team frequently takes time to learn about projects without overstepping into micromanagement, the firm takes pride in offering a highly competitive compensation and benefits package, and it also goes above and beyond to support employees’ families in times of need.

Last, despite its size, Iberia offers strong career development opportunities. Insiders laud its education reimbursement program. They also love having the opportunity to cross-train across the firm’s various capabilities, as well as its internal professional Coaching services, conducted in accordance with the standards of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). The ICF is the industry gold standard for the discipline of Coaching. All in all, if you’re looking for a government-focused consulting career, Iberia is a strong choice.

Employee Reviews:

Firm Culture

• “Iberia will go to every length to ensure that you are taken care of. Your well-being is important to them, and they have proven that every step of the way during my career. I do not travel, I can take time off whenever I need it, and they have worked very hard to try and maintain my quality of life even when faced with the most difficult of customers.”
• “Our commitment to our employees also extends to their families. For example, when Iberia leadership learned that the spouse of one of our employees underwent eye surgery, we sent flowers and well wishes for her speedy recovery. Whether recognizing employee milestones or demonstrating concern for their families, each member of the Iberia team understands that they are not just another number.”
• “Iberia is very supportive of time off and works hard to balance client needs with employee quality of life. The culture is supportive and enables individuals to have time away while ensuring other team members cover client engagements and needs. Multiple Iberia employees are pursuing MBAs while working, and Iberia is exceptionally supportive.”
• “Iberia performs frequent check ins and does everything possible to take care of the employee's mental health.”

Quality of Life

• “The firm's quality of life is very good. Iberia is very supportive of those who want or need to take time off and does not have the grind mentality that other firms do have. However, many of the government contracts Iberia has are smaller, so employees need to coordinate their leave with their team members to ensure the client has coverage.”
• “Iberia recognizes that our people are our most valuable assets and is deeply committed to recruiting, training, and retaining a high-quality workforce. Putting people first has always been and will continue to be the cornerstone of Iberia. Our continued investment in our people has created a culture that encourages new skills and ways to solve problems.”
• “Given the geographic concentration of Iberia's clients in the Washington, DC area, there is very little travel required. Supporting clients with important business operations tied to the federal budget calendar can result in long days during certain times of the year, but after-hours and weekend work is definitely the exception rather than a constant.”
• “There is no pressure to work on items outside of client work, but there are opportunities to do so. If an employee does do something outside the normal course of business, they are usually provided a gift card or some monetary advance to thank them.”

Career Development

• “There is no shortage of career development opportunities at Iberia. If you can prove your ability to perform, then the gates are open. Every opportunity to participate in other parts of the organization is available to all, which makes for an excellent way to get noticed. You can also easily progress by performing your primary duties because of how involved leadership is within the company. They are always engaged but there is no micromanaging.”
• “Iberia is a smaller firm so there are opportunities to get promoted and push yourself to develop. These processes are not formal and there is little formal training, but the company is very open and encouraging to those who wish to be promoted and learn new skills.”
• “Iberia takes a proactive approach to provide training for its staff beginning in their first week. Orientation training for new employees introduced them to Iberia and the client environment. The orientation covers benefits, corporate and local procedures, points of contact, information about work conditions, health and safety regulations, compliance with Iberia policies and procedures, and contract-specific processes.”
• “Iberia offers in house career coaching that anyone can take advantage of.”

Compensation

• “Iberia is very open about pay, and I believe is very generous with its employees through wages, retirement, and medical benefits. The education benefits are also great.”
• “Iberia’s willingness to go above and beyond to care for our employees can be seen through our compensation packages offering attractive salaries and a full suite of fringe benefits. We have established a total compensation package to attract and retain highly qualified personnel whose performance will meet or exceed our customers’ expectations. Iberia’s compensation plans are continually reviewed against private industry, government practices, and current labor market surveys to maintain a competitive advantage in securing and retaining professional employees.”
• “Iberia has a fair compensation system which allows for salary progression as early as the first performance review period.”
• “The pay is more than fair and allows people to feel that their work is valued.”

Community Engagement

• “Iberia is passionate about causes outside of work, and specifically, DEI initiatives. For example, in support of Women's Equality Day, Iberia donated to Girls Who Code, whose mission is to close the gender gap in technology. Similarly, Iberia donated to Wounded Warriors Foundation to raise awareness and challenge faced by disabled veterans.”
• “Iberia champions historically underserved communities and provides opportunities for them to shine in high-visibility client engagements. Work assignments and promotion opportunities are equally distributed and the work force is highly representative of the diversity of population.”
• “Everyone interviewing with and working at Iberia is treated just as incredibly as the next.”
• “Iberia's health and wellness efforts are second to none. They offer a variety of top notch healthcare plans along with gym reimbursements, adoption assistance, and an employee assistance program, which is a professional counseling and referral service designed to help you with your personal, family and job issues. It’s free, voluntary, and strictly confidential. Employees and immediate family members can use the EAP services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

Business Outlook

• “Iberia has all the tools and infrastructure to move from a small business to a mid-tier business within the next five years. Since 2022, Iberia has experienced very strong revenue growth and continues to bring on top talent and industry leaders to accelerate their growth even further.”
• “Iberia continues to win new contract opportunities and expand its services across the federal government with contracts in multiple executive departments. Iberia delivers high quality consulting services which rival those provided by much larger firms. Having developed a reputation as a firm that punches above its weight class, Iberia is leveraging it track record of excellence to create and capture future opportunities.”
• “They are very open with communicating where the firm is going and next steps. There is a plan for the firm to grow, and when there is a change to that plan, leadership will communicate those shifts.”
• “It’s a resilient industry and the firm is innovating very well.”

Hiring Process

• “We are constantly interviewing candidates for roles on our projects and are responsive with our callback processes. The ideal candidate loves federal financial management and is looking for an opportunity to showcase their talent.”
• “Ideal candidates are specific to contracts and the needs of the customer, but everyone must be a team player and have a good attitude. Toxicity is not welcome at Iberia.”
• “As a small business, Iberia is particularly agile and regularly conducts interview rounds and final selection in less than two weeks.”
• “Taking on responsibility and following through are key to getting a role with Iberia.”

Interview Questions

• “Why are you interested in our specific firm? Tell me something that is not on your resume.”
• “Interviews do both a character interview to ensure the person is a good fit within the company culture, and a technical interview. Questions for the character interview include: What is your passion? Where do you want your career to go? What was one thing you wish your old employer offered? What is your greatest superpower?”
• “Describe a recent client project and how you personally contributed from both a technical and organizational effectiveness perspective. How do you approach client engagements where you think their preferred approach won't deliver the desired result? Provide an example of a time you were able to use data or your knowledge of business process to help the client refine their approach and achieve a better outcome.”
• “What type of environment would you be most successful in? Why Iberia? Why a small business?”