Vault’s Verdict

According to insiders, the hallmarks of life at Kearney are a truly collaborative culture and a genuine commitment to collective success—all rooted in respect for individuals. The firm also garners praise for its engaging work environment, diverse project exposure, and the freedom it offers insiders to shape their careers. Growth opportunities abound, supported by a practical approach to problem-solving and a highly people-oriented ethos.

However, the firm is not without its challenges. Long working hours and work-life balance issues are noted, while brand awareness may be something of an issue in certain markets—a consideration for those interested in using a stint at the firm as a launchpad for future career decisions. Despite these hurdles, Kearney's steadfast focus on impactful client work, coupled with a nurturing environment, presents a compelling proposition for those looking to make a tangible difference in their consulting careers.

Employee Reviews

Firm Culture

• "Abundant opportunities with right apprenticeship and collaboration."
• "Best culture amongst the consulting firms, very open and genuinely collaborative and down to earth firm."
• "Exceptional growth with warmth of the colleagues."
• "Kearney is the #1 consulting firm in ANZ in the last 3 years where we've made significant progress across large accounts and solved Australia's most strategic problems. We are a team of professionals who are also friends and enjoy the nature of work.”
• "We really pay attention to having a bottom-up approach while dealing with clients.”

Quality of Life

• "Allowing each person to set their own pace is one of the better things at Kearney."
• "Kearney has a highly collaborative culture, which makes life a lot easier and simpler."
• “I've recently become a parent (secondary caregiver) and the firm and our clients have been particularly flexible in helping me settle into my new role in my personal career.”
• "Like in any consulting firm, hours can be intense. However, Kearney truly makes an honest effort to improve employees' work-life balance."
• "Very caring, open dialog, active support for everyone at all levels."

Career Development

• "Clear goals set for promotion. Significant guidance by leadership for personal growth."
• "Could do with more international training opportunities, which have not returned following COVID."
• "Highly meritocratic process across levels."
• "Kearney has a mature Global Mobility program."
• "Very open culture—truly meritocratic, and very flat."

Compensation

• “Best: transparency on pay and pay equity.”
• "Feel fairly evaluated from multiple perspectives."
• "Kearney offers a very good compensation package—I believe on the higher end in the HVA consulting industry."
• "Salary progression is strong. No downsides."
• "Very clear linkage between performance and pay."

Community Engagement

• "Company focus on DE&I, with frequent related events and initiatives."
• "Good practice and attention in DE&I."
• "Regarded as a global leader in DE&I efforts, and we intend to do much more."
• "The firm has a strong DE&I program focusing on women, different ethnicities, LGBTQ+."
• "There's a DEI committee but requires more work."

Business Outlook

• "Confident and promising in commercial outlook."
• "Given that Kearney stands for strategic transformations, it is easy to see why cycles of economic difficulty also have a lot of opportunities for us."
• "I think this company is becoming unique compared to other firms."
• "Strong overall firm leadership and also strong local unit leadership."
• "Very strong forward-looking momentum, growing well above our biggest competitors in a tight market."

Hiring Process

• "Three rounds of interview with quick decision making in general."
• "Assessment of both problem-solving skills and behaviors through case interviews."
• "[The firm looks for candidates that are] driven and analytical, plus great at problem solving."
• "[The firm looks for candidates that are] high on problem solving, collaborative & partner-in-making."
• "[The firm looks for candidates that are] well-rounded personality with strong analytical skills."

Interview Questions

• "Actual, real-life engagements are what is asked in cases."
• "Case interviews/behavioral interviews."
• "How would you develop a cruise strategy for a state tourism agency?"
• "Typical growth and profitability case studies."
• "[In the interview process, we] utilize case questions based on actual work, tend to be very specific and, as a result of being based on real problems we’ve been paid to solve, quite hard."