Vault’s Verdict

Kearney insiders love how the firm’s entrepreneurial spirit and sense of opportunity define its culture, while still fostering an environment where team members care about and support each other, from leadership down. The firm trusts its colleagues to learn quickly, taking on lots of control and accountability early, with lots of reward: The firm offers frequent promotion opportunities and a strong compensation package.

However, Kearney’s initiative-driven environment might not be a fit for everyone—especially people who are not extremely proactive. Insiders say that while mentorship and on-the-job learning from senior leaders and experts abound, it’s on individual employees to seek out these opportunities. As a result, the work hours can often get long for employees who struggle to manage their time and expectations. 

However, that shouldn’t drive ambitious consultants away. Kearney is a strong performer from a business standpoint, having experienced consistent growth even amid the consulting market’s downturn over the last few years. If you’re looking for a consultancy where you can take ownership of your career and reach new heights, Kearney is a strong choice to consider. 

Employee Reviews

Firm Culture

• “Kearney is probably the last company that remains a partnership without striving to be the biggest, neither overall nor within a given niche. Instead, we aim to be the most admired. This comes at a price of losing some scale, but in my opinion it’s worth it.”
• “The firm has a very entrepreneurial environment, with great colleagues. Our commitment to taking care of people, our level of collaboration, and our positive atmosphere make this company the best one to work for.”
• “You have lots of control and flexibility already as [a junior], and it only grows. However, with that flexibility Kearney gives more accountability at lower ranks. That accountability brings pressure. Some enjoy it because of their entrepreneurial spirit, some struggle with it.”
• “You can ‘make your own Kearney’ due to the entrepreneurial culture. We have a more familiar and personal environment than competitors due to the smaller size of the firm.”

Quality of Life

• “We are working on building incentives to balance work and life. When there are signs that someone bears too much workload for too long, there is often a top-down request to step them back a bit and reduce stress.”
• “The firm is taking strong action to listen to feedback from the last few years and implement concrete actions to improve our quality of life.”
• “Work hours are based on your willingness to do them and not pushed on you. However, to be a strong performer you have to stretch your work hours. Travel requirements are generally relaxed, on an absolute need basis.”
• “The firm is really trying to promote flexible working and retain employees through things like equal maternity and paternity leave, early years childcare payments [in Europe], part-time work policies, and more.”

Career Development

• “The promotion process occurs twice a year with very fair and transparent committees, even in tougher times for the consulting world,”
• “The training is very well-structured, and we have a lot of opportunities to grow in a wide range of perspectives.”
• “Kearney offers extremely strong apprenticeship and mentoring, with very good opportunities to grow in your personal interest areas.”
• “We have strong international mobility, a strong feedback culture, and a high variety of projects and industries to work on.”

Compensation

• “The compensation package is totally in line with my expectations and the effort I put into the job. The base salary is fair and equal for every consultant in the same position, and the variable part encourages effort and performance.”
• “We have a good base salary, within benchmarks. We could improve on the bonus percentage. We have a good progression process, which is transparent and fair.”
• “[In my region,] the bonus is split, with some paid upfront at the time of recognition and the rest paid six months later. This is a retention tool.”
• “The firm offers extensive benefits for part-time workers and those on [parental] leave.”

Community Engagement

• “The firm has brilliant internal groups to represent minority groups, including GAIN, PROUD, and Black@Kearney. All of these groups strive to attract, maintain, and grow individuals that identify with their target groups. The groups foster a great culture internally and are heavily supported by senior leadership.”
• “Kearney takes all dimensions of diversity very seriously.  We have more work in motion to move us closer to our internal targets and industry benchmarks.”
• “DEI is a visible topic with continuous communication. We have a dedicated team and many incentives to address it, and it’s a very progressive firm.”
• “The firm has a global ‘Kearney Games’ program, which is a [bi-annual] global sports competition with 500+ participants. Many employees also participate in events like bike races or charity runs.”

Business Outlook

• “The consulting market grew for many years but is currently facing a slowdown. Kearney is probably less affected than others due to our focus on strategic transformation, but the slowdown still hits and has set our ambitious growth trajectory back.”
• “Kearney's leading strategic and operational capabilities are second to none, and this very attractive in today's market.”
• “We are growing quickly and consistently in Europe, but in some regions the growth is slower.”
• “Kearney has a clear outlook from leaders at a global and regional level, with a pragmatic approach to the market.”

Hiring Process

• “[In my unit,] there are three interviews. The first has interpersonal questions and a short case. The second has interpersonal questions and a long case. The third has interpersonal questions and maybe a short case. We are looking for someone who is driven to understand previously unknown topics and fits our culture.”
• “Fit is important. We want personalities. [In my hiring experience,] I had three interviews in one day, and each one had a personal fit and a case study part. If you succeed, the fourth is a partner interview.”
• “We’re looking for people with an exceptional academic curriculum, with great problem-solving, and communication skills.”
• “The ideal candidate is analytical, communicative, and structured with a broad worldview and range of experiences. They should be a strong team player.”

Interview Questions

• “Some case study examples are cost reduction, idea-sizing, and making calculations on housing or industrial applications.”
• “Company X is considering moving its head office. What factors should they consider?”
• “What topics would you prefer to work on? What would make you choose between different job offers?”
• “Tell me about a topic that you took an interest in that had nothing to do with your professional or academic responsibilities."