Vault’s Verdict

Mercer is experiencing a renaissance of sorts, as overall employment growth and upward trends in the region mean the firm continues to see a steady influx of work. It is an exciting time to be a consultant at Mercer. The firm’s services are in high demand, and its portfolio is widening to include clients across a myriad of industries, and engagements that take numerous forms. As such, Mercer consultants are exposed to a range of topics and disciplines, receiving an unbeatable level of on-the-job training—broadening their own skillsets as they adapt to the firm’s broadening service offerings.

Webinars, mentoring programs, and seminars are just a few of the different forms of formalized training Mercer provides its consultants. Informal mentoring and the skills learned on the job are readily available for the entrepreneurially minded. Those who are ambitious enough to take charge of their career trajectory will find a wide breadth of projects in which they can learn new skills and engage with clients from backgrounds they’ve yet to be exposed to. If there are any qualms with the firm, it’s with compensation, which many insiders feel somewhat lags behind the industry. For those who prioritize learning and an experience that can open virtually any door, Mercer is your key to an array of opportunities.

Firm Culture

• “Great place to work. Plenty of growth opportunities for those who demonstrate the potential. Truly a global one firm from culture and values perspective ”
• “Mercer is an excellent employer. They offer a wide range of benefits and roles. You can have the opportunity to work nationally and internationally from your home location.”
• “I can be a real person at work.”
• “Ever-changing and fun.”
• “Client impact while valuing colleague experience.”
• “Colleagues are fantastic.”

Quality of Life

• “The firm is supportive in all respects related to colleagues in the firm. No travel is imposed by the firm…much of it is determined by real client and business needs.”
• “I find Mercer very accommodating. They will always try to be reasonable if you are.”
• “32 vacation days per year; management highly encourages us to take vacation days in the respective year.”
• “It's great. Completely easy and supported to take time off and work flexibly.”
• “It is very easy to take time off as long as colleagues and managers are aligned.”
• “Very flexible in this aspect and it is highly encouraged to utilize vacation days. The firm is very respectful of one's downtime.”

Career Development

• “The company offers many different programs for career development. Employees are responsible for their career progress/development, though managers will support if initiated by employee (there are no clear career paths, it more individual/flexible).”
• “Excellent career opportunities. Fast development opportunities. Great working culture.”
• “Best: the ability to work for any line of business from any location. Worst: it can be limited if not in professional role.”

Compensation

• “Bonus system is not very attractive.”
• “Worst: visibility of pay scales. Best: range of benefits available.”
• “The worst is getting a promotion, and (if you're lucky) a pay raise often means that even if you are seen as having outperformed, your bonus is reduced…The best is the medical coverage…”

Outlook

• “Lots of changes in the business and leadership recently, so it’s hard to see or feel any real difference being made yet. Mercer just takes too long to adapt innovations and tends to roll things out with little or no training. The technology is out there to make things simpler, e.g. electronic meeting packs, and we just keep doing the same thing.”

Hiring Practices

• “[We look for] someone with a balanced mix of strategic thinking and analytical mindset when it comes to solving organizational and human capital strategy issues,[who] values the culture of the firm and is collegial.”

Interview Questions

• “Different teams have different approaches and a mix of requirements in recruiting. My practice uses typical strategy consulting case based interviews—depending on the level of the interviewee the complexity varies.”