Vault’s Verdict

PwC Consulting Solutions/Strategy& presents a mixed bag of experiences for insiders who value the broad access to capabilities and a large client network, enabling rapid scaling of ideas and significant client impact. The firm's involvement in major global transactions offers unique learning opportunities and a chance to work on complex, high-stakes projects. However, the size of the firm also introduces a layer of administrative bureaucracy, as well as the challenge of standing out as an individual in an extremely large global business machine.

Insiders are part of a culture that strives for work-life balance and promotes personal growth, yet they acknowledge an underlying "hustle subculture" that can sometimes conflict with these goals. However, the overall impression of life at PwC/Strategy& is of a friendly, supportive working environment backed with a good balance between professional challenges and personal life.

Compensation appears to be both structured and competitive, with clear progressions and a range of benefits, including a continued option for flex locations and hours. Looking ahead, the firm is navigating the current economic situation with a focus on innovation and global collaboration. This approach suggests a positive outlook for a firm that has been going from strength to strength in recent years and that will add luster to any resume for those who spend time there.

Employee Reviews

Firm Culture

• “Among other global consulting firms, PwC generally has good work/life balance while challenging you to grow.”
• “Being part of Strategy&, you are a part of the bigger PwC and get full support from the broader company, but feel a true sense of belonging and a different culture within Strategy&.”
• “I feel the thing that most sets my firm apart is the culture. I believe there is a strong culture of friendliness and work-life balance that everyone respects. Work isn't everything.”
• “Our firm is on par with MBB, winning work from those firms and as respected or even more respected by clients. We treat our people well and our culture sets us apart. Being at such a large firm like PwC allows you to take advantage of cross office mobility, trying out new sectors, teams, divisions, and international locations. I've loved working here for the past 3 years and look forward to continuing to grow my career at PwC/Strategy&.”
• “The people and pay are amazing and it is a great place to learn about a bunch of different industries and gain experience.”

Quality of Life

• “As a working mom, I appreciate the flexibility around my work location and work hours. I am currently satisfied with my quality of life and my job enables me to balance both areas of my life as much as reasonably possible.”
• “Depending at the time of the project, hours and travel can end up being a lot. However, they are very flexible on when you take time off and work with you and your schedule.”
• “Firm has made significant progress in developing a culture that cares for employee wellbeing and recognizes inclusiveness and work/life balance as important attributes.”
• “PwC is committed to quality of life. They are very flexible when it comes to an individual's personal needs, as personal situations vary over time.”
• “We did a good job pivoting to WFH during COVID and are now managing the transition back to more work at client sites and in the office without mandating a one size fits all approach.”

Career Development

• “A lot of in-person onboarding training and networking offered at the start—this allowed me to feel more welcomed and prepared to join the firm.”
• “Employees are encouraged to earn certifications. I learn something new nearly every day from my teammates. It is a fantastic learning environment.”
• “Generally, promotions are determined based on readiness and performance. However, at higher levels, promotions become more political.”
• "The firm has such a breadth of capabilities and offerings that there are multiple avenues to learn, get staffed, and engage in the things that interest you. The challenge is the promotion process—there are only so many spots available and a firm full of high performers.”
• “We have no set restrictions on time needed to progress to the next level, so you are able to progress as quickly as you want. We have open discussions with mentors and relationship leaders who guide you through your career progression. I constantly feel challenged and like I'm gaining more and more responsibility as I move up the ladder.”

Compensation

• “Best: standardized process to assess annual salary increases by level. Worst: would be nice to have greater options regarding life insurance.”
• “Everything is completely structured, rigid, and clearly stated—there is no ambiguity in base compensation (if you work in this practice, at this level, in this region you make $XXX,XXX) which simplifies compensation structure.”
• “For cybersecurity consulting, the compensation is low compared to what you could make in an industry job. However, promotions are more regularly attainable.”
• “One negative is that my firm currently follows a cohort model, so once I hit my ceiling, my base salary does not increase until I am promoted to the next level.”
• “The best aspect of the firm's compensation package is the sheer number of options. There are dozens of different benefits one can avail themselves of, and the firm strives to make the options easy to find, access, and use. Perhaps both the best and worst is the salary progression—it is competitive and structured, the structure is the challenge, it is both transparent and limiting in the sense that salary increases are only carried out twice a year and usually in specific increments based on staff level. It is adjusted regularly based on the market.”

Community Engagement

• “A lot of materials and meeting around DE&I, but when visiting offices, it's hard to see the effects of those initiatives, and it feels there's a lack of diversity.”
• “Compared with other companies I have worked for, PwC seems to place a higher (and more appropriate) value on addressing diversity concerns across all groups.”
• “Excellent. We release a transparency report and have multiple inclusion networks and initiatives. We are outspoken on issues of diversity, purpose, and inclusion.”
• “Our firm takes DE&I seriously. For example, I am the treasurer of a non-for-profit that is a hospice for the homeless, specifically affected by HIV/AIDs. Statistically, where I live, minorities are affected much more by these ailments than non-minorities, with higher case mortality rates. The organization itself serves historically underserved individuals. When connecting with a Partner on firm business opportunities, I realized they were the Treasurer of an HIV clinic, where we began discussing partnership opportunities between our not-for-profits. As a 29-year-old, it is very cool to see DE&I efforts within the firm, but also outside the firm intersecting.”
• “Tremendous effort goes into the firm's DE&I efforts by the senior leadership of the Firm. It has been a core agenda item for our US CEO, Tim Ryan. He 'walks the walk and talks the talk' day in and day out. This sets the tone for the entire firm.”

Business Outlook

• “Best aspect is flexibility and adaptability in providing client services, worst aspect is contingent on other companies/customers having budget for consulting or outsourced services.”
• “Employee morale and business outlook is generally high. Firm is considerably innovative with new efforts to collaborate globally.”
• “Our firm is constantly innovating and thinking ahead.  They make constant investments in their people and have strong leadership to guide the direction of the firm.”
• “The firm is a very strong performer and is very competitive, but the economic situation can be hard on the consulting space as a whole.”
• “The overall business outlook for the firm is incredibly strong. Resiliency and adaptivity are core to the firm's culture and it shows - antifragility is the theme and message that our leadership demonstrates, and the historical data and trends support this theme. Where others have reduced staff, our firm has reduced bonus pools instead. Despite tumultuous economic conditions, we have not only survived, but thrived.”

Hiring Process

• “Candidates are assigned to a recruiter based on career aspirations and will have the opportunity to meet and have ongoing interactions with multiple client-serving throughout the process. In general, it seems like a straight-forward process, that is not drawn out.”
• “During my recruitment process the firm was exceptionally transparent and quick to move forward.  They provided clear guidance around next steps and pushed to have the full process completed in as short of a timeline as manageable.  I believe this process seeks to find committed applicants who are not "shopping around" for jobs but are genuinely looking to attain employment with the firm.”
• “I think PwC really focuses on the type of person they are hiring, in addition to the skills the firm will gain from a particular individual. My interviews, including my case, were highly conversational and comfortable. I was able to bounce my ideas off of my interviewers and it led to a really productive conversation. I left feeling like my interviewers really knew who I was and what I could bring to the firm, which was unexpected. I anticipated a really intimidating interview process, but I have nothing but good things to say about my experience.”
• “Our firm has several interviews in the process. The first couple of interviews are problem solver, followed by an in-person interview, which consists of one-on-one interviews, case studies, and panel interviews.”
• “We are proactive in reaching out. The process is very transparent. The ideal candidate can mix technical and business, presents well but is relatable. Hungry but humble.”

Interview Questions

• “Behavioral, asking about overcoming challenges, working with diverse teams, etc. Case, including a scenario such as evaluating a market for a new product launch.”
• “Deep dive on a project I worked on, focusing on a business case. Legacy tech firm ABC wants to buy startup XYZ. Here are some details. What would you advise ABC?”
• “How would you tackle a new cloud implementation for a client on disparate on-premises systems currently.”
• “Strategy& interviews are 45 mins: ~10 mins behavioral, ~30 mins case, ~5 mins questions. Case interviews focus on typical business cases (profitability, market entry, etc.) with some customization to the interviewing practice.”
• “Very standard behavior-based questions; there are no trick questions. Have thoughtful examples of situations where your actions demonstrated success. As an interviewer, I'm looking for your ability to tell a compelling story, be specific, and show an understanding of the big picture and your role in it.”