Vault’s Verdict

With a culture that promotes entrepreneurship and ownership, insiders at YCP find their work environment energizing, yet demanding. They feel empowered to share their ideas and make an impact, regardless of what stage of their career they’re in, which makes it easy to see their impact on clients’ projects. The firm lends itself especially well to proactive self-starters; in addition to formal training and on-the-job mentoring from approachable senior leaders, those who seek them out can unlock international opportunities. However, insiders warn that the firm can be more difficult to navigate for people who rely on other people to advance their careers.

The firm provides a good quality of life to its consultants, say insiders. Although most go to the office at least once a week to build culture and connect with colleagues, consultants have the freedom to work mostly remotely. They can also manage their own hours and workloads, as long as they meet managements’ high standards for deliverables.

With the firm showing rapid organic growth across the APAC region, leadership has also started to acquire other consulting firms to open up even more ambitious opportunities. Compensation is strong, better than Big 4 firms, with the opportunity to advance quickly for high performers. The firm recently issued a dramatic increase to salaries in Southeast Asia to better attract and retain talent there, and it offers employee stock options for manager and above. In general, in this merit-based environment, hard work will be rewarded with high bonuses and steadily increasing pay.

Employee Reviews

Firm Culture

• “YCP offers exciting, fast-paced projects with strong exposure to clients and international teams. The culture is entrepreneurial, and colleagues are highly supportive, which makes the work environment energizing. Hours can be demanding. Taking time off is very possible but often requires careful coordination around project demands.”
• “Even as we grow, partners continue to ensure face time and 1-on-1 time with teams outside of their own region.”
• “The best thing about working at YCP is the strong entrepreneurial spirit that empowers employees to take ownership early, drive ideas, and make a real impact. The firm’s fast growth across APAC creates exciting opportunities for career advancement, international exposure, and working on high-impact projects with leading global clients. This dynamic environment combines responsibility, learning, and growth at a pace rarely found in the industry.”
• “Can directly contribute and impact to our client’s business and business improvement.”

Quality of Life

• “The firm has a hybrid setup, which allows me to spend time with my family by having a home office. We still go to the office once a week to interact and form bonds to strengthen company culture.”
• “One of the strongest qualities of life at YCP is the sense of ownership and exposure that comes with every project. The work is dynamic, with opportunities to engage directly with senior clients across industries and geographies. This makes the learning curve steep but also very rewarding. The firm also has a strong culture of teamwork and support—colleagues are collaborative and genuinely invested in each other’s growth. Flexibility is another strength: while consulting naturally comes with intensity, taking time off is generally manageable when planned in advance, and the company is supportive of personal needs.”
• “There is considerable flexibility as to where you work from, as long as the quality of your work does not fall below the high standards established by the management.”
• “So far the company that I work for has flexibility to arrange our workload also including our working hours as long as we are not client site.”

Career Development

• “As long as you take ownership of your career, management is very supportive with your career growth. You can unlock any international opportunities if you are a self-starter. If you are the type that relies on other people for your career, promotions take a bit more time.”
• “YCP provides structured training programs, workshops, and certifications that support both technical and soft-skill development. We provide ample opportunities to work on challenging projects that expand knowledge beyond the core role of our team. Core members of COE team encourage professionals for growth and support career conversations. Processionals in YCP collaborate across departments and gain broader business insight.”
• “YCP provides strong career development opportunities, especially through early exposure to high-impact projects and close client interactions. The promotion process is clearly defined and performance-driven, which creates a strong sense of meritocracy. There is a mix of formal training programs and informal, on-the-job learning, complemented by mentoring from senior leaders who are accessible and supportive. The entrepreneurial culture allows consultants to take ownership and build expertise quickly, while internal mobility and cross-regional staffing provide valuable chances to work across industries and geographies.”
• “Transparency, including the evaluation system, is one of our strengths. We also have extensive experience with cross-border projects and possess agility that major companies lack.”

Compensation

• “Compensation is competitive for a growing firm (better than Big 4), with clear progression tied to performance and rapid promotion opportunities. The merit-based approach allows high performers to advance quickly. Benefits and perks are relatively lean compared to larger firms.”
• “YCP has significantly strengthened its compensation package in recent years, with salaries in Southeast Asia increasing by more than 50 percent to match Tier-2 consulting firms. This has had a clear positive impact on retention and team stability. Salary progression is closely tied to career advancement and is monitored transparently through a performance review process conducted every six months, ensuring clarity on both compensation and promotion pathways. For Managers and above, the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) offers an attractive long-term incentive by providing equity participation in the firm, reinforcing a strong sense of ownership and alignment with YCP’s growth.”
• “If you deliver more results, it gets reflected on the bonus. However, pay equality varies across different countries, with some high performers in developing countries getting paid less than their low-performing counterparts in developed countries.”
• “YCP supports employee wellness with initiatives such as a yearly health check-up, fully covered by the firm. This reflects the company’s commitment to ensuring employees’ health is monitored and taken care of, reinforcing a culture that values long-term well-being alongside professional development.”

Business Outlook

• “YCP has strong growth momentum, expanding across Asia with a solid track record of projects. Recently, the firm brought in new managing partners from MBB and other top consulting firms, signaling a strong commitment to elevating capabilities and competing beyond its current scale. Other than that, YCP actively looking to grow inorganically by M&A. Several big consulting deals will be completed in the next one to two years.”
• “We have continued aggressive inorganic growth, and a strong sense of unity has been firmly established within the group after the integration.”
• “The firm has a strong market presence and financial stability, which provides job security and a solid foundation for long-term growth.”
• “Good appetite for growth. Leadership is very ambitious. Branding could be improved.”

Hiring Process

• “Initially, the CV is reviewed and if shortlisted, interview is done. Interview consists of three rounds: manager/director/partner. Ideal candidates are candidates experienced in corporate strategy or strategy consulting or freshers from institutions of high pedigree.”
• “YCP’s interview and callback process is fairly straightforward, typically involving an initial screening, a math test, multiple case interviews, and fit interviews with partners. The ideal candidate is structured, analytical, and entrepreneurial, someone who can take ownership early, high-responsibility, and strive for growth.”
• “Interview and callback process only was recently standardized but was quite informal for a few years. Ideal candidate is someone who already comes with consulting experience and is willing to adjust to a very DIY work culture where early responsibility is given to juniors and where there is overall a lack of work systems, guidance and support from upper management.”
• “We are looking for individuals who can embody the spirit of ‘Strive for Growth.’ Professionals who are proactive will be given many opportunities.”

Interview Questions

• “Growth strategy, profitability, pricing, decision tree analysis, financial analysis-based cases. Guesstimates are also given.”
• “At YCP, interviews usually combine personal fit questions with case interviews. Typical questions include: Profitability analysis: A client’s margins have declined in the past two years, what factors would you analyze and how would you structure the solution? Growth strategy: Should a Japanese manufacturer enter the Indonesian electric vehicle market, and what entry mode would you recommend?”
• “What is your leadership style? How will you plan to grow the division and contribute $3 million in the next year?”
• “Providing a step-by-step workplan for creating a shortlist of companies to recommend to client for M&A.”