Vault’s Verdict

Clarkston prides itself on being an employee-first firm that balances growth with professional development, work-life balance, and delivering excellent work for high-profile clients. The firm brands its employees as "stewards," and that’s not just lip service.

Insiders say that the firm plays an active role in promoting a health, fulfilling life. Its annual anniversary awards provide extra time off to high-performing employees and encourage them to take vacations; it provides a number of benefits to promote physical and mental health, and stewards only have to travel when it’s absolutely necessary.

The firm’s stewards also laud its commitment to diversity. As highlights, they point to a CEO-backed plan to make sure its workforce is representative of the US population, its willingness to communicate progress on its DEI goals, and the changes driven by its resource groups for diverse employees.

While the firm’s lack of brand recognition might dampen exit opportunities compared to other consultancies, it sure seems that most of its consultants don’t mind. For someone hoping to grow sustainably with a single organization over time, Clarkston is a great option to consider.

Employee Reviews

Firm Culture

• “Clarkston truly cares about its people and driving their career growth forward. Mentoring and working with younger stewards is a key component of my role and Clarkston's culture.”
• “Clarkston's culture is the best aspect of the firm. It focuses on trying to make the right decisions for the people in the firm, clients, and the firm itself. This doesn't mean that they always make everyone happy, but it does mean that they make sure to make a decision that’s in the best interest of all partners.”
• “I’m impressed by our CEO-backed goal to have the firm match the country's demographics and our related goal for the partner group to match the firm in terms of representation.”
• “Everyone is accessible and eager to collaborate on client projects, push internal initiatives forward, and serve the communities in which we live.”

Quality of Life

• “Clarkston is very invested in the well-being of stewards, ensuring that they are engaged and treated as individuals and not resources. Travel is on an as-needed basis rather than a regular expectation. The firm makes every effort to accommodate personal needs, such as providing time off and adjusting work schedules to meet stewards' needs while still delivering brilliant service to our clients.”
• “The hours are great, I get to travel just as much as I want, and it's very easy to take time off. I'm very happy with the way my company treats me.”
• “We, and our clients, expect and support a hybrid work environment. We travel when it makes sense and adds value. This approach helps maintain a very positive quality of work-life balance.  On the flip side, we have to guard against working too many hours because it's so easy to do.”
• “Work-life balance is really important to Clarkston leadership, and it's seen not only through their words but their actions. They provide anniversary awards where employees are given a bonus that must be used on travel and time off, which speaks to the value they place on rest.”

Career Development

• “Clarkston Consulting has a very individualized approach to career development. In addition to training in their primary subject area, stewards are encouraged to pursue training and mentorship in other areas of professional interest, using both internal and external resources.”
• “Our firm's promotion processes and criteria are clearly defined and accessible to all stewards providing everyone clear guidance on the promotion process. Every steward is also formally assigned a partner advisor who helps guide their career development at Clarkston.”
• “Clarkston offers an extensive internal learning catalog which includes self-paced learning modules and instructor-led courses.  In addition, the firm also offers access to external career development opportunities, so it's the best of both worlds.”
• “Clarkston prioritizes training and onboarding new employees. It has very good training materials, structured classes, and an extensive training website for independent learning.”

Compensation

• “Compensation is commensurate to the industry. The differentiators for our firm are profit sharing, annual bonus potential, and other programs, such as client referrals and employee referrals, to earn additional compensation.”
• “I wish salary progression was better, but, overall, it's a good compensation package. The benefits are good, the pay is good, and the company gives you a bit of money each year to spend on work-life balance.”
• “Clarkston has clearly defined policies around salary increases, bonuses, and promotions. All these compensation factors are tied to work performance and evaluated in a formal review process.”
• “Clarkston's 401(k) match is a high priority and is based on the success of the company. In my tenure, I have been extremely pleased with the amount put toward the match.”

Community Engagement

• “Clarkston's employee resource groups continue to grow and provide spaces for people to connect. Additionally, the initiatives from these groups have made large and lasting impacts on the firm.”
• “The firm has made very clear DEI goals and shares the progress at each company meeting. They aren't just talking the talk; they are clearly owning growth and improvement in the DEI space to ensure their own accountability.”
• “The firm has stood strong on its commitment to DEI, even at a time when many companies are starting to falter in this area to save on budget. Clarkston has an incredible team dedicated to diversity and inclusion and helps to ensure all of us feel welcome and included.”
• “Clarkston has a wellness program that includes group activities, along with regular communications on health and wellness topics. The firm also offers a discount on health insurance premiums for participating in wellness activities.”

Business Outlook

• “Clarkston continues to be on the cutting edge of technological advances and is always aware of what's coming around the corner.”
• “I think that the firm is in a strong position to succeed in the current market, even if economic conditions remain difficult.”
• “The firm has a great strategy to continue to grow the business and our people. It’s prepared to make the right choices to support us, and it proactively communicates how we’re performing.”
• “Clarkston's strength is in its ability to stay ahead of trends and ready to adapt to the unique needs of our clients.”

Hiring Process

• “A candidate will typically have two to three interviews with subject matter experts at the firm. Then, the final interview is with a partner who provides you with a potential client question that you have to solve. You typically get a callback within two weeks of the last interview.”
• “The undergraduate interview process was quick, and it was early enough senior year to feel secure you have a job when you graduate.”
• “Clarkston is looking for bright, motivated consultants with strong project management skills and the ability to work well with clients and co-workers. Clarkston is also very open to hiring people who are relatively new to consulting or industry professionals who show promise.”
• “Clarkston is looking for folks who are respectful, hardworking, eager to learn, and ready to showcase expertise in their field.”

Interview Questions

• “After an initial HR screen, our second round of interviews brings in a subject matter expert for each subject area to ask you specific questions. After that, the final interview includes a case exercise specific to your subject matter expertise.”
• "Tell me about a time when a proposal was rejected by a client. What did you do, and how did you handle it?”
• “In every consulting assignment, you have to deliver a high-quality solution and complete it on time. If you had to choose between quality and speed, which would you pick and why?”
• “Please give me an example of when your communication skills made a critical difference in the outcome of a problem or event on the job.”