Vault’s Verdict

Although it’s famous for helping beleaguered clients reverse their fortunes, A&M’s efforts to diversify its practices have led to several years of strong growth. This keeps its consultants busy, and it leads to lots of opportunity. With merit-based promotions and a bonus-heavy compensation structure driven by an entrepreneurial culture, those who are willing to put in the time can nearly always reach their professional goals.

Despite the competitive environment and challenging projects inherent to a firm like A&M, its consultants say it does an excellent job facilitating work-life balance. Although hours can vary from client to client, the firm strives to provide flexible schedules and hybrid work environments for employees who want them, and employees can usually take advantage of their time off if they notify leadership in advance.

Looking ahead, A&M seems like it’s ready to step into a bright future. While improving economic conditions may mean fewer of the client-saving projects it’s known for, the firm’s diversified services mean it can continue to grow regardless of where we are in the business cycle.

Employee Reviews:

Firm Culture

• “A&M has a very transparent and open culture. If you have interest in promotion, relocation, working in a different industry or group, all you have to do is ask your peers and mentors and put in the effort to get there.”
• “Certain projects may be more difficult than others at A&M, as with all consulting firms. However, I’ve found that during my time here I’ve had a much better work-life balance than at previous firms.”
• “A&M is truly a meritocracy. It offers very high rewards for top-level players that no other firm I’ve worked for comes close to. There’s little downside, except like any competitive firm, you need to keep up.” 
• “The firm generally supports a positive work-life balance, with project teams actively advocating for staff not to work too late. The culture of respect for personal time, along with the flexibility to take time off—as long as it’s communicated early—contributes to an overall supportive environment.”

Quality of Life

• “The leadership hierarchy is flat, approachable, and tries to keep everyone engaged and involved in the office. There are events all the time that give you the opportunity to interact with people from different business units and experience levels.”
• “We treat our people as professionals. No ‘face time’ requirements, no micromanaging, and no expectation that you get your work done between 9 A.M. and 5 P.M. We hire great people, set expectations, and trust them to get the job done (and ask for help when they need it).”
• “One of A&M’s standout features is its flexibility. While consulting can be demanding, A&M fosters a culture that encourages work-life balance where possible. Remote work options and flexible hours are often available, depending on the project, and the firm is also understanding when it comes to taking time off.”
• “The hours can be extremely slow or rough depending on the project and client, but in the grand scheme of things they average out to an acceptable amount.”
• “The firm’s direct internal communication style may come off aggressive to some, but I view it as a positive because it provides more transparency.”

Career Development

• “A&M does a great job giving employees stretch tasks and autonomy. Early in your career, you get the opportunity and responsibility to communicate with your clients’ senior management and carry out tasks with minimal oversight.”
• “A&M places a strong emphasis on career development and long-term employee retention. They facilitate internal mobility, making it easy for employees to explore different roles in the company, which they support with regular reviews and feedback to help you understand your career trajectory.”
• “We have traditionally been more of an experienced, senior-level consultant firm, but our growth has broadened our recruiting at the junior level which means our junior staff have a lot of exposure to senior consultants.”
• “A&M has a fair and equitable promotion process that is based on merit, not time in a level. Additionally, many of the groups provide a broad range of services, which allows employees to work on a variety of projects rather than getting stuck in a specific service area.”
• “The worst aspect would be the promotion process’s opacity. Although they hold meetings to try and level the playing fields between different offices and compare people eligible for promotion using the same metrics, that process is not very transparent.”

Compensation

• “We have the best compensation package in the consulting industry because it is super merit-based, but that can also be the worst. If you do well and stay busy, you will make a ton of money. If not, your bonus will not be very big.”
• “The bonus is great and based on a percentage of your collections. It is a very straightforward formula that compensates you for working hard.”
• “Your compensation is tied to the amount of hours that you work. It is easier to work extra hours when you know you are being compensated for it, but the worst aspect is the low base salary, which can restrict your monthly cash-flow.”
• “Your base compensation does not increase annually in non-promotion years, which matters given the high inflation we’ve seen in recent years.”

Community Engagement

• “The firm has made meaningful strides toward diversity and inclusion, fostering a workplace where people from different backgrounds are encouraged to thrive. We have regular initiatives and discussions to promote the importance of diversity in leadership roles.”
• “A&M provides a lot of options to improve your health and wellness. There are incentives to get regular check-ups and a robust employee assistance program.”
• “A&M is committed to pay equity. The firm regularly reviews compensation data to ensure there are no disparities across gender or minority groups, fostering fairer and more inclusive workplace.”
• “While our culture is accepting, we still have work to do to better attract diverse talent.”

Business Outlook

• “We’re a top firm by revenue and growth among our direct peers, and we’re so well-positioned and well-diversified that the firm is almost agnostic to business cycles.”
• “The firm has traditionally thrived on restructuring and turnarounds, and that business may take a hit as the economy looks more positive, but we’ve diversified so areas such as the public sector and private equity can take over.”
• “The entrepreneurial environment allows for rapid expansion, but it can also lead to inter-team conflicts and strategic misalignment as teams compete for similar markets.”
• “We’re growing fast and continue to invest in building new industries and practices, which will drive future growth. Leadership has a growth mindset.”

Hiring Process

• “Many of the phone and screening rounds focus on behavioral components, culminating with a multi-round day inclusive of managing director interviews and a challenging case study. We ask detailed questions to test people’s experience and knowledge, leadership, and ability to perform under pressure.”
• “The interview process was efficient with quick turnaround on feedback after each interview. The only slow part was receiving the final offer due to the lag time of some internal processes.”
• “The firm has a growing emphasis on internship programs and is working toward a model to standardize its candidate experience.”
• “Interviewing with about 10 different people and getting to know the entire team before joining was a fantastic way to ensure that I meshed well with the company culture and my future colleagues.”

Interview Questions

• “A mock client is looking to increase revenue by 20 percent over the next three years. Here’s some data on their current operations. What steps would you recommend, and why?”
• “A client is thinking about launching a new product. Given the data provided, what would be your recommendation on moving forward, and what potential risks should they consider?”
• “If you have a company with positive net income, what are three resays why they can still burn through cash?”
• “Tell me about a time when you dealt with conflict. How did you handle it, and what was the outcome?"