Bain: An insider guide - Gymkhana

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3.9s at Harvard and Stanford.” Like theirInsider Tipcounterparts at other consulting firms, Bainemployees are intelligent people who get a thrillThe firm doesn’t recruit a lotout of thinking through problems. According toof superstar senior-level staff,this insider, their thorough intellectualism doesn’tpreferring to hire mostly at thestop at work either: “People here are of the typeentry levels, promote fromthat if they get interested in a project, they’ll dowithin, and train its employeesit well. If someone’s going to switch longdistanceproviders, they’ll research the hell outintensively.of it first, almost like they did a case on it.”The WorkplaceSome Bainies say that the firm’s offices vary by location, and that new recruitsshould choose carefully. “Regional industries and workplace dynamics areextraordinarily different among different cities,” one AC says. “In bigger offices,there’s more socializing. ‘Work hard, play hard’ means one thing in Boston andsomething different in San Francisco. In Boston, if you’re working on a big projectand you’re going to be there late, you’ll all order dinner together or go out for abeer at the end of the night. There’s some of that here in San Francisco, too, butwe tend to see it as ‘work hard while you’re at work, and leave work at work.’” ABoston insider says, “My impression is that Boston and New York are quitesimilar. Based on people I’ve met from other North American offices, I think thatNorth American offices have a pretty similar culture—very informal, verycollegial. The environment tends to be pretty social. The general feel of theoffices is the same. Internationally, you get more variation.”Bain works hard to create its high-energy, ambitious culture. The firm doesn’trecruit a lot of superstar senior-level staff, preferring to hire mostly at the entrylevels, promote from within, and train its employees intensively. As one insidersays, this results in a drive to improve and take on many tasks. “Everyonespends a lot of time thinking about how to do things better,” she says. This has40
a downside, though: “Sometimes the culture of evaluation goes further thanpeople would like. You will absolutely never, ever get a review at Bain that’s lessthan 30 percent constructive criticism. I think that’s pretty healthy, but it canalso be frustrating.” Another insider talks about the firm’s emphasis on resultsand how it affects hiring: “We prioritize the ability to interact with people; weprioritize getting clients to change. When you prioritize results, you get peoplewho are more well-rounded, more dynamic. It’s definitely a different feel.”Bainies report that they spend a lot more time at their desks than traveling,making the company a more office-based firm than some of its more clientbasedcompetitors. In contrast to their seldom-seen “hoteling” counterparts atother firms, Bain employees are each assigned a specific desk located in areascalled “bays” where they are joined by other colleagues as a means to encouragethe development of a strong internal culture. Lastly, several Bain insiders saythat many of the firm’s employees share a strong entrepreneurial drive, whichmakes them like-minded in their client work (“thinking like owners”) and onthe outside as well.The Workplace41
Page 9: Personnel Highlights 2004 to 2005,
Page 12 and 13: OverviewThe FirmAlthough smaller an
Page 14 and 15: The FirmBainies speak positively ab
Page 16 and 17: Competitive StrategyThe FirmWhen as
Page 18 and 19: Industry PositionThe FirmThough sma
Page 20: The FirmThen, in the late ’80s an
Page 23 and 24: • Health care• Industrial produ
Page 25 and 26: Although Bainies still travel a lot
Page 27 and 28: Typical ProjectsEquity StudiesBain
Page 29 and 30: What’s HotNew HeadquartersIn 2004
Page 31: One of Zook’s examples involves a
Page 34 and 35: Associate ConsultantOn the JobUnder
Page 36 and 37: 3:00 Attend recruiting meeting disc
Page 38 and 39: A Day in the Life of a ConsultantOn
Page 41 and 42: The Workplace• Lifestyle and Hour
Page 43 and 44: travel much less than their McKinse
Page 45: in their early 30s. Three years aft
Page 49 and 50: associate consultant intern group.
Page 51 and 52: Civic InvolvementOver the years, Ba
Page 53 and 54: PerksLike many of its competitors,
Page 55 and 56: TravelBain has an unwritten policy
Page 57 and 58: professional advisor. Your colleagu
Page 59 and 60: you’re not progressing.” Accord
Page 61 and 62: TrainingBain takes pride in its tra
Page 63 and 64: different level in the firm and lin
Page 65 and 66: who, after 2 years here, have gone
Page 67 and 68: without going to them.” Achieving
Page 69 and 70: Getting Hired• The Recruiting Pro
Page 71 and 72: When I was interviewing, I asked my
Page 73 and 74: On-the-RecordRecruiter InterviewWe
Page 75 and 76: What’s the most effective way for
Page 77 and 78: Interviewing Tips1. As with intervi
Page 79 and 80: Grilling Your InterviewerThis is yo
Page 81 and 82: For Your ReferenceFor Your Referenc
Page 83 and 84: “Skin in the Game”What does a c
Page 85 and 86: For Further StudyFor Your Reference
Page 87 and 88: JOB SEARCH GUIDESGetting Your Ideal
Page 89 and 90: Who We AreWetFeet is the trusted de

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