Strategos’ marquee clients span the business spectrum, including names such as Applied Materials, Whirlpool Corporation, Nokia, Roche Diagnostics and Royal Dutch/Shell.
The fi rm’s website prominently features glowing client testimonials. One client, Whirlpool, approached Strategos for help when it realized it could not remain a household brand name by simply coming up with better appliances. “It needed to fi nd more fundamental advantages,” says Strategos, which helped Whirlpool executives think outside the box. Within two years of hiring the fi rm to help develop new ideas, Whirlpool had created several new product lines, such as a new line of appliances for younger lifestyles, a system of high quality, attractive looking, appliances and organizers for garages, and started the Inspired Chef cooking schools that showcase Whirlpool products. Within two years, Whirlpool’s “innovation pipeline” was fl owing with ideas, and the fi rm estimates that these new appliances, once on the market, could produce $3 billion in annual sales.
GETTING HIRED
What sets the fi rm’s recruitment process apart from the rest is its emphasis on hiring candidates with clear client-facing talents. Applicants are prescreened for “analytical rigor” and aptitude, reducing the pool to those who possess the technical expertise or capacity to succeed behind the scenes. Then, it’s up to those candidates to show that they can function smoothly and comfortably under the pressure of a client situation.
Though the interview process includes typical casework and behavioral components, the focus is on the “client situation simulation,” an evaluation of a candidate’s ability to deliver under the strain of a realistic business scenario. Performance here is of the utmost importance; as one insider suggests, it is the “critical skill for our delivery model.”
OUR SURVEY SAYS
Corporate Atmosphere
Vault’s Verdict: Strategos is a small fi rm, growing at a measured pace; for the most part, consultants appreciate the tight-knit culture this cultivates and the opportunities it presents.
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Overall Satisfaction
• “I love my job.” – Director
• “I have a good balance between my career and personal life; I am continually challenged and I have a lot of autonomy. During the last two years, I’ve grown a lot in all aspects of my profession.” – Strategy consultant
• “Our new parent company situation isn’t ideal, but I still very much like working at Strategos.” – Chicago insider
Firm Culture
• “More than colleagues, we work as a family.” – Experienced consultant
• “A balance of libertarianism and central planning.” – Senior source
• “Collaborative and stimulating.” – Associate
Supervisor Relationships
• “My supervisor is like a friend on the personal relationship, like a teacher and a coach at the professional development.” – Analyst
• “This is a very fl at organization, with short communication lines.” – East Coast higher-up
Interaction with Clients
• “Everyone is exposed to senior clients.” – Midwest partner
• “We work both with CXOs and the other layers at the client company—we straddle the ‘Dilbert divide.’” – Midlevel consultant
Hours & Pay
Vault’s Verdict: Strategos consultants are able to juggle their responsibilities, while at the same time carving out enough time for leisure and personal obligations.
Work Hours
• “It varies according to the project, but overall it’s an acceptable balance.” – Analyst
• “For a consulting job, this is great.” – Midlevel insider
Work/Life Balance
• “I have children, and I get to spend quality time with them (take them to school, go swimming, they come to the offi ce, etc).” – Senior associate
• “We allocate our own time, therefore optimizing our own overall life schedules. That is why it’s OK to work on weekends.” – Midwest staffer
• “There are always some unexpected client demands, but Strategos consultants generally possess the maturity to prioritize client demands with family life issues.” – Partner
Travel Requirements
• “Travel when you need to. Don’t when you don’t need to.” – East Coast higher-up
• “It varies. Months can be four days on the road, and then a stretch of zero to two days.” – Associate
• “It depends on the project; sometimes you have to stay for three to four months working in the client facilities in another city.” – Junior source
Compensation
• “Being small, performance and contribution are very visible. Compensation fairly represents individuals’ performance and contribution.” – Associate
• “There’s lots of compensation at stake—it sets up a healthy internal climate.” – Senior consultant
Professional Development
Vault’s Verdict: Strategos has adopted a highly personalized training program, combining informal mentorships with closely tracked, individualized development plans.
Formal Training
• “We have personal development plans. The process is managed and there is follow-up. Rather than formal training, we match on-the-job Vault Guide to the Top 50 Management and Strategy Consulting Firms, 2011 Edition
Strategos
Promotion Policies
• “There is no up or out. Therefore, advancement is proportional to growth.” – Associate
• “People progress very quickly based in a meritocracy policy.” – Experienced source
Diversity
Vault’s Verdict: Insiders note that hiring is based almost entirely on merit, although there is some attention toward recruiting women and minorities.
Diversity Issues With Respect to Women, Minorities, and GLBTs
• “The fi rm is receptive, actively recruits women and minorities. No particular effort toward GLBT hiring.” – Senior consultant
• “Hiring is based solely on skills.” – Associate
Overall Business Outlook
Vault’s Verdict: Consultants are cautiously optimistic about the fi rm’s chances of imminent growth, but are wary of new challenges that have arisen with the fi rm’s new merger.
Overall Business Outlook
• “I think Strategos is fairly well positioned to thrive. I’m much less convinced that the UTEK/Innovaro situation will help.” – Senior associate
• “Business is picking up rather robustly.” – Consultant
• “Actually, [2009 was] a rough period of time; however, a strong effort in business development is being made.” – Analyst
Confi dence in Firm Leadership
• “We are part of a larger company, Innovaro, so our excellent leadership has to coordinate Strategos activities with the rest of the company.” – Midlevel insider
• “Strategos leadership is excellent and they complement each other well. I’m not sure Innovaro leadership has a full idea of where it wants to go, and whether it’s the right group to take us there.” – Consultant
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