Good on Paper, but Reality is far from it! - Anonymous employee Kearney Employee Review

1.0
19 Sept 2012
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good perks and benefits packages. You get points for hotels, AmEx Rewards and airline points.

Cons

Where do I start? Well, after having graduated from a prestigious Ivy League school and having worked in some of the most recognizable companies in the world with good amount of practical experience. ATK is probably the worst, due to the political BS. Work-life balance only exists on the paper and partners/principals preach it and say they "believe" in it, but the reality is you're working LONG hours. Additionally, compensation isn't competitive considering you're working a lot more than someone who's working ~40hrs in industry. Hourly rate ends up being about the same for both. Lastly, "likes" and "dislikes" by peers and management determines your future and not what the standard process is for being promoted. Therefore, logic goes out the window. People will go behind your backs and throw you under the bus.

Explore other reviews about Kearney

5.0
8 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The role helps build strong research, communication, and analytical skills.

Cons

Some tasks may also be repetitive depending on the project stage.

1.0
16 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

If you’re fresh out of school and don’t have a specific skill and don’t know what to do, and you’re willing to be a yes man then yes it might be a good place to figure out your next step.

Cons

- Lack of pipeline for certain practices (and they will blame that on you saying your utilization is low but there’s nothing you can do at an associate level) - Full of people that feel good about themselves but they actually knows nothing about how actual industry work - No talent - Management will give you vague feedback that you can’t act on, For example, I got asked to “elevate the deck” but when I asked is it the messaging or is it the format etc they can’t give me anything specific - The expectation on work quality is inconsistent - Some manager level people can’t do excel which is shocking - You need to be a people pleaser in order to get promoted

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