McKinsey & Company Reviews

Cons

nothing to complain about this company

Cons

Too much travel
Office is always empty, as people are mostly work remotely/client site
Salary could be better

Cons

All points below are for McKinsey in India - things may be different in other geographies.

McKinsey Implementation in India is a poor choice for professionals from tier 1 MBA schools with good career progress in their previous organization.

MI India started with folks from McKinsey's Knowledge Centre who are from tier 3 institutes. Sometime back, some Senior Partner had the bright idea of hiring professionals from tier 1 MBA schools who had done well in their professional tracks till they chose to join MI. This was not fully thought out as can be seen from the number of such professionals exiting the firm as quickly as they joined it. Internally, among the top management, there is a tug of war happening between those who think MI is a pool of cheap resources and those who think MI can be something more. Unfortunately, it is the former thought process (pool of cheap resources and nothing more) which is winning.

MI India is ideal for tier 3 MBA folks who would be dazzled by the McKinsey name and stick on doing whatever work comes their way. It is also great for folks in industry who are desperate for a changeover to consulting. For others, especially for folks with pedigreed education, it is a strict no-go.

MI is a pool of relatvely cheap labour used to do tasks leftover by generalists. Your experience and expertise before joining means nothing in MI India as you would compete with or work under less experienced generalists who would hog all the good work for themselves or their brethren and give you some leftovers to chew on. Besides, the firm has enough money to throw at external experts to bring in the required expertise. So, the generalists would do the "pages" (slides) and internal or external experts would provide the meat. You would be left wondering what is your value add to the entire process .

The chances of advancement are slim (explained in detail in the "advice to management" below.

In addition, many generalists seem to think laterals don't fit into the firm culture (have actually overheard people talk this way).

It's also a challenge to deal with insecure, low EQ, young generalist associates and EMs.

The firm’s technique of offering a bump in starting pay followed by a plateau in increments and bonus is not a standard practice in India - perhaps it may be standard in advanced economies. You would be drawn by the higher fixed salary but be prepared for a shock when the variable pay comes in. And the increments within the same band are pathetic = only promotions would lead to a halfway decent increment.

You would not have any bosses within the firm - the closest one finds to a boss in McKinsey is a sponsor. Usually laterals do not have a sponsor when they come in and it becomes a fight to get a sponsor. Without a powerful sponsor in the system, it is difficult to get staffed and eventually you'll be asked to leave.

The firm does a lot of work in financial services, auto and pharma (in India). Rest of the sectors are covered opportunistically and there is no long term commitment to any sector. Don't be surprised if the firm decides to completely stop working in the sector they hired you for. The firm keeps changing its priorities often and as a lateral MI India resource, you might not be given many chances to change along with the firm.

 Whenever, as an MI resource, you strive for something more, you would be cut down with the smoke and mirrors of "learn the McKinsey toolkit first." Forget leading proposals or thought leadership pieces - the generalists (even if they don't know the subject) will be leading them and you'll be playing second fiddle.

Do not think that you can come in as an MI person and then switch to an Expert or Generalist track. There is a strict policy of not moving MI folks to any other tracks lest the entire vertical makes a beeline for such an move.

Finally, your experience here might not move the needle much in terms of your career progression because both within and outside the firm, MI people are not given the same respect or designations as generalists. You would find yourself explaining to headhunters and potential future employers what an "Implementation Coach" or "Senior Implementation Coach" is and why you would add as much if not more value than the less weirdly named generalist designations.

Cons

No "Cons" as such except rotational shifts

Cons

Low Hike when compared to other firms

Cons

Only issue is the night shift!

Cons

Stress for on time delivery, slow career growth

Cons

work life balance
less training time allocated

Cons

Difficult to like the work culture of any other organisation after leaving McKinsey

Cons

Good pay, if you're ready to work on weekends and for 10 hours