Overview
our work 
development 
This experience doesn't happen in a vacuum - new consultants get exposure to senior consultants who have spent their careers developing corporate strategies and they have the opportunity to observe the decision making process of the clients' senior executives. This takes place across a number of industries and current issues. To achieve this kind of experience all consultants at Dean & Company have their skills continuously stretched to meet the case demands and receive expanding responsibilities. These types of challenges and experiences are the fuel for rapid career development.
In addition to the individual's case experiences, Dean & Company provides an environment that is open and collegial. We recruit the most talented and professional people, which results in a working atmosphere that is supportive and intellectually stimulating. Given our size and culture, our firm is uniquely entrepreneurial. The entire firm is involved in firm management and decision making.
The key to leveraging your case experiences and the learning environment at Dean and Company is the firm's Career Review Process and its approach to compensation and advancement.
Specific, individual, project-based feedback - Dean & Company has an extensive process for developing individual performance reviews whose primary purpose are to provide actionable feedback tailored to the needs of each individual. In addition to informal feedback, each consultant receives written feedback every three months or at the conclusion of an assignment, whichever is sooner. This feedback is not focused on general ratings of performance but rather on identifying specific practices that an individual can apply to improve his or her effectiveness and on establishing priorities for development goals.
Upward reviews - Feedback must be two-way to be effective at Dean & Company. We conduct regular upward reviews, in which Analysts and Associates provide specific feedback to Managers and Vice Presidents to enable the latter to improve their management capabilities. Not only does this have the direct benefit of helping the more senior individuals in the firm continue to develop and fine-tune their skills, it also encourages Analysts and Associates to consider carefully what practices constitute good project management. This in turn accelerates their own subsequent growth into project management roles.
Formal career reviews - Semi-annually, and in addition to the project review process described above, we conduct thorough reviews of each consultant's performance and development. These reviews provide an opportunity to take a longer perspective on an individual's career progression and provide longer range feedback. Career Reviews also lead to decisions on promotions and compensation. Our criteria is based on standards of performance we expect people to attain and are not linked to time in the firm. Career development is driven by a "speedometer" approach, not an "odometer" approach.
Career Advisors - Each consultant is assigned a career advisor who serves as a resource for the discussion of career development goals and challenges and as an informal mentor. The career advisor is responsible for monitoring an individual's progress, representing that individual in the Career Review Process, and ensuring that the firm is doing everything it can to develop the individual as rapidly as (s)he is capable.
Compensation and Advancement - Our environment is open and supportive, and advancement is a function of individual capability. Consultants receive early and frequent exposure to senior consultants and clients, and they work on assignments that are critical to our clients' success. While the work is demanding, it is also rewarding - in career development, in personal growth, and in financial compensation.
Our starting compensation levels for all positions are competitive with other consulting firms in our strategy segment. Consultants at Dean & Company also have the opportunity to grow rapidly in terms of level and responsibility, which can result in higher total compensation relative to the possibilities in many other firms. Three main factors contribute to this faster growth opportunity: (1) more exposure to senior consultants than elsewhere; (2) our dedication to individual development which means that consultants receive detailed, actionable, performance-based feedback on a frequent basis; and (3) a philosophy of "speedometer vs. odometer" career progression which means that consultants can develop their skills at their own fastest pace and progress based on their performance, not their seniority.
Compensation is linked to the outcome of the semi-annual career review process. A significant amount of senior time is invested into the career review process as a way to actively contribute to the development of our consultants. The result is a clear picture of each consultant's performance, strengths, and key area for further development - and, ultimately, tracking and promotion decisions which drive compensation and career growth. With accelerated career growth, twenty per cent annual compensation growth is not uncommon.
In addition, we do not prescribe to a practice of established or enforced time frames for promotion steps or an "up or out" policy.
