Ranking of the best strategy consulting firms according to students

Survey - Students of the best business and engineering schools in France have classified consulting firms according to their reputation and attractiveness.

For graduates of business school and engineers, starting your working life in a strategy consulting firm is the royal road. McKinsey & Co, EY-Parthenon, Boston Consulting Group (BCG)...Prestigious names in which students from the best French schools come to.If their attractiveness is no longer to be demonstrated, Arkairo, a site which allows candidates to be co -opted by alumni, wondered about the real attractiveness of 22 firms with 300 students from grandes écoles (HEC, Centrale, SciencesPo...)* Particularly targeted by recruiters in strategy consulting.At first, students classified the firms they know.Then, they hierarchicized them in order preferably.The general classification is the synthesis of the first two.

"For firms, knowing what their reputation is very important to develop their recruitment methods, deciphers Antonin Kirchner, student of the Grande École de l'Essec program and co -founder of Arkairo.This allows them to target schools, student expectations, adapt their strategy.»»

»»Read also - Strategy Advice, favorite sector of students in large school

What are the best consulting firms according to the students?

Sans surprise, c’est le cabinet américain McKinsey & Co qui arrive en tête du classement. Suivi de près par BCG et Bain&Company. La présence des MBB (McKinsey, BCG, Bain) est «un classique»», souligne dans son rapport Arkairo, puisque ils sont les trois plus grandes sociétés de conseil en stratégie du monde en termes de chiffre d’affaires.Ey-Parthenon and Roland Berger complete the top 5.

The Big Four, that is to say the four largest financial audit and consulting groups worldwide, knew how to find their place in strategy consulting firms taking advantage of the mother brand to ensuretheir notoriety. Ils attirent de plus en plus d’étudiants comme l’indiquent les 6, 7 et 8ème places de respectivement EY-Parthenon (branche conseil en stratégie d’Ernest & Young), GSG (KPMG) et Monitor Deloitte (Deloitte).The latter are also in the top 5 of the classification "according to their notoriety"».And 81% of students know BCG and 64% Monitor Deloitte.

Cabinets classified in the latest positions are generally specialized firms."They are therefore lower in terms of preference because they respond to a lower offer. De même, ils ont moins de moyens pour communiquer face aux mastodontes du secteur»», analyse Antonin Kirchner

I Forgot How Uncomfortable It is to Sleep with a sore Throat and Runny Nose 🤧☹️

— 𝒳𝑒𝓃𝒾𝒶 🖤 ℒ𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓏 Sat May 08 13:40:30 +0000 2021

What are the best known consulting firms for students?

Strong differences between reputation and attractiveness

But notoriety is not preferably synonymous.This is the case, for example, of the Oliver Wyman, 7th notoriety and 5 in preference.Even more glaring: Global Strategy Group is only known by 18% of the panel, but climbs in 7th place in preference. Et BCG, McKinsey et Bain&Company, top 3 en notoriété, restent dans le top 3 de la préférence.

What are the favorite consulting firms for students?

Chez les étudiants «intéressés par le conseil»», qui représentent 67% du panel, le classement est identique à celui prenant en compte les «pas intéressés par le conseil»». Nombreux sont les étudiants attirés par le conseil qui connaissent Kea & Partners (49%, 9ème). Pourtant, lorsque il s’agit ensuite de choisir entre d’autres cabinets, le cabinet européen fondé en 2001 recule de 3 places et sort du Top 10, au profit de Strategy&, Advancy ou encore GSG.Likewise, Roland Berger who is 7 in notoriety is in 4th position in preference.

Note, too, what Arkairo calls "the breakthrough of PMP Conseil"».This cabinet, little known in a general manner, enjoys a strong notoriety with students interested in strategy advice.He ranks 13th. De même, hormis les «MBB»», Roland Berger est le seul cabinet qui se fait une place solide auprès des Big Four. «Son activité axée sur les due diligence (les vérifications qu’opère un investisseur en vue d’une transaction, NDLR) et son ancrage franco-allemand lui permettent de se démarquer»», analyse Arkairo.

Women at the heart of the recruitment strategy

For several years, the recruitment of women has been at the heart of the firms' strategy.Note, the great reputation with the students of the Cepton Cabinet (18th in General, 22nd with the interested parties by the Council) who placed 15th."Group of women in firms (Women @BCG), dedicated events and sponsorship of associations/women's teams (...)Les cabinets ne lésinent pas sur les moyens pour attirer les plus talentueuses»», commente Arkairo.

"The real challenge for these cabinets is to keep women. Car quand on regarde les organigrammes des partenaires dans les grands cabinets, ce sont à 80% des hommes»», tempère Antonin Kirchner.

Engineering students turn to "Big Four"»

That students come from major business or engineers, the most popular firms are the same;The "MBB"». L’étude révèle cependant que lorsque il s’agit de classer les cabinets selon la préférence, les ingénieurs se tournent plutôt vers un Big Four et les étudiants en école de commerce plutôt vers des cabinets «historiques»» comme Oliver Wyman ou Kearney.

À VOIR AUSSI - Eric Hazan (Mckinsey) «Le meilleur retour sur investissement, c’est le capital humain»» - Big Bang Eco du Figaro 2019

*Essec, HEC, ESCP, Emlyon, Centrale Supélec, Polytechnique, Mines ParisTech, Ponts Pitech, Sciences Po and Supaéro.