Arthur D. Little
Overview
Introduction
It may boast the oldest name in consulting, but Arthur D. Little is a firm that feels fresh and vital, with a growing footprint in every major global market. While its work product and client list rival the biggest consulting shops, ADL’s focus on retaining and developing employees for long-term careers sets it apart as an employer and seems set to equip it for success in the years ahead.
Company Stats
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Vault Verdict
Don’t be fooled by its long history or global footprint: in the U.S., Arthur D. Little is a firm that feels and operates very much like a startup. That’s partly by design, and partly due to the unusual position of its recent rebuild having been driven largely from Europe—a region where it has fully re-established its brand cachet.
Within the U.S., the firm faces significantly more competition in a very mature market but has nonetheless been making headway over the past few years—although, as with most firms in the sector, 2023 appears to have been a difficult ride.
As an employer, ADL insiders are quick to praise their firm’s flat structure, and the feeling that every single employee has an important role to play in delivering success for ...
About the Company
An acknowledged thought leader in linking strategy, innovation and transformation in technology-intensive and converging industries, Arthur D. Little helps clients navigate changing business ecosystems to uncover new growth opportunities; in so doing, it supports clients in building innovation capabilities and transforming their organization.
Founded in Boston in 1886, Arthur D. Little lays claim to the dual titles of first and oldest management consulting firm in the world. The pioneering spirit of the founder who lent the firm its name is the stuff of legend--and the firm he founded is still going strong, even after completing a journey that has seen it go from private entity to public corporation, and back to private following a 2011 management buyout by the partners. Since that buyout, the company has experienced steady growth ...
Employee Reviews
- “Able to maintain a cultural ‘feel’ of a flat org structure while still keeping the authority and respect levels of each stage of the corporate organization intact.”
- “Everybody is critical to the success of the company, and everybody is treated with high respect. People are excited to dedicate themselves to ADL. Not a place you go just to look for exit ops.”
- “Flat hierarchy and open communication and honest. And a no-a$$holes environment.”
- “Has not been everything that I hoped for because it was a more difficult time in the company's history, but still the right decision to join.”
- “The best kept secret in consulting. Top-tier clients with exciting/dynamic projects. Extremely flexible & adaptive leadership/culture.”
Why Work Here
ADL is an entrepreneurial company - we are the oldest management consulting firm but we are not trapped by process or tradition. For our business model, this means flexibility of approach – rather than just charge our clients by the hour, we may enter into partnerships with them. We eagerly transfer our knowledge to clients while learning from their insight and experience. This is also reflected in the way we work as a team – we value initiative and are always open to new ideas. Every path is possible, and we encourage our people to explore different industries beyond their specializations and work across disciplines.
ADL is proud to be ranked #3 on WSO’s list of Consulting Companies with The Hardest Interview.
Getting Hired Here
- “Interview process is strong. Selective—we have core schools we have developed relationships with. Building. It is tough. The ideal candidate that makes it through is extremely positive in their attitude with excitement to be there—has to be that. They of course are good at math and sharp in qualitative delivery. But, we have to see their unique self showing. We love genuine, we have built a culture not on 'polished people', but on 'authentic, nice, good, hardworking people who are there for each other'. We have gotten good at sensing this.”
- “We recruit primarily at the undergraduate level and are seeking well-rounded, diverse candidates with a mix of both IQ and EQ. Based on the relatively small and growing size of our U.S. practice, we need new staff who can make an immediate contribution (following intensive onboarding training) with almost immediate client interaction.”
Perks & Benefits