So glad to escape - Consultant Korn Ferry Employee Review

1.0
Aug 28, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The answer used to the 'the talented people you work with' but I'm not even sure that is true these days.

Cons

If you are a prospective employee or client then, please, do your homework before making any kind of commitment. Korn Ferry looks great from the outside but do they practice what they preach? This is a company that charges huge fees to show clients 'the best way to compensate, develop and motivate their people'. But do they take their own medicine? How motivating is it to work at KF? Quietly ask a current employee for an honest assessment and then wait for the real story. Want to work with them in D&I? Check out their gender pay reporting. Leadership assessment? Ask them when the last time was they were asked to assess a colleague. Compensation? Ask them whether they have a fair and transparent pay structure. Engagement? Do they measure engagement internally? Leadership? Ask an employee to tell you about some of the behaviours exhibited by the senior leaders in the US and how that plays out in terms of culture, wellbeing etc. Want to work in sales (you will be)? Ask your conscience how you will feel about charging clients the maximum you can get away with but with substandard delivery support meaning that you will never meet your clients' expectations. All of the knowledge and expertise has been stripped out in recent years. KF is really just a huge sales operation now (the marketing brochures are very glossy). Current clients and employees get a raw deal. All that matters here is what Wall Street thinks - shareholder return is king - and this relentless focus has led to some deeply unethical business practices. Employees are leaving in droves.

Explore other reviews about Korn Ferry

5.0
Feb 10, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I am a consultant through a firm acquired by Korn Ferry and have had a great experience with both the firm (Salo) and with Korn Ferry as a parent company. Great to have benefits and PTO as a consultant and great training and resources available - good communication as well!

Cons

Transitional period during acquisition had a few bumps but nothing major and all ironed out as more time has gone on.

4.0
Jun 16, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The client diversity across industries and regions is top notch. Great brand recognition. The marketing investments in Korn Ferry Tour and LA28 paid off. Smart people. Remote work is a plus as 75% people work remotely. No push for facetime in offices. Work from anywhere! Everyone knows of Korn Ferry!

Cons

A culture of long hours and interrupted vacations. Clear demarcation between haves(fee earners) and have nots (execution). High expectations with outdated systems, manual processes, inefficient. Low pay as there are no merits due to market/company performance. Hard to get food at the holiday party so stop at Five Guys prior.

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