Support for flexibility

McKinsey offers a number of resources to help consultants find the flexible options that work best for them

Balancing personal and professional commitments can be difficult in any work environment. At McKinsey, we recognize this challenge and offer a wide array of tools and resources to support our people as they find the balance that works best for them.

Flexibility contacts
To help individuals explore potential options, McKinsey has dedicated global Flexibility First Alert contacts, Laura Nilsen and Isabelle Giroudot, as well as a Flexibility Counselor, Charmhee Kim. “We are the central points of contact on any questions related to flexible work arrangements at McKinsey,” explains Laura. “In our roles, we provide one-on-one coaching and advice to colleagues who are interested in or currently on flexible work arrangements, and we gather and disseminate best practices to offices globally.”

Flexibility website
Consultants can access McKinsey’s Flexibility site on our intranet, which includes successful case examples and video testimonials, guidance on the flexible work models most likely to work in different situations and at varying tenures, formal policies (relating to flexible working, maternity leave, and leaves of absence), and details on the steps individuals need to take to design a flexible program. It also includes tips and resources on how to work more flexibly with clients and on client teams.

Support for parents
McKinsey’s commitment to parents has been recognized by Working Mother magazine, which has ranked us as one of the 100 best companies for working mothers and as one of the 10 best companies for paternity leave for our commitment to supporting working parents.  

Working Mother specifically recognized us for:
- our extensive leave benefits for mothers, fathers, and adoptive parents
- coaching and support provided by a dedicated Mother's Network manager
- a “phase back” option that allows consultants to ease back into work after coming back from maternity leaves

Local support for on- and off-ramping
Each North American office additionally has a woman partner who acts as a dedicated mother’s network point person, available to provide coaching and advice to consultants in their office as they go on and return from maternity leaves.

North American Mom's network
Mothers are also given a McKinsey mom’s guidebook, which includes tips, advice and resources, as well as a facebook of other McKinsey mothers across North America offering their words of wisdom and advice. Many offices also have a local mom's network, which provide opportunities for local support and networking.

“Flexibility is very important for our value proposition as a firm, both for our people and for our clients, as it enables us to try different service models,” says Sandrine DeVillard, a partner in the Paris office. Sandrine has three children and has been on a reduced schedule for more than eight years. She knows first-hand that alternative work arrangements are viable and that consultants on flexible schedules can develop and advance at McKinsey. “I’m particularly happy that all offices support flexible programs. It's a great achievement, and I am both a great believer in it and proof that it works.”

Charmhee concludes, “Given the time-consuming and travel-intensive nature of consulting work, some of our consultants may feel the need to make alternative work arrangements to meet the demands of family or childcare. We want to support them to maintain balance and still be successful at McKinsey. Our client service project-based model and culture supports flexibility unlike traditional industry firms. The range of flexible work options we offer allows a consultant to create a program that best meets his or her personal and professional aspirations.”