Colleagues appreciate the supportive, family-like atmosphere in our teams

Why is the transformation important at this point in time?

Sander Visser: ‘We have to make certain young professionals with the desired background and skills choose Strategy& when they consider working with a top consultant. We are a firm where most of our team members have an analytical background and great analytical and social skills. These people are scarce. Moreover, the competition with other firms to attract such talented professionals is tough. So we want to ensure we are the best option for future colleagues, offering the best clients, the most challenging projects, the smartest teams and the most inclusive atmosphere.’ 

When you set out on the transformation journey, what ideas did you have in mind?

Sander Visser: ’Strategy& is part of the PwC network and we adhere to their values and purpose. We thought: if we want to optimally support the PwC values, we have to define the desired behaviour that fits these values. Based on these values, we have come up with a number of behavioural standards. For example, we think it is really important to be curious and always keep asking the “why” question. In addition, it’s imperative to strive for high performance because ultimately this will benefit the client. In this way we defined a number of behavioural benchmarks that not only fit the PwC values, but will also make us a better consultant.’

Is there a specific aspect that distinguishes Strategy& from other firms?

Sander Visser: ‘Colleagues that leave the company after working with us for a period of time tell us during their exit interview that they especially appreciated the “people aspect” of our organisation, the supportive, family-like atmosphere in our teams. Strategy& is first and foremost about team collaboration. We are convinced this ultimately results in the best solutions for our clients. We care for each other. We help and stand up for each other. We know that working together makes us excellent consultants. All the energy in our teams is directed towards achieving the best results for a client. No time, money or energy is wasted on internal bickering.’ 

Does Strategy& already communicate this family-like atmosphere?

Sander Visser: ‘We believe this special strength has to become more important if we want to attract the talent we are looking for. But somehow we haven’t been able to bring this across in a convincing way to new hires. That will change. We also think it is an important aspect because people who appreciate the team spirit in our company are also better consultants. Let me explain. CEOs are mostly worried about how they can translate a chosen strategy into meaningful change. Often the real added value of our services lies in making this change happen in a client’s organisation. Of course what we do is still about expertise and professionalism. But consulting these days is also about how to work together effectively with a client’s teams, often in very complex and dynamic environments. How can we create an atmosphere of trust and quickly get huge amounts of work done in a relatively short amount of time? This can only be accomplished with team players, people with not only excellent analytical skills but also excellent social skills.’

So what do you tell new hires about the importance of excellent social skills?

Sander Visser: ‘We tell them that it’s important to strengthen our market position. We want Strategy& to be the best consultant in the world for a number of important industries. Social skills and soft skills are crucial for our success as a business. On the other hand, we also want the people who work here to have an enjoyable time and a great work experience. We want these years to really matter in their careers. Their enthusiasm about the years with us will help us in recruiting new colleagues.’

What kind of projects is Strategy& involved in?

Sander Visser: ‘Our work has always had a high impact on society. We work in sectors that are at the top of the public agenda and strongly relate to the PwC purpose: solving important problems for society and building trust. The role we see for ourselves is to draw on the expertise we find across the PwC network in order to create integrated solutions for society and for clients. To be able to do so we need colleagues who can work from many different perspectives: political, financial, environmental, etcetera. This means we are only looking for the brightest people, and our standards are high regarding the people we consider fit to work here.’

So what can new hires fresh from university expect when joining Strategy&?

Sander Visser: ‘We want them to speak up when they are uncertain about something. We want them to speak up when they hear a senior team member or partner projecting an idea they don’t agree with. Everyone has to feel comfortable about expressing themselves without having to fear any consequences. What we aim for is to achieve the best possible performance rather than minimising failure. In the end, what we do is a creative job. We are not defined by the errors we make, but by the greatness we achieve. So we have created a safe environment where ideas can flow freely. There has to be an atmosphere of trust, where a team member can do what he or she can do best. As I said before, the work at Strategy& is not about minimising error but about creating great ideas and the opportunity to excel.’

Does this way of thinking also materialise in personal appraisals and evaluations?

Sander Visser: ‘Absolutely. It’s not mainly about analytical skills as it used to be in the past or about the weaknesses of a person. Today we spend a lot of time talking about a colleague’s soft skills and what he or she does well. Also we discuss how a person can develop these specific qualities even further. How can we enhance their strengths even more? We have become much more holistic in the way we understand and appreciate the performance of our people. It’s one of the important achievements of this transformation.’