The best advisory | consulting firms to work for in the Netherlands

Great Place To Work (GPTW), a human capital analyst firm that conducts research into best workplaces, has released its 2018 list of the best companies to work for in the Netherlands. Around sixty organisations active in both the public and private sector made the commended list, including thirteen consulting firms.

To measure how well employers treat their people, the researchers assessed good employability across five dimensions: credibility, respect, honesty, pride and culture. The assessment was based on an independent audit on human capital policies and processes, as well as on a survey among employees, which shed light on how staff rate their own employers.

Among the organsations which can call themselves the best companies to work for in the Netherlands are thirteen management and technology consultancies. An overview of the best consulting firms to work for and why they stand out as great employers.

Quint Wellington Redwood

With a footprint in four continents, Quint is a Dutch-origin consultancy that operates internationally. The firm specialises in solving IT-related organisational issues, sourcing transformations and provides training in areas such as Agile, Lean, Scrum and DevOps. Quint stands out according to the jury for its broad possibilities for personal and professional development, the way how the firm celebrates special occasions and milestones, and for management’s involvement and support with personal issues. “If you want to work at a consultancy firm with a very open culture and a clear vision of what the organisation stands for and where it is heading at, Quint is the place to be,” stated the jury about the consulting firm.

Lean Consultancy Group

Lean Consultancy Group (LCG) helps organisations improve their performance by leveraring the Lean philosophy. The firm has made the prestigious cut four times in a row now, and this year the operations consultancy tops the category for medium workplaces (between 50 and 250 employees). The consultancy is particularly applauded for the broad possibilities for personal and professional development, for the fact that its work inspires employees, and for the firm manages to recruit employees that match closely with its culture and core values.

Incentro

IT consultancy Incentro, which is on the list for the fifth time in a row, is praised, among other reasons, for the honest and loyal distribution it applies for company success and profit sharing, the development possibilities and for the way in which work is made inspiring: “Incentro is a very innovative employer, who constantly looks at what can be improved. The organisation and its employees come up with new, original (company) activities to keep their people proud, inspired and productive,” wrote the researchers in their evaluation.

ORMIT

With a record eleventh listing as a best workplace, ORMIT is one of the frontrunners in nurturing a good workplace for employees, highlights Great Place To Work. The company is in the eyes of its employees viewed as an organisation which enjoys a strong sense of belonging. “The culture is open and honest. Self-development is also central in the firm’s L&D strategy and there is significant focus on improvement and progress.” The strong recruitment and selection procedure and management that is accessible to employees are other differentiators identified. ORMIT is a company that specialies in traineeships for young professionals, with many of them staffed on project management and consultancy roles at clients. 

IG&H Consulting & Interim

Utrecht based IG&H Consulting & Interim is a management consulting firm with around 120 consultants, focused on three sectors: retail, healthcare and industrials. The consultancy scores particularly well on the distribution of success in the organisation, the possibilities for personal and professional development and on the inspiring work that is offered to advisors. Employees indicate that there is a strong team spirit within IG&H, with room offered for everyone to be themselves: “Joining IG&H is like entering a warm bath. Employees are also given the confidence in their role, helping them maximize their talents,” stated the jury.

Solid Professionals

Another Utrecht-based consultancy, Solid Professionals, is celebrated for the strong personal touch in culture: “People can be themselves at Solid, with accessibility to colleagues and leaders very high. The team also has a lot of fun with each other, highlights the jury report. Furthermore, the researchers point out how special occasions and milestones are celebrated together and the effective recruitment approach. Solid Professionals is a professional services firm with a track record in finance & risk, and digital, with a focus on the financial services industry

Squerist

Specialised in digital transformation, Squerist was recognised for its transparency and focus on work-life balance. According to Great Places To Work, the firm’s employees indicate that people are at the heart of Squerist’s HR strategy. “This people-oriented approach is based on the high degree of attention for personal development and the easy communication flows within the organisation. Squerist, which made the list for the second year running, is based in the city of Veenendaal and has a team of over 100 consultants, IT project managers and technology professionals.

AT Osborne

AT Osborne, which was founded as a spin-off or Berenschot (one of the oldest management consultancies in the Netherlands), focuses on spatial consultancy and programme management, serving mainly governments, local municipalities and public private partnerships. The firm is praised for the good work-life balance and recruitment. “AT Osborne offers a differentiated workplace through, other things, the beautiful office located in the forest of Baarn, the wealth of development possibilities and for the culture which promotes inclusion. Employees are therefore proud to work for AT Osborne,” stated the jury. Employees further indicate that they are impressed by the quality of their colleagues.

Fakton

Real estate and property consultancy Fakton, based in Rotterdam, is praised by its employees for its open culture, in which freedom and development opportunities are fully supported. The advisory company is also recognised for the extensive learning & development opportunities it offers its consultants, which builds its own academy and business school, and an alliances with a university. 

House of Performance

Founded in 1998, House of Performance is a management consulting firm with a team of around 40 consultants. “At House of Performance, intensity, authenticity and reciprocity are central. The organisation has a 'work hard, play hard' culture in which a team of young, ambitious professionals help customers to improve their performance. The hard work is appreciated though an extensive training budget and a wide range training programme. Other strengths of the consultancy, which topped the list in the small companies category (up to 50 employees), are according to Great Place to Work the inspiring work at clients and accessibility of management.

Republiq

Republiq is a property consultant for the public sector. “At Republiq, employees are proud of their unique work location [the firm is based in a fully renovated water tower]. There is also a lot of flexibility and mutual coordination between consultants. Employees also applaud the good cooperation on projects,” said the jury. In addition, Republiq is regarded as a “special and progressive organisation” and “a young company that picks up complex issues from the public sector with passion and dedication”. The firm's partner team attaches great importance to enthusiasm, equality and having fun together.

Considerati

Specialised in privacy- and public affairs, Considerati is based in The Hague and Amsterdam. The firm, which last year was named one of the fastest growing management consulting firms of Europe, scores highly in the area of work-life balance, inspiring work and the contribution of employees to society, coupled with Considerati’s corporate social responsibility policy. “Compassion and collaboration are key aspects of Considerati’s culture. Employees are also proud of the expertise housed within the organisation and the quality of services offered to clients,” stated GPTW. 

In another recent study on the best companies to work for in the Netherlands, strategy consultant Bain & Company was named the best workplace in the country by Glassdoor, a title the consulting firm also managed to scoop in neighbouring country Germany. 

Related: Top strategy and management consulting firms in the Netherlands.