Sexism and racism from senior leaders. - Anonymous employee Korn Ferry Employee Review

2.0
May 22, 2021
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- The Partners really are experts in their respective sector. Some are impressive at consulting and client management - learned from their example. - Decent cross-geography collaboration where needed. - Still has a reasonable brand externally. Would see as a decent stepping stone to something better vs. a place to stay and build your career.

Cons

- Shocking sexism (and occasionally racism) from multiple Partners. Not a huge number but blind eyes turned by the rest. Some of the things I overheard said to others were disgusting. Seems stuck in a time warp of 90s US corporate culture. Left as eventually discrimination turned onto me. - Big tanker of a company riding on its name. No real innovation or thought leadership is coming from within KF. - Salary increase and promotion is governed by how loudly the Partner you work for can shout, not by merit. - Group of Senior Partners at the top who have each others' backs. Good luck pushing back on any of the above. - Led from the US resulting in waves of aggressive cost cutting.

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 High expectations with outdated systems, manual processes, inefficient.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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