As a publicly held services company with revenues affected by economic conditions, Korn Ferry cycles from growth to huge layoffs and is brutal when cutting - exit packages that seem like they should be illegal; reactionary leadership; slashing the most successful to avoid paying bonuses; obscure and tortured LTIP plans designed to lower payouts then pocketing withheld amounts. Their vision to build a full line HR consultancy with global client relationships is good on paper, but CEO and CFO undermine the strategy with short-sighted choices driven by qtr-to-qtr cost and margin pressures. KF has decent IP and vision but leadership actions and results don't align with stated strategy. What they have is no organic growth, unmet expectations of key business investments such as Digital offerings and acquisitions; willingness to slash successful programs and people for cost reduction, even when causing irrepairable damage to core strategies and client relationships. I found KF to be ethical with clients - I'd not have joined or stayed if I didn't see and feel that - but dealings with employees to meet quarterly earnings are ruthless. KF does do not have your back as an employee and does not walk their talk with their own employees. I wish Korn Ferry better success pulling together an integrated HR consultancy - there are good people still there and there is a huge gap in figuring out the people components of transformations that's not filled by strategy firms or large integrators. Sadly, KF leadership doesn't understand what it takes to build that and does not have the resilience or Board support to make it happen.
