A Toxic Work Environment Driven by Fear and Incompetence - Associate Client Partner Korn Ferry Employee Review

1.0
30 Jul 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Positive Perceived Brand: The company's association with high-profile executive search business boosts its market reputation and perceived brand value. Interesting Projects: Engaging and interesting projects with solid, reputable companies provide valuable learning opportunities and career development.

Cons

Constant Fear of Layoffs: Every day feels like walking on eggshells. The fear of being laid off looms over everyone, creating a toxic and stressful work environment. 20% of the US advisory team was laid off last year, leading to perpetually low morale. Apocalyptic Sales Credit Process: The sales credit process here is a disaster. It’s confusing, inefficient, and seems to be designed to penalize employees rather than reward them. It’s a demoralizing experience that saps any joy out of achieving sales targets. Siloed with No Collaboration: The company is incredibly siloed, with departments operating in isolation. There’s no collaboration, no teamwork, and no sense of unity. It’s every person for themselves, which makes working on cross-functional projects a nightmare. Disingenuous CEO: The CEO is disingenuous and out of touch with the reality of the company. They put on a facade of caring about the employees, but their actions speak otherwise. The CEO received a 22% raise last year, highlighting a significant disparity as most employees did not receive raises. There’s a complete lack of transparency and genuine leadership from the top. Lack of Clear Corporate Strategy: The company has no clear direction or strategy. We’re constantly pivoting and changing priorities, which makes it impossible to focus on long-term goals. It feels like we’re just trying to survive day by day without any real plan for the future. Survival of the Fittest: The culture here is one of survival of the fittest. There’s no support or development for employees, and the only way to get ahead is to outlast your colleagues. It’s a cutthroat environment that breeds resentment and distrust. Poor Senior Leadership: Senior leadership is completely incompetent. They lack vision, strategy, and the ability to inspire their teams. Decisions are made haphazardly, and there’s no accountability for the poor choices that are dragging the company down. Bonuses Below Targets: Bonuses consistently fall below targets, disappointing employees who rely on these incentives.

Explore other reviews about Korn Ferry

5.0
10 Feb 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
16 Jun 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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