Aquent shined in a far-reaching study of the world’s top consulting firms published in the Nov./Dec. 2003 issue of Consulting Magazine.

To qualify for the study firms had to be listed on the CN 75, a list of the largest consulting firms ranked by worldwide revenue. Of the 50 companies in the study and the 19 that earned mention, Aquent was recognized as one of the world’s top ten firms for employee morale, operational effectiveness, and quality of leadership.

Employee Morale
According to Consulting Magazine, employee morale is “a benchmark to get a pulse of a given organization and a bigger picture of the profession as a whole.” Last year the number of consultants listing morale as “low” increased—which the magazine attributed to “staff reductions, skipped bonuses, pay cuts, nose-diving stock prices, and lack of job security.”

In defiance of this trend, Aquent stood out among elite consulting firms such as Bain & Company and McKinsey & Company, with 63.3% of Aquent employees ranking morale “very high/high.”

Operational Effectiveness
Although consulting firms are hired to implement change, clients often resist change. This frustrates the process as well as the consultants, and it diminishes the benefits of hiring a consulting firm. Aquent’s experience runs contrary to this common pitfall. When asked, “How often do you think your work makes a positive impact on clients?” 95.5% of Aquent’s staff responded “always.”

Aquent’s staff is confident of its ability to positively impact clients, which over the past eighteen months have included 238 of the Fortune 500. Aquent’s statistics were more positive than industry leaders in this section, including the overall top-ranked consulting firm Bain & Company, which had 24% fewer positive responses than Aquent for this category.

Quality of Leadership
Leadership is not only critical to the success of a consulting firm, but ultimately to the success of the firm’s clients. One consultant quoted in the article spoke about the negative tendency of project leaders to “crush their own people to meet oversold deadlines and statements of work.”

In Consulting Magazine’s evaluation of this issue and of leadership in general, consultants were asked, “How often do you find it easy to deliver on commitments?” Aquent’s results were split between “always” (43%) and “very frequently” (37%). This 80% positive rating placed Aquent in the top ten and is an indication of the firm’s solid leadership and ability to deliver for clients.

Aquent’s strong showing against the most respected consulting firms in the world clearly establishes that Aquent is a firm with a bright future. Aquent is getting it right. Both Aquent clients and employees are reaping the benefits of sound leadership that meets commitments, fosters great morale in difficult times, and helps clients reach their goals.