"There was exactly the right balance at BCG between not putting too much emphasis on LGBTQ, but also ... [+]
An MBA from one of the world’s leading business schools is a transformational experience, at both a professional and a personal level. Over one or two years, in a safe and encouraging environment, the program is an opportunity to learn new skills, explore new career prospects, discover new interests, create connections and develop friendships with a diverse and inspiring network.
For over two decades a post-MBA career in consulting has been the most popular choice for many graduates of the top schools. Deans from INSEAD to Stanford GSB have advised students that the breadth of projects across different industries and functions will be a wonderful consolidation of the MBA experience, with a fast-track learning curve to prepare them for any variety of future ventures or corporate roles. The rewards are good, the exposure to decision makers and big issues is stimulating, and the opportunity to expand your network of colleagues and clients is invaluable.
To get the most out of the business school experience, one of the world’s three most prestigious strategy consulting firms, BCG has launched a Diversity MBA Fellowship program with six of Europe’s leading business schools to support and grow the intake of individuals belonging to communities who are currently underrepresented in the firm. Committed to recruiting passionate, open-minded people of all gender identities, sexual orientations, ethnicities, cultures, abilities, backgrounds, education and experience, BCG supports Fellows with monthly one-on-one coaching from a senior BCG mentor, skills-building webinars and networking events, and interview preparation for a guaranteed first round interview.
For Kushal Khandhar, Global Pride @BCG Manager responsible for shaping the company’s global LGBTQ diversity, equity and inclusion strategy, the case for DEI is both a social and business imperative.
"Diversity is a core value for us here at BCG - it is a non-negotiable value, and is part of our ... [+]
“There is a very strong moral case for diversity, equity and inclusion, and that is evidenced by the fact that diversity is actually embedded in our core values framework. Diversity is a core value for us here at BCG - it is a non-negotiable value, and is part of our DNA. That in itself is sufficient to work on DEI, it is the right thing to do, and we want to do it right.”
“Having said that, we are a management consulting firm and we love data. To solve some of the most complex problems that CEOs and broader societal stakeholders face, and come up with the right solutions for problems that don't have pre-set solution frameworks, diverse opinions help us get to the right creative solutions to add value for the client. From that perspective, having a diverse set of opinions, and empowering people to feel inclusive and be able to speak and perform at their best in a work environment, convince us that DEI is also a business imperative.”
Khandhar is co-author of a BCG report on Why the First Year Matters for LGBTQ+ Employees. For companies, creating an environment in which employees feel comfortable sharing they identities carries significant rewards. But time is of the essence - the first year is critical for LGBTQ+ employees, as most workers come out either during their first 12 months on the job or not at all, according to the Out@Work Barometer survey of approximately 8,800 people over 19 countries.
The good news is that companies can help ensure that employees feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work from day one. For Kushal Khandhar, this extends beyond LGBTQ inclusive policies to also integrate what he describes as 1,000 daily touch points. “In our day-to-day experience, LGBTQ individuals have thousands of interactions with colleagues, with vendors, with clients, and the idea is to make every single interaction reinforce the idea of inclusion. That means your daily lived experience actually becomes and reinforces the idea that you are accepted, and maybe even celebrated for identity.”
Khandhar insists that these daily touch points start even before recruitment. “When you go on campus, how are you mentioning your pride network? When you have interactions with potential candidates, are you saying what are you doing for minority communities? Do you have a parallel process specifically for people who want to be out in closed settings, rather than be treated more openly as LGBTQ? In the interviews itself, is there enough emphasis given on sensitivity for LGBTQ inclusion or using the right pronouns? Are you not making stereotypical assumptions about a person's gender identity or their partners? There's a whole range of interactions in the life cycle of an employee where these 1,000 daily touch points matter, and it’s important to make sure those are touch points of inclusion, not exclusion.”
For Cas Verhagen, a graduate of the CEMS Masters in International Management, his interviews at BCG were already the demonstration that he would be in a work environment where he would be comfortable. “I still remember quite vividly that the one of the questions they asked me was what I was most proud of in my life? The honest answer was for me, my coming out and I was thinking while preparing for the interview, if I get this question, do I give that answer? And I was like, actually, yes because I want to see how they react. If they feel that is not the answer they were looking for then this is probably not the right company for me.”
“I was asked the question twice - for one of my first interviews and also in a secondary interview with one of the Partners at BCG. Both times my answer was met with such openness, and a very natural and personal conversation with the interview partner, and I remember walking back from both of the interviewers thinking that if BCG is so accepting of this answer then this is a company that I would love to be working for.”
In the first week of Cas joining the company he was approached by the pride BCG network. “I felt super comfortable with my fellow joiners to be open about the fact that I have a boyfriend rather than a girlfriend - there was exactly the right balance between not putting too much emphasis on it, but also ensuring that I felt supported and received the proper support during the onboarding.”
So how do you know if consulting or any other career is right for you? Francesco Schettino is a Project Lead in the BCG Amsterdam office, and regularly attends recruitment sessions to talk to candidates about a career in strategy consulting and the cultural fit of an organization. “Speaking with Associates really helps you to understand the work, the breadth of meaningful opportunities available to you, and what makes your job interesting from one day to the next and makes you want to show up every morning. Just as important is trying to see if there is a personal fit with the company culture. If there is, the work will adapt somehow.”
Schettino had worked with BCG for three years before heading to Chicago Booth for his MBA. He started in the Milan office, with an initial project working with a major Italian financial institution that was struggling to stay afloat. Every day really mattered, and he was really enjoying the challenging work with great colleagues. But Italy was conservative at the time, and Francesco was cautious about being out at work.
“The fact of having others I could relate to and be myself really changed my experience at BCG and ... [+]
“But at a certain point it was just a matter of really wanting to bring my true self to work that I came out. That just triggered a very welcoming environment, and I got a budget to start a local LGBTQ network. I got phone calls from colleagues in the network from all over the world. The fact of having others I could relate to and be myself really changed my experience at BCG and gave me the audacity to ask for a transfer to Australia.”
The full support of the BCG network then opened up further horizons with the idea of business school, where he was quickly involved in OUTreach, a club that aims to advance social and professional opportunities for LGBTQ students at Chicago Booth.
“Some of my best friends are from OUTreach at Booth, and we continue to see each other once or twice a year. Our professional and educational background were completely different, but given that we were bonding on a personal level, I got to meet so many people that were in start-ups, or that wanted to be product managers. So, it broadened my horizons, because I was exposed to so many points of view.”
Schettino returned to Booth after his MBA, and is committed to an authentic representation and support for the LGBTQ community in both BCG and beyond. “You need to seriously think what is the value you want to extract from the talent that you're hiring, instead of simply looking at their CV and their skills. And this is a learning journey, for us at BCG and for all the companies. One thing that we value a lot is the creativity or thinking outside of the box or thinking of new boxes. It goes beyond your academic grades in economics or your GMAT score. If companies start to think how they can make sure that new hires can express their opinion in a constructive way, and in a psychologically safe environment, diversity will just naturally increase because people flock towards that supportive environment.”
This approach to recruitment resonates with Kushal Khandhar. “We do want to be diverse as a company, we do want to look like the world around us. And I think this ties in with how we best serve our clients, how we bring the best solutions through the best talent. And that's how the BCG Diversity MBA Fellowship fits into the recruiting goals of being more diverse as an employer.”
The fellowships, including the BCG Pride MBA Fellowship are available to students pursuing their MBA at one of six top European business schools - INSEAD, LBS, IESE, Oxford Saïd, ESADE and Cambridge Judge - where Khandhar and his colleagues regularly attend campus events. “The more I interact with the schools, the more our engagement and relationship has deepened. Business schools and universities also resonate with our values, and they're increasingly recognizing the importance of diversity.”
He notes how many LGBTQ individuals find the support networks and tools during their studies a safe space for them to come out. “This sense of a broader community where you can be out and accepted has a lot of value for people. And that experience tends to generally come for the first time for a lot of people within a university context, which tends to be a test bed for coming out before they enter the corporate world.”
And for MBA students looking to explore their professional path, Khandhar emphasizes the importance of actively acknowledging a career choice is also a life choice. “You will be spending many hours at the workplace, and the people you work with will make a big difference. Graduating from one of the world’s top business schools gives you a lot of leverage to select an employer of your choice. So, when you make that choice, keep in mind whether this is a place where you will be happy.”
“When I wake up excited about work, will I be able to be who I want to be at work, because I don't think they're different concepts. I think that there is a huge interconnectedness between performance, being happy at work and progressing at work. In the context of the Diversity Fellowships, this is a great opportunity to get a window into management consulting through the support of a mentor, and to understand what it's like to be LGBTQ whilst working at BCG. It'll give you a chance to interact with people who've progressed higher, to be open about what you want in terms of career as well as professional obligations, and seeing if this is the right fit for you. And if it is, we'd be delighted to welcome you on board.”
