Overview
Introduction
The Keystone Group provides services related to growth strategy, operational improvement, turnaround, and M&A, across a wide range of industries. Beyond its consulting work, the firm is also committed to giving back in its communities, while also hosting a firm-wide bi-annual service trip to build homes for families in need.
Company Stats
Employer Type
Private
Size
11-50 Employees
Featured Rankings
Vault Consulting 50
Major Departments/Practice Areas
Profit and Cash Flow Improvement
Major Office Locations
Chicago, IL (Headquarters)
Employment Contact
Jennifer Antolini, Director of Recruiting
Firsthand Findings
With a genuine focus on doing good in the world, culture is definitely the watchword at Keystone, and a major reason why people stay at the firm for significant amounts of time. But firm-wide service trips and a close-knit team aren’t the only reason: this is a company that does serious work, for serious clients, and helps its people develop serious skills along the way—all while maintaining decent work-life balance into the bargain.
A firm that will appeal to anyone who is looking for the challenge without the culture and pressure associated with a typical consulting shop, this is definitely one to add to the list of “boutiques to check out.”
About the Company
With offices in Atlanta, Chicago and L.A., The Keystone Group provides services related to growth strategy, operational improvement, turnaround, and M&A, across a wide range of industries. Small wonder, then, that its tagline is “making a difference”—something that the firm strives to do not just for clients, but in the wider world.
Founded in 1991, the company operates under four key guiding principles—and notes that three of the four relate to culture: “Be the Best at What We Do,” “Grow Your Skills Faster than Anywhere Else,” “Attain Financial Success,” and “Have Fun.” And that commitment to making a difference and fostering a positive culture doesn’t stop at good PR: every two years, the firm takes a mission trip to build homes for families in need, and also hosts annual fundraisers to send underprivileged children to ca...
Employee Reviews
- “Culture is an aspect where Keystone is unique and leagues ahead of the
competition [...] There are biennial company trips to a Latin American country in
which we build houses for families and experience the culture of the country we're
visiting. Also, when the pandemic started, Keystone made significant efforts to keep
social events alive - we hosted cooking and cocktail-making classes, social events
with banks in Chicago, and leadership reached out early and often to make sure
everyone was okay. Keystone is an incredible place to work because of the people,
and I'm very grateful to be able to be a part of that team.” - “I believe that Keystone provides an accelerated growth curve for our employees
that while challenging, provides them with the opportunity to build a foundational
skillset faster than other firms. I also believe we have a great firm culture and have
a good blend of intellectuals and genuine individuals.” - “Keystone is a unique management consulting firm that offers motivated candidates
the opportunity to build and develop their skills faster than anywhere else by
exposing our teams of hard-working professionals to a broad set of business
challenges (strategy, operations, M&A, restructuring) and opportunities across a
broad client base including family-run businesses, private equity-owned companies
and publicly traded corporations...and we have fun doing it!" - “Our ‘informal’ internal slogan has become that we "give a shit, and get shit done" -
this very concisely embodies the shared values within our firm, with the focus on
our client's success and our ‘roll up the sleeves’ approach which is more oriented
towards solutions and results than it is to perfect recommendations. I believe this
combination is rare and is often noted in contrast to other consulting firms.” - “Your skills will grow more rapidly at Keystone than anywhere else as far as
business acumen, project management, and leadership in general. The mentorship
you will get will be from 20-year veterans and seasoned associates alike. The
culture will be fulfilling, and you will do meaningful work and develop meaningful
relationships.”
Getting Hired Here
- “Interview process is three rounds, with multiple interviews each round. The debrief
is conducted with the majority of the firm, with hiring only occurring when there is
support and consensus by all. With many applicants and only a few spots,
undergrad recruiting typically ends up in offers to about 1% of applicants.” - “Keystone candidates go through three rounds of interviews, the first two of which
are back to back days. The first interview is behavioral with mild case questions
thrown in. The second round is a larger case that involves reviewing data and hand
drawing slides to present to a partner, along with another behavioral interview. The
ideal candidate is someone eager to learn and grow quickly, that would fit in with
our small firm culture.” - “Our interview process is very thorough, with several successive rounds of
interviews with multiple people. Our firm's partners are personally involved in the
interviews, which shows the commitment of top leadership to attracting and
selecting the best people.” - “Someone who has strong intellectual curiosity, is mature beyond their years given
the C-level interactions they are put in front of, and someone who is excited by
solving challenging problems. I also believe we are a great fit for someone who does
not want to get pigeon-holed into one particular area (i.e. we do M&A integration,
financial turnarounds, operational improvements and strategy work). We are
generalists from Analyst to Partner.” - “There is no ideal candidate. As long as you have the intellectual horsepower to find
insights in data and truly care about helping your clients, you would be a good fit for
The Keystone Group. The first round is more behavioral, the second, analytical, and
the third is a little of both.”
