Great bones but with growing pains - Manager Sia Employee Review

3.0
Jan 25, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great culture values, benefits and transparency. Compensation is competitive, with a defined path from intern all the way to partner. Benefits are excellent (medical, dental, vision, matching 401k, cell phone, etc.) however medical is based out of New York, so it takes some time for west coast clinics to figure it out. Review process is maturing and while currently a bit clunky, is fair. At the end of the day it's a consulting company though -- the advancements for a consultant quickly end and turn into consultant+sales. They have a lot of initiatives around DEIB; LGBTQ+, Women, POC, etc. and it shows. Just over 50% of the workforce is women and they are paid slightly higher than men. Lots of very good inclusion. Indefinite bench time means you'll work on Sia projects between contracts without fear of being immediately let go.

Cons

Maturity of model. They're trying to compete with the Ernst & Youngs of the consulting world, but don't end up selling projects -- they sell resources (at least in the US) . This results in multiple submissions/interviews with clients instead of simply bidding for the work and assigning whichever people are most applicable -- wastes time for client and consultants. They'll basically remain a staffing firm until this is addressed. While on the bench other consulting firms have people work on internally billable projects -- that is, they're not dead weight and are actually providing "paid" service. Sia does not have any internally billed projects so you're basically on borrowed time. This translates into pressure to help find your own role after a while. In mature consulting companies the higher level you go the more diversified you become. A Sr Consultant might be on 3 or 5 projects, each getting a few hours a week of their time. A Manager might oversee 10 -15 projects, each getting an hour or two of their time. Sia doesn't do this. Everyone needs to be 100% billable to a single project -- while senior people also are required to do their account management, business development, mentoring, etc. It's very odd and puts everyone in a silo, rather than in logical business units. There's a lot expected outside of your full time consulting role (even if you're not a manager). There are Working Groups (with assignments, initiatives, meetings, presentations), the Career Advocate program (a sort of mentorship initiative), DEIB groups (also with commitments), a variety of all-hands meetings (from Paris, US headquarters and local office leaders), happy hours (not required).

Explore other reviews about Sia

5.0
Jun 8, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great team and interesting projects

Cons

Low comp compared to other consulting firms

1
1.0
Mar 24, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Depending on the business unit, you can find supportive, friendly colleagues. There is a strong sense of camaraderie at the peer level, which makes day-to-day work more pleasant. - There is also a relatively good work-life balance overall. However, it is sometimes unclear whether this is the result of a genuine company culture that prioritizes balance, or rather a consequence of inconsistent planning and organization, which can lead to periods of under- or over-allocation. - Decent healthcare benefits

Cons

- Clear lack of structure and transparency, particularly regarding promotions, bonuses, and compensation adjustments. Processes are inconsistent, often unclear, and sometimes feel arbitrary. In several cases, expected salary adjustments were delayed, minimized, or only granted after persistent follow-up. Bonuses are not always proactively distributed and may require employees to explicitly chase them. - Favoritism is a concern, with recognition and advancement not always based on merit. The culture at higher levels can sometimes feel unprofessional, with blurred boundaries that create discomfort. - Long-term employees tend to feel undervalued over time. Many leave after around two years, often because they see a very limited progression. - Overall impression that the company tends to optimize costs at the expense of employees whenever possible, which affects trust and long-term engagement. - Leadership tolerates or fails to address inappropriate, unprofessional, or toxic behaviors. It can go unchecked for years, with action only taken very late, sometimes for reasons unrelated to the misconduct..

3
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