Moral Conundrum: Should I Accept a BCG Offer Given Recent Controversies?

Hi there, 

I wasn't aware of this FT investigation. It sounds concerning indeed. 

The situation is familiar, though. During my time in McKinsey, there were multiple reports about things that the firm had or had not done, all to varying degrees of credibility and seriousness. 

To my mind, every firm of such scale, involving so many people, will always, at one point or another, take a step in a controversial direction. If you read closely about each consulting firm, something will inevitably pop up. 

Then the question is whether to go into the field at all. Where else then? Are other industries 'cleaner' in that sense? 

Of course, there are degrees to this, but the point that I'm trying to make is that, of course, you can choose which 'club' you join, but more important is the work that you as an individual do and the personal responsibilities and choices you make every day. 

Best,
Cristian

Great points already raised by Cristian and Alberto. I'll add a few more nuances:

It's tempting to see BCG as one homogenous firm, but the reality is far from that. The reality for most people at BCG and MBB is that their experience is highly local and highly specific, to the point of micro-contexts. It is not uncommon to hear Person X saying their time at BCG is great, and another Person Y in the exact same office might say BCG was the worst time of their lives. In fact you will even hear two people in the same practice area in the same office/system with drastically different experiences. 

I understand my example sounds tangential to morality, but it is actually still a relevant example. When you join BCG, you are going to join BCG [specific office]. And the reason why Person X and Person Y have such drastic differences in experience is often due to just different projects / MDPs they worked with. 

So lets play out a scenario - say you end up joining BCG, and you end up working with a set of great people and MDPs, and you do truly impactful and meaningful work without violating any of your ethnical concerns within that micro-context. Is that acceptable? 

Or is it unacceptable because, despite enjoying the work you did and despite the work having not breached any ethical / moral issues, because someone else in the firm did something that was wrong, you cannot stand being in that organization. 

What happened was not acceptable. But is everyone in the firm like that? Rhetorical question - obviously not. I have worked with many great inspiring people in BCG. And for what it's worth Fishbowl is blown up now with BCGers being clear on the moral stance. 

It's not my intention to start a whole debate on moral complicity, but where I am coming from is I guess from a more practical POV that takes into consideration the limitations of our experience.. e.g. do you own a smartphone or electronic and are you certain there are zero conflict minerals in them? e.g. if you consume meat/fish are you certain these fish have been farmed without slave labour? e.g. if you wear clothes, are you certain none of them have ever been made in a sweatshop in Bangladesh or SEA?  

Food for thought - happy to have a more detailed chat on BCG, just dm me. 

Hi there,

As Cristian said, I also experienced situations like this at McKinsey — and I can confirm from the inside that these firms take these issues seriously. Given the high-stakes nature of the work, ethics committees are strict, and internal controls are strong. That said, individual behavior can vary, and yes, sometimes you’ll find people pushing questionable collaborations forward.

Two thoughts for you:

• The fact that you’re thinking deeply about this already tells you something. These situations can (and will) appear again — no matter the firm — if you choose to work in high-impact, high-visibility environments. So reflect on what level of exposure you’re willing to accept.
• If you ever feel uncomfortable, firms have mechanisms to raise concerns. And culturally, the good firms support people who say no to work they find morally off. You’re not alone in that.

Best

Alberto

It’s good that you’re thinking deeply about this. Other coaches have given you great answers. Basically anyone who has worked at McK over the last 10 years has had to grapple with this at some point. 

Every firm dealing with high-stakes, high-profile projects will occasionally have some bad actors who make poor and deeply unethical choices.

But those instances do not define the work most people in the firm are doing, which is honestly relatively mundane and business-oriented.

I would not sacrifice the myriad upsides of working at BCG for a few years due to the poor choices of a few bad actors. 

hi!

This is such an important and personal decision, and I really admire your thoughtful approach. It’s okay to hold conflicting feelings here, BCG does offer incredible career opportunities, but your values and integrity matter just as much.

If your concerns feel unresolved, consider reaching out privately to current or former employees (especially those from underrepresented backgrounds) to get a clearer picture of the firm’s culture. That can help you gauge whether the environment aligns with your values.

Also, remember that no firm is perfect, what matters most is whether you feel you could grow, speak up, and stay true to yourself there. If not, it’s totally valid to pause or explore other paths.

You’re clearly someone who thinks deeply and leads with integrity, those are qualities that will serve you well no matter where you land. Here if you want to talk more!

Best,
Alessa 😊