Why not ZS? - Anonymous employee ZS Associates Employee Review

5.0
Dec 21, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Friendly people, nice perks, and lots of hiring recently so there are many new people who generally seem okay. Principals and managers can generally be trusted to make the right decisions on projects, seem transparent, and offer good advice. Although there is only one big client in the LA office, these is also a wider variety of interesting projects than in other larger offices like San Francisco or Evanston e.g. digital health, strategy market research that isn't just tracking studies, big data, etc.

Cons

Very long commute - "LA" office is in Thousand Oaks, 50+ minutes from the city. Only 110 employees so Google-style shuttle idea was rejected. Late night Ubers home are free but how do you get 40 miles back to work in the morning? Fractional staffing at all levels can lead to stressful periods but is good practice for consulting. No overlap with India time zones prevents weekday night freedom - calls start at 9 or 10 at night or 6 or 7 in the morning. Technology projects always have India teams, consulting projects are 50/50, so if a bunch of us are hanging out in the evening, at least one of us has to leave at 9:00. Apparently no solution to this other than delegating the call to a more junior person on your team. Leadership can be capricious. Several recent mysterious departures at the principal and manger level too - lots of politics at that level? Poor performance? ZS is generally conservative about promotions - generally a good thing to avoid promotions for those who don't deserve it but old fashioned for exceptional people performing better than many at higher levels. This appears to be changing in the LA office.

Explore other reviews about ZS Associates

5.0
Jul 10, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Positive office & team culture Ample opportunities for growth Generous raise/bonus payouts Comprehensive, fact based performance review process

Cons

Long working hours Demanding clients Diminished Associate/Associate Consultant population

4.0
Jun 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Strong culture and collaborative environment with smart, supportive colleagues. Admins are trusted partners and get exposure to senior leadership, which provides great learning opportunities. Compensation and benefits are competitive compared to similar roles.

Cons

Workload can be high, with admins often supporting multiple stakeholders while also providing backup coverage. Expectations can vary widely depending on the team, which can create inconsistency and pressure. Career growth paths are less structured and require a lot of self-direction. Work-life balance can be challenging at times, especially across time zones.

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