Companies Heidrick & Struggles

Heidrick & Struggles

Chicago

Total Offices: 14

2,093 Total Employees

Year Founded: 1953

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What's the Work-Life Balance Like at Heidrick & Struggles?

Updated on September 08, 2026

This page summarizes recurring themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Heidrick & Struggles and has not been reviewed or approved by Heidrick & Struggles.

What's the work-life balance like at Heidrick & Struggles?

Strengths in hybrid flexibility, autonomy, and process discipline support generally manageable weeks, while client-driven urgency introduces time pressure, after-hours availability, and challenges using time off. Together, these dynamics suggest a workable baseline that can shift to demanding periods depending on practice, partner expectations, and live search cadence.

Key Insight for Candidates

Generous well‑being benefits versus an always‑on client‑service culture. Despite ample PTO and mental‑health support, employees frequently work late, on weekends, and are contacted during vacations, leaving benefits underused. Expect strong growth and client exposure, but consistent availability typically comes at the expense of real downtime.

Evidence in Action

Always-On Search Demands — Executive Search 70–80 hour weeks, weekend work, and vacation calls are standard expectations in the core search business. Employees absorb client urgency at all hours, sacrificing personal time and PTO, leading to sustained stress and burnout risk.
Division-Specific Wellbeing Gap — Heidrick Consulting (HC), Heidrick Digital, and Business Talent Group report much better balance than Executive Search. Employees’ day-to-day wellbeing hinges on team placement; supportive non-search units enable more reasonable hours and recovery, while search teams normalize extended availability.

Positive Themes About Heidrick & Struggles

Remote or Hybrid Flexibility: Hybrid practices and remote-friendly workflows are widely emphasized, allowing teams to reduce commuting and tailor schedules around client and candidate meetings when possible.
Autonomy Over Hours: Many client-facing roles have meaningful control over calendars outside of fixed client or candidate meetings, enabling individuals to shape work blocks and manage peak periods.
Workload Manageability: Baseline weeks are often manageable with a professional-services cadence, and clear scoping, team leverage, and balanced portfolios help keep hours sustainable when pipelines are steady.

Considerations About Heidrick & Struggles

Always-On Culture: Evenings and weekends can be used during peak searches, and time-zone coverage introduces early or late calls that extend availability beyond standard hours.
Barriers to Time Off: Work can spill into vacations or planned downtime during active searches, and while time-off and wellbeing resources exist, urgent deliverables can limit practical use in busy periods.
Time Pressure: Compressed timelines around candidate shortlists, offer stages, and board calendars create deadline-driven surges and last-minute pushes, especially in fast-moving practices.

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These insights are generated using AI and may not reflect internal data or verified company information. They are intended solely for general informational purposes and should not be considered a definitive assessment of the company’s reputation. If you are a representative of this company, and would like this page to be removed, you may contact us via this form.