| Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 1. Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Nature of Business Korn Ferry, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and its subsidiaries currently operate through three global segments: Korn Ferry Advisory (“Advisory”), Executive Search and Korn Ferry RPO and Professional Search (“RPO & Professional Search”). Advisory assists clients to synchronize strategy and talent by addressing four fundamental needs: Organizational Strategy, Assessment and Succession, Leadership Development, and Rewards and Benefits, all underpinned by a comprehensive array of one of the world-leading intellectual property (“IP”), products and tools. Executive Search focuses on recruiting board level, chief executive and other senior executive and general management positions, in addition to research-based interviewing and assessment solutions, for clients predominantly in the consumer goods, financial services, industrial, life sciences/healthcare and technology industries. RPO & Professional Search uses data-backed insight and IP, matched with strategic collaboration and innovative technology, to meet people challenges head-on—and succeed. Solutions span all aspects of Recruitment Process Outsourcing (“RPO”), Professional Search and Project Recruitment. Basis of Consolidation and Presentation The accompanying financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2019 for the Company and its wholly and majority owned/controlled domestic and international subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements conform with United States (“U.S.”) generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and prevailing practice within the industry. The consolidated financial statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals and any other adjustments that management considers necessary for a fair presentation of the results for these periods. The results of operations for the interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire fiscal year. Investments in affiliated companies, which are 50% or less owned and where the Company exercises significant influence over operations, are accounted for using the equity method. The Company has control of a Mexico subsidiary and consolidates the operations of this subsidiary. Noncontrolling interest, which represents the Mexico Partners’ 51% interest in the Mexico subsidiary, is reflected on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. The Company considers events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before the consolidated financial statements are issued to provide additional evidence relative to certain estimates or to identify matters that require additional disclosures. Use of Estimates and Uncertainties The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates, and changes in estimates are reported in current operations as new information is learned or upon the amounts becoming fixed or determinable. The most significant areas that require management’s judgment are revenue recognition, deferred compensation, annual performance-related bonuses, evaluation of the carrying value of receivables, goodwill and other intangible assets, share-based payments, leases, and the recoverability of deferred income taxes. Revenue Recognition Substantially all fee revenue is derived from talent and organizational advisory services and the sale of products, fees for professional services related to executive and professional recruitment performed on a retained basis and RPO, either Revenue is recognized when control of the goods and services are transferred to the customer, in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods and services. Revenue contracts with customers are evaluated based on the five-step model outlined in Accounting Standard Codification 606 (“ASC 606”): 1) identify the contract with a customer; 2) identify the performance obligation(s) in the contract; 3) determine the transaction price; 4) allocate the transaction price to the separate performance obligation(s); and 5) recognize revenue when (or as) each performance obligation is satisfied. Consulting fee revenue, primarily generated from Advisory, is recognized as services are rendered, measured by total hours incurred to the total estimated hours at completion. It is possible that updated estimates for consulting engagements may vary from initial estimates with such updates being recognized in the period of determination. Depending on the timing of billings and services rendered, the Company accrues or defers revenue as appropriate. Product revenue is generated from a range of online tools designed to support human resource processes for pay, talent and engagement, and assessments, as well as licenses to proprietary IP and tangible/digital products. IP Functional IP licenses grant customers the right to use IP content via delivery of a flat file. Because the IP content license has significant stand-alone functionality, revenue is recognized upon delivery and when an enforceable right to payment exists . Online assessments are delivered in the form of online questionnaires. A bundle of assessments represents one performance obligation, and revenue is recognized as assessment services are delivered and the Company has a legally enforceable right to payment. Fee revenue from executive and professional search activities is generally one-third of the estimated first-year cash compensation of the placed candidate, plus a percentage of the fee to cover RPO fee Reimbursements The Company incurs certain out-of-pocket expenses that are reimbursed by its clients, which are accounted for as revenue in the consolidated statements of operations. Allowance for Doubtful Accounts An allowance is established for doubtful accounts by taking a charge to general and administrative expenses. The amount of the allowance is based on historical loss experience and assessment of the collectability of specific accounts, as well as expectations of future collections based upon trends and the type of work for which services are rendered. After the Company exhausts all collection efforts, the amount of the allowance is reduced for balances identified as uncollectible. Cash and Cash Equivalents The Company considers all highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. As of July 31, 2019 and April 30, 2019, the Company’s investments in cash equivalents consisted of money market funds for which market prices are readily available. Marketable Securities The Company currently has investments in mutual funds (for which market prices are readily available) that are held in trust to satisfy obligations under the Company’s deferred compensation plans. Such investments are based upon the employees’ investment elections in their deemed accounts in the Executive Capital Accumulation Plan and similar plans in Asia Pacific and Canada (“ECAP”) from a pre-determined set of securities, and the Company invests in marketable securities to mirror these elections. These investments are recorded at fair value with the change in value in the period being reflected in the consolidated statements of operations and are classified as marketable securities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The investments that the Company may sell within the next twelve months are carried as current assets. Realized gains (losses) on marketable securities are determined by specific identification. Interest is recognized on an accrual basis; dividends are recorded as earned on the ex-dividend date. Interest, dividend income and the changes in fair value in marketable securities are recorded in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations in other income, net. Fair Value of Financial Instruments Fair value is the price the Company would receive to sell an asset or transfer a liability (exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants. For those assets and liabilities recorded or disclosed at fair value, the Company determines the fair value based upon the quoted market price, if available. If a quoted market price is not available for identical assets, the fair value is based upon the quoted market price of similar assets. The fair values are assigned a level within the fair value hierarchy as defined below:
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Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets that are accessible at the measurement date for identical, unrestricted assets or liabilities.
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Level 2: Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets and quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active.
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Level 3: Unobservable inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions. As of July 31, 2019 and April 30, 2019, the Company held certain assets that are required to be measured at fair value on a recurring basis. These included cash, cash equivalents, accounts receivable, marketable securities, foreign currency forward contracts and an interest rate swap. The carrying amount of cash, cash equivalents and accounts receivable approximates fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments. The fair values of marketable securities are obtained from quoted market prices, and the fair values of foreign currency forward contracts and the interest rate swap are obtained from a third party, which are based on quoted prices or market prices for similar assets and financial instruments. Derivative Financial Instruments The Company has entered into an interest rate swap agreement to effectively convert its variable debt to a fixed-rate basis. The principal objective of these contracts is to eliminate or reduce the variability of the cash flows in interest payments associated with the Company’s long-term debt, thus reducing the impact of interest rate changes on future interest payment cash flows. The Company has determined that the interest rate swap qualifies as a cash flow hedge in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification 815, Derivatives and Hedging Foreign Currency Forward Contracts Not Designated as Hedges The Company has established a program that primarily utilizes foreign currency forward contracts to offset the risks associated with the effects of certain foreign currency exposures primarily originating from intercompany balances due to cross border work performed in the ordinary course of business. These foreign currency forward contracts are neither used for trading purposes nor are they designated as hedging instruments pursuant to ASC 815. Accordingly, the fair value of these contracts is recorded as of the end of the reporting period in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets, while the change in fair value is recorded to the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. Business Acquisitions Business acquisitions are accounted for under the acquisition method. The acquisition method requires the reporting entity to identify the acquirer, determine the acquisition date, recognize and measure the identifiable assets acquired, the liabilities assumed and any noncontrolling interest in the acquired entity, and recognize and measure goodwill or a gain from the purchase. The acquiree’s results are included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition. Assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their fair values and the excess of the purchase price over the amounts assigned is recorded as goodwill, or if the fair value of the assets acquired exceeds the purchase price consideration, a bargain purchase gain is recorded. Adjustments to fair value assessments are generally recorded to goodwill over the measurement period (not longer than twelve months). The acquisition method also requires that acquisition-related transaction and post-acquisition restructuring costs be charged to expense as committed and requires the Company to recognize and measure certain assets and liabilities including those arising from contingencies and contingent consideration in a business combination. Leases The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of use (“ROU”) assets and current and non-current operating lease liability, in the consolidated balance sheets. Finance leases are included in property and equipment, net, other accrued liabilities and other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. ROU assets represent the Company's right to use an underlying asset for the lease term, and the lease liabilities represent the Company's obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and operating lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date. As most of the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its estimated incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at commencement date in determining the present value of future payments. The operating lease ROU asset also includes any lease payments made and excludes lease incentives and initial direct costs incurred. Lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. Lease expense for minimum lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term, with variable lease payments recognized in the periods in which they are incurred. The Company has lease agreements with lease and non-lease components. For all leases with non-lease components the Company accounts for the lease and non-lease components as a single lease component. Goodwill and Intangible Assets Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of assets acquired. The goodwill impairment test compares the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, goodwill of the reporting unit would be considered impaired. To measure the amount of the impairment loss, the implied fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill is compared to the carrying amount of that goodwill. The implied fair value of goodwill is determined in the same manner as the amount of goodwill recognized in a business combination. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit’s goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess. For each of these tests, the fair value of each of the Company’s reporting units is determined using a combination of valuation techniques, including a discounted cash flow methodology. To corroborate the discounted cash flow analysis performed at each reporting unit, a market approach is utilized using observable market data such as comparable companies in similar lines of business that are publicly traded or which are part of a public or private transaction (to the extent available). Results of the annual impairment test performed as of January 31, 2019, indicated that the fair value of each reporting unit exceeded its carrying amount and no reporting units were at risk of failing the impairment test. As a result, no impairment charge was recognized. There was also no indication of potential impairment as of July 31, 2019 and April 30, 2019 that required further testing. Intangible assets primarily consist of customer lists, non-compete agreements, proprietary databases and IP. Intangible assets are recorded at their estimated fair value at the date of acquisition and are amortized in a pattern in which the asset is consumed, if that pattern can be reliably determined, or using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives, which range from one to 24 years. For intangible assets subject to amortization, an impairment loss is recognized if the carrying amount of the intangible assets is not recoverable and exceeds fair value. The carrying amount of the intangible assets is considered not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from use of the asset. Intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized, but are reviewed annually for impairment or more frequently whenever events or changes in circumstances indicated that the fair value of the asset may be less than its carrying amount. As of July 31, 2019 and April 30, 2019, there were no indicators of impairment with respect to the Company’s intangible assets. On June 12, 2018, the Company’s Board of Directors voted to approve a plan to go to market under a single, master brand architecture and to simplify the Company’s organizational structure by eliminating and/or consolidating certain legal entities and implementing a rebranding of the Company to offer the Company’s current products and services using the “Korn Ferry” name, branding and trademarks. As a result, the Company discontinued the use of all sub-brands. Two of the Company’s former sub-brands, Hay Group and Lominger, came to Korn Ferry through acquisitions. In connection with the accounting for these acquisitions, $106.6 million of the purchase price was allocated to indefinite-lived tradename intangible assets. As a result of the decision to discontinue their use, the Company took a non-cash intangible asset write-off of $106.6 million during the three months ended July 31, 2018, recorded in general and administrative expenses. Compensation and Benefits Expense Compensation and benefits expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations consist of compensation and benefits paid to consultants (employees who originate business), executive officers and administrative and support personnel. The most significant portions of this expense are salaries and the amounts paid under the annual performance-related bonus plan to employees. The portion of the expense applicable to salaries is comprised of amounts earned by employees during a reporting period. The portion of the expenses applicable to annual performance-related bonuses refers to the Company’s annual employee performance-related bonus with respect to a fiscal year, the amount of which is communicated and paid to each eligible employee following the completion of the fiscal year. Each quarter, management makes its best estimate of its annual performance-related bonuses, which requires management to, among other things, project annual consultant productivity (as measured by engagement fees billed and collected by executive search consultants and revenue and other performance/profitability metrics for Advisory and RPO & Professional Search consultants), the level of engagements referred by a consultant in one line of business to a different line of business, and Company performance, including profitability, competitive forces and future economic conditions and their impact on the Company’s results. At the end of each fiscal year, annual performance-related bonuses take into account final individual consultant productivity (including referred work), Company/line of business results, including profitability, the achievement of strategic objectives, the results of individual performance appraisals, and the current economic landscape. Accordingly, each quarter the Company reevaluates the assumptions used to estimate annual performance-related bonus liability and adjusts the carrying amount of the liability recorded on the consolidated balance sheet and reports any changes in the estimate in current operations. Because annual performance-based bonuses are communicated and paid only after the Company reports its full fiscal year results, actual performance-based bonus payments may differ from the prior year’s estimate. Such changes in the bonus estimate historically have been immaterial and are recorded in current operations in the period in which they are determined. The performance-related bonus expense was $53.0 million and $61.0 million during the three months ended July 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, included in compensation and benefits expense in the consolidated statements of operations. Other expenses included in compensation and benefits expense are due to changes in deferred compensation and pension plan liabilities, changes in cash surrender value (“CSV”) of company-owned life insurance (“COLI”) contracts, amortization of stock compensation awards, payroll taxes and employee insurance benefits. Unearned compensation on the consolidated balance sheets includes long-term retention awards that are generally amortized over four-to-five years. Stock-Based Compensation The Company has employee compensation plans under which various types of stock-based instruments are granted. These instruments principally include restricted stock units, restricted stock and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”). The Company recognizes compensation expense related to restricted stock units, restricted stock and the estimated fair value of stock purchases under the ESPP on a straight-line basis over the service period for the entire award. Reclassifications Certain reclassifications have been made to the amounts in prior periods in order to conform to the current period’s presentation. Recently Adopted Accounting Standards In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance (Accounting Standard Codification 842 – Leases Leases . The adoption of this standard had a material impact on the consolidated balance sheet as of July 31, 2019 due to the recognition of ROU assets and operating lease liabilities, but an immaterial impact on the Company’s consolidated statements of operations, consolidated statements of stockholders’ equity, and consolidated statements of cash flows. Upon adoption we recognized total ROU assets of $236.1 million with a corresponding liability of $272.3 million. The ROU asset balance was adjusted by the reclassification of pre-existing prepaid expenses and other assets and deferred rent balances of $5.1 million and $41.3 million, respectively. In August 2017, the FASB issued guidance amending and simplifying accounting for hedging activities. The guidance refined and expanded strategies that qualify for hedge accounting and simplify the application of hedge accounting in certain situations. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company adopted this guidance in its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2019. The adoption of this guidance did not have an impact on the consolidated financial statements. Recently Proposed Accounting Standards - Not Yet Adopted In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance on accounting for measurement of credit losses on financial Instruments, which amends the impairment model by requiring entities to use a forward-looking approach based on expected losses to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments, including trade receivables. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company will adopt this guidance in its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2020. The adoption of this guidance is not anticipated to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued guidance simplifying the test for goodwill impairment. The new guidance simplifies the test for goodwill impairment by removing Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Companies will now perform the goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, recognizing an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. An entity still has the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. The amendments of this standard are effective for goodwill impairment tests in fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted for goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017. The Company is evaluating the adoption timeline and the effects that the standard will have on the consolidated financial statements. In August 2018, the FASB issued guidance amending the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. The amendment removes and modifies disclosures that are currently required and adds additional disclosures that are deemed relevant. The amendments of this standard are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company will adopt this guidance in its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2020. In August 2018, the FASB issued guidance amending accounting for internal-use software. The new guidance will align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with developing or obtaining internal-use software. The amendments of this standard are effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2019 with early adoption permitted. The Company will adopt this guidance in its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance. |
