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Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 6 Months Ended
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Oct. 31, 2017
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies | 1. Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Nature of Business Korn/Ferry International, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and its subsidiaries are engaged in the business of providing talent management solutions, including executive search on a retained basis, recruitment for non-executive professionals, recruitment process outsourcing and leadership & talent consulting services. 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, 2017 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 Company’s 51% noncontrolling 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 and determinable. The most significant areas that require management judgment are revenue recognition, restructuring, deferred compensation, annual performance related bonuses, evaluation of the carrying value of receivables, goodwill and other intangible assets, fair value of contingent consideration, share-based payments and the recoverability of deferred income taxes. Revenue Recognition Substantially all fee revenue is derived from fees for professional services related to executive search performed on a retained basis, recruitment for non-executive professionals, recruitment process outsourcing, people and organizational advisory services and the sale of product services. Fee revenue from executive search activities and recruitment for non-executive professionals is generally one-third of the estimated first year compensation of the placed executive or non-executive professional, as applicable, plus a percentage of the fee to cover indirect engagement related expenses. The Company generally recognizes such revenue on a straight-line basis over a three-month period, commencing upon client acceptance, as this is the period over which the recruitment services are performed. Fees earned in excess of the initial contract amount are recognized upon completion of the engagement, which reflect the difference between the final actual compensation of the placed executive and the estimate used for purposes of the previous billings. Since the initial contract fees are typically not contingent upon placement of a candidate, our assumptions primarily relate to establishing the period over which such service is performed. These assumptions determine the timing of revenue recognition and profitability for the reported period. Any revenues associated with services that are provided on a contingent basis are recognized once the contingency is resolved. In addition to recruitment for non-executive professionals, Futurestep provides recruitment process outsourcing (“RPO”) services and fee revenue is recognized as services are rendered and/or as milestones are achieved. Fee revenue from Hay Group (formerly known as Leadership & Talent Consulting (“Legacy LTC”) which was combined with HG (Luxembourg) S.à.r.l (“Legacy Hay”) in December 2015) is recognized as services are rendered for consulting engagements and other time-based services, measured by total hours incurred to the total estimated hours at completion. It is possible that updated estimates for the consulting engagement 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. Hay Group revenue is also derived from the sale of product services, which includes revenue from licenses and from the sale of products. Revenue from licenses is recognized using a straight-line method over the term of the contract (generally 12 months). Under fixed term licenses, the Company is obligated to provide the licensee with access to any updates to the underlying intellectual property that are made by the Company during the term of the license. Once the term of the agreement expires, the client’s right to access or use the intellectual property expires and the Company has no further obligations to the client under the license agreement. Revenue from perpetual licenses is recognized when the license is sold since the Company’s only obligation is to provide the client access to the intellectual property but is not obligated to provide maintenance, support, updates or upgrades. Products sold by the Company mainly consist of books and automated services covering a variety of topics including performance management, team effectiveness, and coaching and development. The Company recognizes revenue for its products when the product has been sold or shipped in the case of books. As of October 31, 2017 and April 30, 2017, the Company included deferred revenue of $100.2 million and $95.8 million, respectively, in other accrued liabilities. Reimbursements The Company incurs certain out-of-pocket expenses that are reimbursed by its clients, which are accounted for as revenue in its consolidated statements of income. 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, 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 to be cash equivalents. As of October 31, 2017 and April 30, 2017, the Company’s investments in cash equivalents consist of money market funds for which market prices are readily available. Marketable Securities The Company currently has investments in mutual funds that are classified as trading securities based upon management’s intent and ability to hold, sell or trade such securities. The classification of the investments in mutual funds is assessed upon purchase and reassessed at each reporting period. The investments in mutual funds (for which market prices are readily available) 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 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 trading securities are recorded in the accompanying consolidated statements of income in other income (loss), 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:
◾ | 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.
◾ | 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.
◾ | Level 3: Unobservable inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions.
As of October 31, 2017 and April 30, 2017, 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 interest rate swap. The carrying amount of cash, cash equivalents and accounts receivable approximates fair value due to the short maturity of these instruments. The fair values of marketable securities classified as trading are obtained from quoted market prices and the fair values of foreign currency forward contracts or 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 is exposed to interest rate risk due to the outstanding senior secured credit agreement entered on June 15, 2016. 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. Changes in the fair value of an interest rate swap agreement designated as a cash flow hedge are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net within stockholders’ equity and are amortized to interest expense over the term of the related debt. 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. These foreign currency forward contracts are neither used for trading purposes nor are they designated as hedging instruments pursuant to Accounting Standards Codification 815, Derivatives and Hedging. 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 income. 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. 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, 2017, 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 October 31, 2017 and April 30, 2017 that would have required further testing. Intangible assets primarily consist of customer lists, non-compete agreements, proprietary databases, intellectual property and trademarks and 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 indicate that the fair value of the asset may be less than its carrying amount. As of October 31, 2017 and April 30, 2017, there were no indicators of impairment with respect to the Company’s intangible assets. Compensation and Benefits Expense Compensation and benefits expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of income 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 Hay Group and Futurestep consultants), the level of engagements referred by a consultant in one line of business to a different line of business, 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 $98.5 million and $95.1 million during the six months ended October 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, included in compensation and benefits expense in the consolidated statements of income. During the three months ended October 31, 2017 and 2016, the performance related bonus expense was $56.9 million and $52.7 million, respectively. 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. Investments and other assets include long-term retention awards that are generally amortized over four to five years. Restructuring Charges, Net The Company accounts for its restructuring charges as a liability when the obligations are incurred and records such charges at fair value. Such charges included one-time employee termination benefits and the cost to terminate an office lease including remaining lease payments. Changes in the estimates of the restructuring charges are recorded in the period the change is determined. 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, stock options 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 options and stock purchases under the ESPP on a straight-line basis over the service period for the entire award. Recently Adopted Accounting Standards In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued guidance on accounting for certain aspects of share-based payments to employees. The new guidance requires excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies to be recorded in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled. Furthermore, cash flows related to excess tax benefits will no longer be separately classified as a financing activity apart from other income tax cash flows. The guidance also allows companies to repurchase more of an employee’s shares for tax withholding purposes without triggering liability accounting, clarifying that all cash payments made on an employee’s behalf for withheld shares should be presented as a financing activity in the consolidated statements of cash flows and provides an accounting policy election to account for forfeitures as they occur. The provisions of the guidance are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016 and were adopted by the Company effective May 1, 2017. The primary impact of the adoption was the recognition of excess tax benefits in our provision for income taxes in the current year compared to recording it previously as a component of equity. Additional amendments to the accounting for income taxes and minimum statutory withholding tax requirements had no impact to retained earnings, where the cumulative effect of these changes are required to be recorded. The Company elected to apply the presentation for cash flows related to excess tax benefits retrospectively for all periods presented which resulted in minimal impact to cash used in operations and cash provided by financing activities for the six months ended October 31, 2016. The presentation requirements for cash flows related to employee taxes paid for withheld shares had no impact on any of the periods presented on our consolidated cash flows statements since such cash flows have historically been presented as a financing activity. The Company elected to account for forfeitures as they occur, rather than estimating the expected forfeitures over the vesting period. This election did not have an impact on the Company’s financial statements. Recently Proposed Accounting Standards In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, which superseded revenue recognition requirements regarding contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or for the transfer of nonfinancial assets. Under this new guidance, entities are required to recognize revenue that depicts the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance provides a five-step analysis to be performed on transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized. In addition, the guidance permits companies to choose between the following two transition methods of adopting ASU 2014-09: (1) the full retrospective method, in which case the standard would be applied to all reporting periods presented and (2) the modified retrospective method, with a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those annual years beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company will adopt this guidance in its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2018 and expects to apply the modified retrospective method in adopting ASU 2014-09. The Company organized a team and developed a project plan to guide the implementation. The project plan includes working sessions to review, evaluate and document the arrangements with customers under our various reporting units to identify potential differences that would result from applying the requirements of the new standard. The Company is currently in the process of developing an updated accounting policy utilizing a bottoms-up approach by reviewing our current contracts with customers by various revenue streams, evaluating new disclosure requirements and identifying and implementing appropriate changes to business processes, systems and controls to support revenue recognition and disclosure under the new standard. The Company has completed its initial evaluation of the impact of ASU 2014-09 on executive search activities and recruitment for non-executive professionals. We currently expect the implementation of ASU 2014-09 to result in timing differences in the recognition of uptick revenue (uptick revenue occurs when a placement’s actual compensation is higher than the original estimated compensation). Currently the Company recognizes uptick revenue as the amount becomes fixed and determinable. Under ASU 2014-09, however, upticks are considered variable consideration and the Company will be required to estimate upticks at contract inception and recognize the revenue over the service period. The Company expects to finalize its evaluation of the impact of ASU No. 2014-09 on its other revenue streams in the upcoming quarters and will provide updates on our progress in future filings. In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance on accounting for leases that generally requires all leases to be recognized on the consolidated balance sheet. The provisions of the guidance are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and early adoption is permitted. The Company plans to adopt this guidance in fiscal year beginning May 1, 2019. The provisions of the guidance are to be applied using a modified retrospective approach. The Company is still evaluating the effect this guidance will have on the consolidated financial statements. Based on our initial assessment, the Company expects that upon adoption it will report an increase in assets and liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet as a result of recognizing right-of-use assets and lease liabilities related to lease agreements. In August 2016, the FASB issued guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments in the statement of cash flows. The new guidance provides clarification on specific cash flow issues regarding presentation and classification in the statement of cash flows with the objective of reducing the existing diversity in practice. The amendments in this update are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company plans to adopt this guidance in its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2018. The provisions of the guidance are to be applied using a retrospective transition method. 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 that clarifies the definition of a business. The new guidance assists a company when evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (disposals) of assets or businesses. The provisions of the guidance require that if the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is substantially concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, then it is not a business. The provisions of the guidance are effective for annual years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods, with early adoption permitted. The Company plans to adopt this guidance in its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2018. The provisions of the guidance are to be applied prospectively. 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 March 2017, the FASB issued guidance that changes the presentation of net periodic pension cost and net periodic postretirement benefit cost. The new guidance will change the presentation of net periodic benefit cost related to employer sponsored defined benefit plans and other postretirement benefits. Service cost will be included within the same income statement line item as other compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period, while other components of net periodic benefit pension cost will be presented separately outside of operating income. Additionally, only service costs may be capitalized in assets. The amendments of this standard are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those years. The Company will adopt this guidance in its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2018. The adoption of this standard is not anticipated to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. In May 2017, the FASB issued guidance clarifying the scope of modification accounting for stock compensation. The new standard provides guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting in Topic 718. This pronouncement is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, but early adoption is permitted. The Company will adopt this guidance in its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance. In August 2017, the FASB issued guidance amending and simplifying accounting for hedging activities. The new guidance will refine and expand strategies that qualify for hedge accounting and simplify the application of hedge accounting in certain situation. The amendments of this standard are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company will adopt this guidance in its fiscal year beginning May 1, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this guidance.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for the organization, consolidation and basis of presentation of financial statements disclosure, and significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. May be provided in more than one note to the financial statements, as long as users are provided with an understanding of (1) the significant judgments and assumptions made by an enterprise in determining whether it must consolidate a VIE and/or disclose information about its involvement with a VIE, (2) the nature of restrictions on a consolidated VIE's assets reported by an enterprise in its statement of financial position, including the carrying amounts of such assets, (3) the nature of, and changes in, the risks associated with an enterprise's involvement with the VIE, and (4) how an enterprise's involvement with the VIE affects the enterprise's financial position, financial performance, and cash flows. Describes procedure if disclosures are provided in more than one note to the financial statements. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 205 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2122149 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2197479 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2122369 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 275 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/topic&trid=2134479 + Details
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