Hi everyone,
Is it normal to be benched or keep doing proposals for 2 straight months in Tier 1 and 2 firms? I have friends that are facing those situations and are curious about it.
Thank you in advance
Hi there,
agree w/ Tom's answer - adding some color on my side (mostly Tier-1 related)
1) The current “dryiness” of pipeline compounded with past hiring spree creates demand/supply imbalance (less demand)
→ The situation is steadily improving in e.g. NAMR but not yet back to normal
2) It is VERY IMPORTANT that you show proactivity here, albeit being a new joiner
→ Actively look to be staffed/included in BD work (e.g. network with managers/stakeholders you have met during training or other courses)
→ Actively reach out to P/PL/MDPs to ask for potential staffing opportunities
The above will make a difference in how you are perceived by mid to senior leadership and will position you better in terms of “reputation” in the first months. “Reputation” is a consistent part of success in this firms , one that should not be discarded (on top of hard skills, soft skills, hard work ,…)
Hope this helps.
Hi there,
*sigh* it depends…
The majority of consulting firms went through most of COVID on a hiring spree and now teams are big and utilization is low. So yes, recently, a lot of new joiners are on the bench, working on internal stuff or business development.
In 2020-21, when business was good and hiring was mad, new joiners were staffed from the get-go.
In “normal" times, new joiners tend to be benched for the first month or so to get up to speed, do mandatory trainings, and soft-start on proposals or non-billable client work.
To get your first project, it helps to show strong performance on proposal work and to network with managers, directors and partners to show interest and let them know youre available. Sadly, a lot is out of your control, so sit tight and wait for your opportunity!
Cheers,
Tom
Hi there,
I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:
If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
Best,
Hagen
Hi there,
Yes, and it's rather painful. I've been there.
This usually happens during economic downturns and all you can do is hang in there and be open to pretty much any staffing opportunity.
Things will change. Believe me. Just give it time.
Best,
Cristian
It is not usually the case to do so, but given that there is insufficient work to go around right now, all companies are focused on generating new work to build and earn revenue! So yes in today's environment this is the new normal.
Hi,
it is not out of the ordinary. It is pretty correlated to the project pipeline. If there were projects available the company could staff you on and bill for, they would likely do that.
The current economic downturn results in more people “on the beach” for longer. It's what I would expect in the present climate.
Best
Hi there,
This is perfectly normal in normal times. It's also completely expected in these times. Pipelines are light and will take time to rebuild.
Expertencase von