Pros
Genuine flexible working arrangements, with the option to work from home most of the time.
Cons
- The organisation's commitment to technical integrity has significantly declined. A key driver to this is that the strong technical specialists and those with reputations that attract and retain clients are exiting (both voluntarily and involuntarily), resulting in a growing brain drain and skills deficit. - Subsequently, a large proportion of technical work is led by generalist consultants who lack the required depth of expertise, which often results in poor quality overdue deliverables with significant budget overrun. - The business model prioritises revenue maximisation, supported by significant overheads, which contributes to inordinately high charge-out rates. These rates are increasingly uncompetitive in the current market despite internal assertions to the contrary. - Leadership heavily promotes company values, but these are not consistently reflected in decision-making or behaviour. Communications from leadership often rely on generic (and cringey) HR language rather than clear strategic direction or acknowledgement of operational realities. - Hiring decisions have at times been misaligned with workload, with large recruitment phases followed by redundancies. - Middle management performance varies significantly across teams. In my team, ineffective leadership - including very poor communication and people management - has contributed to high staff turnover. - There is a perception of favouritism or protected internal groups, which has led to exclusionary dynamics and passive workplace conflict. The other reviews referencing the old ERM club dynamic certainly rings true in my experience.