Cologne So many options are new. “What’s your way?” Cassini Consulting asks in an Instagram ad, so: how do you want to work? And give you a suggestion. “You can also achieve a lot by working part-time with us.” 60% of the job, rather than the oft-mentioned 60-hour workweek? Completely free on Fridays instead of staying home prepping projects late into the night after returning from a client?
“Work in the consulting industry has been fundamentally changed recently because of COVID-19,” said Michael Seipel, Cassini’s chief executive.
There is a cultural change brewing in the industry, where long hours are seen as a status symbol. Consulting firms are increasingly promoting part-time work options, an offer that often appears in job advertisements. Of course, this is not purely for charitable purposes.
Despite recent announcements of layoffs by some consulting firms, there is still a huge demand for well-trained young people. Finding the right employees – this is also a key issue for the consulting firm ranked “Top Consulting” by Handelsblatt.
Candidates often receive invitations from large companies and start-ups touting good working conditions. “You can’t just accept applicants who can take the pain, you also have to adjust your requirements a little bit,” says Thomas Deelmann, an expert in administrative and organizational consulting and professor at the North Rhine-Westphalia University of Police and Public Administration.
Many consulting firms have long prescribed regular breaks of up to two months after intensive projects. Now, consultants are increasingly willing to work fewer hours per week. These employees usually make certain days of the week completely free. “It’s much easier to skip certain days than to shorten a few hours each day,” said Cassini CEO Sepel.
Alexa Werner, Accenture Human Resources lead talent strategy, reports an in-depth discussion on the topic of working hours. Preliminary results are now available. “We are increasingly offering part-time positions, including entry-level positions.” In the coming months, the possibility of individual adjustments will be integrated into a so-called “contract configurator” for all employees – with which consultants can adjust their working hours and holidays within certain frameworks.
The customer still reigns supreme, but the consensus emphasizes that. As such, Dillman warns beginners not to overestimate the promise of career sites. “The regulations are often vague and the possibilities depend on the project and the respective superiors,” he said.
If a client expects to have a permanent team working on-site four days a week, there is little room for flexible hours. However, more and more companies are becoming more open to alternative concepts that do not require full-time consultants.
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However, this increases the workload. Stefan Hiendlmeier, Horváth Board Member and Chief People Officer, said: “Employing the right people with the right qualifications for projects at the right time has always been a multidimensional optimization problem, and now another dimension has been added.”
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The practice at the Stuttgart-based consulting firm is that around 200 of its 1,300 employees work part-time: Before they start approaching new clients, new teams get together to draw up a project contract. He specifically documented the cooperation and the client’s performance. It also shows who is available on which days and to what extent.
However, as working hours shrink, consultancies must rethink their often standardized people development. This starts with getting started. Frequent project changes and time-consuming tasks are often part of the first year of work. “Most of them come to us because they want a steep learning curve after finishing their studies,” says Jonathan Steinbach, McKinsey’s director of recruitment for Germany and Austria.
For example, some consulting firms are experimenting with more flexible schedules for newcomers with more blended workshops. “If someone isn’t there, you have to find ways to ensure good onboarding and development, even with reduced hours,” says Accenture expert Werner.
Consulting firms look to keep employees working longer in consulting
It’s also unclear how the part-time consulting career will evolve. Many consultancies point out that they are no longer strictly focused on completed years and projects. It is fitting that specialized careers are emerging more and more, rather than at a fixed level. These are open to advisors who want to move up but don’t want to lead teams or make acquisitions.
If you took six months of leave, then you shouldn’t be asking for a raise after the leave. Cassini CEO Michael Seipel
All of this contributes to another major goal of consulting firms: keeping employees engaged in consulting longer—no matter what stage of life they are in. Still, a full-time job can speed up the next leap. What opportunities are there for consultants who lack practical experience due to furlough?
Hiendlmeier von Horváth asserts that another project will be the deciding factor for the next level, “unlikely, of course you can even learn and develop part-time”. “But of course, depending on the amount of time alternated, the individual learning curve may also take longer.”
Negotiation does not want to make it too easy for young people. Despite part-time opportunities, they expect a high degree of commitment and are willing to give up regular days off as deadlines loom. In some cases, the expectations of advisors and supervisors collide. “Anyone who takes six months of furlough doesn’t have any impact on the company during that time, and shouldn’t ask for a raise afterwards — but things like this do happen,” Sepel said.
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