Management consultants are rubbish

[AtW]

It cracks me up how they recruit inexperienced student and bill him at £1000+ per day as being experienced management consultant and that clients accept it at face value.

Maybe it's high time to start Management Consultants that would consult on which Management Consultants to take in?

[Drewster]

I once went up to town for an interview for a role direct with a Client...
They seemed to like me and the role looked pretty interesting and they said "We will let you know"....

Later that afternoon I went for another interview with a Consultancy (not one of the Biggies) the interview went well the role seemed OK and the rate was really good - the only issue was that they said that they didn't have much experience in my field (they specialised in other areas) so they wouldn't be able to give me much support. I didn't see this as an issue as any backup I need is generally obtained by my network, Supplier support and even Website forums. ie having no Backup is "Situation Normal"...

I "preferred" the Direct role (even though at lower rate) as the role just "seemed" better.....

The Direct client contacted me next day very apologetic and said that although they liked me and felt I would be good for the role etc they had decided to go with another supplier because of backup and support structure.... Tulip!!! I thought!

The Consultant contacted me about 1/2 hour later (just enough time for the Client to phone them) and said I had the role... and it was based at Yep! you guessed it ClientCo...

So ClientCo got me!, I got a really good rate! and ConsultantCo got a cut for nothing!

When I turned up at ClientCo to be met by the chap I had interviewed with.. his face was a picture!

ConsultCo spent most of the time I was with them trying to "convert" me to permie (for them) at a decent permie salary but (obviously) a considerable saving on my DailyRate...

The most annoying part of the whole exercise was that ConsultCo thought I was numpty enough to go for the Permie role and not expect that it would suddenly end when the ClientCo engagement finished!!

[OwlHoot]

I once went up to town for an interview for a role direct with a Client...
They seemed to like me and the role looked pretty interesting and they said "We will let you know"....

Later that afternoon I went for another interview with a Consultancy (not one of the Biggies) the interview went well the role seemed OK and the rate was really good - the only issue was that they said that they didn't have much experience in my field (they specialised in other areas) so they wouldn't be able to give me much support. I didn't see this as an issue as any backup I need is generally obtained by my network, Supplier support and even Website forums. ie having no Backup is "Situation Normal"...

I "preferred" the Direct role (even though at lower rate) as the role just "seemed" better.....

The Direct client contacted me next day very apologetic and said that although they liked me and felt I would be good for the role etc they had decided to go with another supplier because of backup and support structure.... Tulip!!! I thought!

The Consultant contacted me about 1/2 hour later (just enough time for the Client to phone them) and said I had the role... and it was based at Yep! you guessed it ClientCo...

So ClientCo got me!, I got a really good rate! and ConsultantCo got a cut for nothing!

When I turned up at ClientCo to be met by the chap I had interviewed with.. his face was a picture!

ConsultCo spent most of the time I was with them trying to "convert" me to permie (for them) at a decent permie salary but (obviously) a considerable saving on my DailyRate...

The most annoying part of the whole exercise was that ConsultCo thought I was numpty enough to go for the Permie role and not expect that it would suddenly end when the ClientCo engagement finished!!

That's a classic.

At the end I hope you told clientco that the Consultancy had admitted to having no expertise or "backup" themselves or, if you're still there, you will do before you leave.

[AtW]

So ClientCo got me!, I got a really good rate! and ConsultantCo got a cut for nothing!

You are very wrong here - ConsultantCo got their cut for providing peace of mind and accepting all risks of employing you without backup.

[OwlHoot]

You are very wrong here - ConsultantCo got their cut for providing peace of mind and accepting all risks of employing you without backup.

HUH?

The whole point was that ClientCo's "peace of mind" with ConsultantCo involved was completely illusory.

[AtW]

The whole point was that ClientCo's "peace of mind" with ConsultantCo involved was completely illusory.

Peace of mind is usually illusory, but it's still of high value.

In this case bigger company is likely to have more at stake, and more to pay in damages should tulip hit the fan.

[d000hg]

Peace of mind is usually illusory, but it's still of high value.

In this case bigger company is likely to have more at stake, and more to pay in damages should tulip hit the fan.

Actually the part about being able to pay up if it goes wrong is valid, even if the company are a bunch of shysters.

[AtW]

Actually the part about being able to pay up if it goes wrong is valid, even if the company are a bunch of shysters.

They probably would not pay (very hard to do it, even though I've read in papers that Sky recently managed to get like £200 mln+ from former EDS), the issue here is that whoever makes decision to get this resource would get peace of mind with bigger company, the risks of a feckup without backup might be the same, but the person who made decision to pay more for big company to supply staff safeguards his/her own position in case things go wrong.

[OwlHoot]

Actually the part about being able to pay up if it goes wrong is valid, even if the company are a bunch of shysters.

If Drewster had adequate professional indemnity insurance, it shouldn't make any difference in theory.

Basically AtW is just in the mood for another argument, and you're only encouraging him.

[AtW]

If Drewster had adequate professional indemnity insurance, it shouldn't make any difference in theory.

Trying to get that insurance money from Drewster is long, expensive process, since he is long fired he can't produce some kind of barter deal like say big ConsultancyCo can by giving discount to their OTHER services they already provide.