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Swiss consulting firms: recruiting across borders
News 01.04.2011
The big consulting firms want to hire up to 50 per cent more consultants in their Swiss offices. A substantial portion is expected to be recruited abroad. Brilliant graduates are courted by the consulting firms these days. Accenture’s chief Thomas Meyer admits: “It’s a stressful situation for our organization looking for that many new employees and integrating them.”
As Accenture also offers technology consulting, the company requires a great deal of human resources. However, other consulting firms see growth opportunities as well and are desperately looking for employees, as a survey of the "NZZ am Sonntag" shows.
There are several reasons for the current boom in the industry. Companies benefit from the economic recovery after the financial crisis. "The consulting business is a leading indicator of economic development," says Diana Eid, head of recruiting at Bain & Company. "Customers are investing again. We see our good double-digit growth rates in 2010." PWC especially points out the banking and insurance sector, where it is implementing new regulatory requirements whereas Accenture CEO Meyer also sees the general trend among his clients to minimize fixed costs and to cover peak times during project work with consultants.
Globalization is reflected in the origin of the consultants being employed, as companies are forced to recruit from abroad, more than they would like to. Many companies also have to look further than only the smartest of graduates. Roland Berger for example will fill about half of its vacancies with managers who are already successful in their industry.