“I became a Consultant to lead a glam life – stay in the best hotels, fly first class with upgrades, stack up the miles, and eat at the best restaurants worldwide. If that’s going away, I’m outta here!”
-       Consultant1 on a popular app

Can’t say I blame C1 here. Management Consulting is one of the few professions that is extremely client-focused and very demanding as a result. The broken record of “the client is right / king” is always playing in the background. For a typical Consulting firm, “optics” is everything.

It’s no surprise then that Consulting firms have probably been the slowest at reducing staff travel because of the Pandemic. Till around April 2020, most Consultants were still traveling to clients with their firms “empowering” them to make any travel decisions they were comfortable with(!?)

It was May 2020 that brought things to a complete halt. Clients started working remotely, and it made no sense for the Consultants to be at the project in person. The traditional Consulting model was flipped 180, much to the delight of some and dismay of others. 

Working from home was supposed to be a pipe dream if you wanted to become a successful consultant. It hasn’t manifested in the way most thought it would though. Here’s how my Consultant friends have described the impact of this change:

I work more now than I ever used to….
Clients are cutting back on ‘good to have’ Consulting projects, and looking to pause existing engagements till things stabilize. Firms are bending over backward by sharing thought leadership, free workshops and video conferences to engage clients and showcase the value they bring to the table. 

“With no real travel schedule or commute, my days are blending into each other”

Early morning and late-night calls have become the norm, and while weekend work was quite common even before the Pandemic, it has taken a life of its own. Client care never stops and it is EXHAUSTING!

 
Layoffs are happening…..or going to….. 
Some firms have chosen to retain staff and cut back on salaries and bonuses, winning them much-needed short-term PR with employees and clients alike. Some have chosen to rip off the band-aid and axe thousands of jobs citing performance or the pandemic as reasons. And this is not the last round yet.

“Just as with COVID, there is max. 2 degrees of separation between me and those who get fired”.  

In this situation, “going above and beyond” has become the norm. It’s like the Hunger Games when you have to constantly display that you’re adding value to the firm and your clients to stay afloat.

 
Work-Life-Balance is a myth 
Most Consulting firms are very vocal about the value they place on their people - their biggest asset. Many firms have come up with innovative options to provide flexibility to employees who also have to care for their children, as schools/daycare facilities are closed.

But for the most part, Consultants are uncomfortable using these options, lest it leads to the impression that they are less than 150% committed to their job.

“I do have these flex-time options but I’m too scared to take them…it’s like taking leave. I end up working till 1 am every night to cope with the work and take care of my baby.”
 
Mental health is a real issue
With the increased demands of work, COVID related loneliness (if you’re living by yourself) or craziness (that comes with family), and the threat of dismissal hanging constantly, is it a surprise this comes up?
 
All dressed up and nowhere to go 
As Consulting firms get ready to bring staff back to the offices/project locations…. SURPRISE…. clients don’t want them to travel. It’s like they’ve discovered this secret to getting the biggest bang for their buck. 

No travel for consultants means that clients don’t have to pay for additional expenses that Consultants incur when visiting project locations. No more hefty hotel/ airfare bills? …..Yes Please! Topped with Consultants falling over themselves to provide thought leadership and ‘project investments’ (a.k.a. free work)? Even better!

 
So, what does it mean to be a new joiner in this situation?
Most new joiners have never seen their Firm’s HQ or a client site. Everything from the onboarding to the orientation is remote, which is a far cry from the in-person networking and learning events that Consulting is famous for.

Gone are days of learning on the job, easing into the project and finding mentors in the first few months who can guide you into the ways of the firm. The current environment has put tremendous pressure on new joiners to prove their worth and join the hunger games Day 1.

“Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!”

So how are you coping with the crisis as a new/aspiring consultant? Share in the comments below or reach out to me at punya@byondgood.com.

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Punya is a former management consultant with 15 years of experience at 2 Big4 firms, serving top Fortune500 clients. She has lived and worked in 6 countries and changed 3 careers working across several industries. Punya is passionate about coaching new and aspiring Consultants to succeed in Management Consulting.