Avanade reviews

Avanade tends to panic a bit when it appears financial goals will not be met. There has been an increasing focus on short term revenue generation at the expense of longer term consultant training and business development when the finances look to be in trouble. Avanade's reorganization is focusing the company more on commoditized work but there is little understanding within the company for how to execute on the reorganization plan. Avanade has gone through several rounds of RIFs this year as a result of the changed market conditions. Unfortunately, this has led to the release of many of Avanade's most talented consultants. The remaining senior people primarily focus on business development or other management functions. Those senior people live in fear for what will happen to their jobs and morale at this point is low. Meanwhile, Avanade has probably RIFed too many employees and will likely have to restart hiring again. This whipsaw effect tends to disorient consultants and build much less loyalty than management assumes. As an aside, the severance packages offered to RIFed employees is surprisingly low. This implies a lack of respect for those who have built the company and an inconsistency with stated company values.

As the company is trying to grow, focus is on sales but not enough on people. Company is teaming up with Accenture more these days, which affects the company culture. Rank and file consultants can feel treated like pawns by senior management. Career model has gone through several rounds of changes recently. But it all felt like 'nominal' changes, not much real stuff there. With those so-called metrics in place, management has short-term behavior because the metrics are done annually.