Some good, mostly bad - Consultant Slalom Employee Review

The brainwashing never ends. You are told on an almost daily basis how great Slalom is. You are asked to vote for Slalom in "best company" contests several times a year. Then they turn around and brag about how great they are. Let's be real: You are a dollar sign to Slalom. They go on about culture and changing the world, but they are about the money. The customer is billed for your work, and most of that goes to the company. Being promoted is pretty much based on how much more money you can bring to the company. I don't think there is necessarily anything wrong with this, but they should be more honest about it. Especially with the "we're going to change the world" crap. I worked on the most unfulfilling projects while there. Which leads me too... Unfulfilling projects. While Slalom wants you to believe that every project you will ever work on will change the world, the reality is not so exciting. Slalom is expensive. Companies don't ~want~ to hire Slalom to do the work, they do it because they have no other choice. Companies want Slalom to come in, do the work as quickly as possible, then get out. What this means is that, many times, Slalom is fighting over scraps. In a world where many companies can't seem to hire enough software developers, Slalom still has a difficult time landing work. Horrible benefits. 401k is better than it was a few years ago but it still isn't great. PTO is ridiculous, especially for how much they expect you to work. I left and instantly got two more weeks PTO than what I had at Slalom. Medical and dental is meh. Workaholic culture. Don't listen to the "work/life balance" garbage. You are expected to hustle. When I first started, I was told "You're expected to bill 45 hours per week", which was a huge WTF moment. As others have noticed, there are extracurricular activities that you are expected to attend, such as happy hours, quarterly meetings, monthly state-of-the-whatevers, etc. If the work dries up, you are expected to get more work. Yeah, they didn't mention that last part during the interview process, did they? It's definitely not enough to deliver good work. You have to be seen as someone who sells work. You have to build your brand, put yourself out there, get in front of the client, yada yada. For some people (like narcissists or people with low self-esteem), this is very fulfilling, but it's definitely not for everyone. There is an air of fakeness surrounding everything there. I read another review where someone said that they had never experienced a more virtue-signalling company before, and I have to agree with that. Brag brag brag, all of the time. Kind of like when you go to the South and everyone is nice but that's because they are all hiding their true feelings and you never get the feeling that you really know anyone. If you are truly an innovator, then go innovate or invent something somewhere else. Slalom doesn't make products. If you truly don't care what client you have to work for or what product you're working on, or you need to be told on an almost daily basis how you're changing the world, then Slalom might be for you. If you have any interest in a certain industry, then just find a good company in that industry and follow your passion. You'll make more money, get better benefits, and be happier. I know that I am.