The lack of brand name and focus is leading Protiviti into a nose dive. Most clients you work with won't even be able to pronounce, let alone spell, the name Protiviti. Recently, Protiviti laid off talented, experienced employees, not due to performance issues but due to 'lack of chargeability.' However, they are still hiring fresh new recruits, straight out of college and with a sign on bonus. This is good for new hires, in the fact that they get a job, however, many will experience long months of sitting on the bench, and, in this economy, will be laid off soon thereafter, leaving nothing to put on their professional resume. Be very careful when choosing which company to work for out of college.
Protiviti has placed itself between the Big 4 and boutique firms, which is somewhat advantageous, however, if seen from another point of view, they've dug themselves into a corner. If a company is looking to hire an auditing firm, they'll most likely go with the Big 4 and if they're looking for specialized talent, they'll go with a boutique firm. What would be the point of hiring Protiviti if they charge more and send fresh recruits as consultants?
In the long term, Protiviti employees who manage to avoid lay offs will have hard times trying to sell projects. The manner in which Protiviti handled layoffs was extremely unprofessional. Many of those talented people who were laid off will most likely not forget the way they were treated and in the long run, when they're in a position where they need some consulting, they most likely will avoid Protiviti.
