I recruit for one of the big consulting firms, and lately it seems at every second application I see comes from a Cap person or an IBMer. Is there anything in particular causing the frustrations at these firms? Or is it just the usual nonsense...?

Maybe we've met!? :)From experience of CapG, it's just the usual nonsense. There isn't any talk of much else out of the ordinary going on.Fay

Very sad to say, but IBM BCS don't look after their consultants well - at best it's mediocre. Wherever a consultant goes it will have it's ups and downs, but in BCS it's tough - low pay/rises and average benefits, poor (if any) training and, being honest, low morale. Added to the fact that they have HIGH attrition and are bringing in lots of rookies to fill gaps, it's not surprising that many want to leave.... even if they have not been there that long.

Not sure I fully agree with that last post on IBM BCS. Being part of a huge conglomerate does bring its frustrations (tortuous processes, low salary increases if rest of firm isn't doing so well etc), but in my view, BCS does pretty well in getting round some of these issues. In my view, the organisation is quite rightly focusing on its high performers in order to help it improve its brand perception and performance, while it is happy(ish) to let its lower performers find the door. This is something which doesn't come too easily to an organisation which used to be famous for providing a job for life, but within BCS it's become a necessity as it had too many low performers from both IBM and PwC heritages.Speaking of PwC, there are still some ex-PwC staff around who don't like the change in culture, so these will probably account for some of the departures as well - although I believe numbers are now dropping off. In fact, the majority of BCS consultants are now new joiners since the PwC acquisition.

IBM treat their people abysmally. No training, no pay rises, crappy public sector jobs. All this explains why morale is so low, and so many want to leave. I hear even Vic Luck left recently. The last post about over half the staff having less than 3 years tenure shows what a deep hole they are in. The advantage for some people, I suppose, is that they will hire pretty much anyone who shows up to interview.

Sorry headhunter,but why don't ask the people you receive CVs from?Another proof that most guys of your business are not professional...reg. cap: very good year 2005, but maybe too much public sector work and a lot of long runners who want to leverage the current pick up in the market, no good-high performers...