What are your guys' take on Human Capital consulting? I have been talking to a senior manager at a top HC consulting firm and really like the firm and the people there. However, I have been told that HC is a hole in which once you start your career in it, you will never leave HC. I don't want that to happen to me. I do enjoy the company and the people there but would like to have exit opportunities into possibly a strategy/mgmt consulting firm (or even a different industry) after a couple years and a possible MBA.
Could anyone who was at a HC consulting firm reflect on this and speak about their careers after HC?
Thanks! Really appreciate it
Once you do Human Capital, you tend to be stuck.
No different than those who go into Supply Chain, Risk/Controls, or LEAN. Simply put, you get golden hand-cuffs in any of these.
That being said, if you can network and show you're fully capable of doing 'anything' then you get those sorts of offers within the firm. I'm in HC, but I've done process improvement, supply chain, business model design, and might be doing some internal audit / divestiture work.
That being said, and depending on the firm, some interesting areas fall under human capital (at least to me). - Organizational Design - Change Management (very useful skill for any manager to have)
As for what you learn, at my firm we all learn the same methodology to approach the projects, regardless of what group in business transformation you are in. Exits to an MBA should be similar. The trick is, you are not a people person etc. you are a business consultant, who uses a people focused approach to solving problems. Low productivity? Well lets look at how jobs match the value adding processes, or how management is dealing with employees. Maybe there is a misalignment in compensation between areas of the company - conflicting incentives can easily over-power business processes.
Maybe the structure of the organization no longer matches their value-chain, or they have an old structure (say a capital projects company that hasn't move to a PMO centric model).
Unless you're thinking more along the lines of a boutique firm specializing strictly in HR consulting.....in which case, that's going to be your life.
Thanks for your reply.
How long have you been in HC and do you ever see yourself exiting anytime soon?
What are some positive aspects of HC consulting people don't realize until they are in the position?
Human Capital Analyst v Business Analyst (Originally Posted: 03/23/2012)
How big is the difference? I feel like human capital will be very boring, but for the time being it is all I have a lead/solid contact in. Is it essentially just HR/internal hiring issues or does it branch out at all? Are exit ops for Human Capital Analysts usually just HR positions?
Anything?
Is this Deloitte? If so, not a huge difference between S&O BA and this in terms of work (for your first year at least), it's the typical analyst stuff. Lot of excel and powerpoint, grunt work. The difference comes (I think) with the types of projects and exit opportunities. HCAs are typically on long-term integration project helping to support a manager/sr manager in human capital. They're one part in a much larger project. They're very rarely the typical HR issues/roles you might be thinking of, they more deal with organizational strategy/operations for workforce issues. Ranging from employment numbers to actuarial stuff. I haven't seen many 100% human capital projects, but that could just be lack of exposure on my part.
Exit opps, BA > HCA. But neither are bad experiences and I think HCAs tend to travel less and have a little bit better work life balance.
Human Capital Consulting to IB or ER (Originally Posted: 06/21/2013)
Can anyone shed light on the possibility of making this transition?
I've been at my HC consulting job for a year now and I'm ready to move on. I'm aware it's a long shot to get from where I am to IB or ER but I figure that the longer I stay the more pigeon-holed I become in HR/HC.
HC consulting is pretty quantitative and excel-heavy but we don't do financial modeling. I had a 3.1 GPA from a non-target liberal arts college, graduated a year ago.
You mean HR?
Yeah, it's HR consulting... Aon Hewitt/Towers Watson/Mercer
I'd say it's definitely possible, but you might want to consider business school if you are not getting a lot of call backs.
Get a CFA if you don't want to spend money on MBA.
CFA could definitely help for ER role but not as effective for IB. Need to spin your client facing story right and the analytically nature of the job to have a shot.
Thanks all. I don't see myself doing CFA right now, but MBA is definitely a possibility.
Human Capital Consulting Rep to B-school (Originally Posted: 11/22/2012)
How do b-schools look at applicants with work experience in human capital consulting? At the more well-known firms like mercer, Towers Watson, etc, and also at the lesser known firms?
Consulting is generally a "reputable" industry from the perspective of the admissions committees. I don't think your focus area is especially relevant. They might judge that a Bain applicant is higher-end than a Mercer applicant, but they won't say Mercer HCC
Human Capital - How Competitive (Originally Posted: 10/28/2014)
How competitive is getting a human capital analyst/consultant FT offer. Specifically for Deloitte or Mercer tier companies.
Coming from a non-target but decent work experience/GPA and some HR related I haven't seen much about it throughout these forums or any other channel.
Will SB anyone who can help decide whether it'd be a waste of time applying.
If you are a senior, you are very late in the process. Mercer and Deloitte both had their superdays over two weeks ago. however, i know that some people declined offers so maybe if you make a call you can network in right now.
If you get your foot in the door, the interviews are not that difficult and it's a pretty good gig. Good experience and good comp. I've heard great things about Deloitte culture. (Note: I did not go through this process but had an old roommate that did.)
When is the deadline/pipeline? I finish grad school in May 2016 so when should I start applying?
I second the previous user about the timing, but the human capital positions are not as competitive (or as lucrative) as the Strategy roles that everyone slavishly devotes themselves to pursuing (rightly so).
If you haven't missed the deadlines or pipeline, I'd apply. If you have anything in your background (work experience or coursework) that gives a story for why you're interested in the position, I'd go for it. Deloitte's website has more details and online practice cases specifically for the human capital track, so you can start your prep there.
When is the deadline/pipeline? I finish grad school in May 2016 so when should I start applying?
Human Capital Consulting - Seems interesting (Originally Posted: 08/14/2012)
So human capital consulting seems interesting to me. From what I understand, and please correct me if I am wrong, hc consulting is basically organizational management, incentives, compensation, process integration, and things along those lines. But is it really a dead end? I think I would enjoy, but there really is no way to know what I will enjoy in 5 years from now. So is it really a dead end and what are the exit options?
But what do you see as the exit opportunities if you do decide that HC is no longer your interest?
I'm in the same boat as OP, I think HC can be really interesting and great to work with but I fear the dead end...don't want to be stuck in HC forever if I don't thoroughly enjoy it come 5 years from now
Organizational Design Change Management HR Transformation Talent Management Total Rewards (Compensation & Additional Items) HR Technology Workforce Analytics (Engagement, Productivity) Management / Leadership Development
While doing it you will learn how to be a Project Manager, Change Management, Interview Clients, Process Improvement, General Consulting Skills (Analysis, Data Collection, Issues Based Problem Solving, Business Transformation Methodologies, Building Business Cases, and just how to be a consultant).
If you don't think you can turn those skills into a job in industry or build enough relationships to lateral then don't. If you are confident you can find a use for those skills in another job...it's not really a dead end is it.
No different than Financial Effectiveness, Technology, or even Operations. Although operations is probably the easiest to move around with, you can make the move from any area if you're good at what you do and know what skills can be transfered to other jobs.
TT
Well stated Tyler. Not to mention you're also well set up to get a top MBA, which can help you transition from HC to strategy or banking.
If you're at Mercer you can leverage internal contacts to get to Oliver Wyman.
HC work overall is data-heavy and allows you to get know a lot of different companies and all sorts of business models, and you'll build internal HR relationships that can help you transition into industry either in HR or outside of HR.
Thanks for the responses Tyler and Governor, I guess I never really looked at it like that. You raise some good points which have definitely reassured me of a possible career in HC consulting.
HR Consulting Career Progression/Exit Ops (Originally Posted: 08/22/2011)
I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on a) Career Progression b) Exit Ops (B-School/Corp Dev/MBB) for HR consulting?
Thanks.
The career progression that I've seen tends towards continued work in HR consulting, B-school, or HR corporate track in a Corporation. Corp Dev may be possible, but it seems unlikely.
HR Consulting the Kiss of Death? (Originally Posted: 06/19/2012)
I went to a well-ranked non-target and messed up OCR. I want to work in management consulting, preferably somewhere on the level of McKinsey or Bain or Booz, but I realize I may have to go to b-school first to break in.
I am currently interviewing at one of the top HR consulting firms and at a third-party investor relations shop.
Would HR consulting be the "kiss of death" if I want to move into management consulting later on? I realize it would be tough pre-MBA. But I assume it would be better for b-school than being a paralegal (what I do now), and more relevant to the work one does at MBB.
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