Part of the reason for the continual churn of talent among firms is that most consultants are, by their nature, entrepreneurial. However, the downturn led many consultants to pause and reassess the risks of venturing on their own. While many firms discourage consultants from building their own business, preferring them to stay within the confines of their firms, Rightpoint, founded by Ross Freedman and Brad Schneider in 2007, embraces a different model. To learn more about how Rightpoint has re-engineered the consulting structure, Consulting's One on One recently sat down with Freedman.
Consulting: How is Rightpoint different?
Freedman: Brad and I are entrepreneurs and we tend to attract other consultants with the same mentality. I started my career at Andersen and know first hand that entrepreneurial desires are not necessarily embraced within the typical Big Four or IT model. We also know that there are those that don't want to go out and get a loan to start a firm. So, we're trying something different. Our structure isn't solely built around billable assignments. Instead, we're focused on helping our employees grow the company as if it were their own.
Consulting: How do you accomplish that goal?
Freedman: While there are some consultants that prefer to work in a structure that's already built, our consultants tend to be those that are frustrated by that model— those that like to build and create. Our people love white space. They come to us because they want to play an active role in building a company. And we extend that opportunity to all of our employees. Our leadership is here to help even our most junior people be part of the team. We want to give our team members the resources to take part in growing this company. And the more they succeed, the more rope we give them.
Consulting: Are younger consultants embracing this model?
Freedman: Many of those coming out of school or just starting their careers at other firms aren't real happy—they have all of these ideas that are getting stymied within the more traditional firm structures. We're providing an oasis for them. We're fulfilling a need for them that's not being filled elsewhere.
Consulting: What are you looking for in a consultant?
Freedman: The first thing we look for is passion—more so than specific skill sets. People with passion thrive and it's really propelled our growth. There were just two of us three years ago and there are almost 75 of us now.
Consulting: If you're building a company with people who desire to build their own firm, are you worried that eventually they'll do just that and leave to start their own firm?
Freedman: Retention hasn't been an issue. We've built an environment of passionate consultants who want to build a firm together. While we're all part of one firm, we are constantly breaking down the more successful parts of the firm into smaller parts, creating more and more opportunity and need for leaders. We're building opportunities that don't require them going out and taking on the risk of a business loan. In my experience, growth creates opportunity. Those that are growing at the average pace of the consulting profession are going to have staff attrition issues. We're growing rapidly by attracting and retaining the best people, by encouraging them to pursue their entrepreneurial passions.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.