Another major PRTM methodology is PACE® (Product And Cycle-time Excellence®). The PACE framework attempts to create profi table growth by “introducing the right products at the right pace.” PACE relies on a dense mix of data concerning schedule variance, time-to-market, pipeline throughput and R&D effectiveness. BusinessWeek has called PACE “one of the most successful and effective models of the product development process for technology-based industries.”
GETTING HIRED
“PRTM’s hiring is not driven by quotas or project demands,” an associate tell us. PRTM only hires top-tier talent.” An ominous introduction? Perhaps.
But PRTM’s staffi ng model doesn’t adhere to the same stiff standards that many top fi rms adhere to (e.g., 3.9 GPA from an Ivy League school). One consultant sums it up best: “Hiring is based on fi t, not on being able to solve a particular problem or grades at an institution. At the end of the day, it’s 1) Is the candidate partner material? And, 2) Will the candidate be able to work effectively in a high pressure project with peers of equal intellectual capability?”
Make no mistake, depth of expertise and quality analytic skills are extremely important to the fi rm. Cool pragmatism rules the day at PRTM; the interview process favors an exceptionally strong critical thinker with enough experience or focused education “to make an immediate impact with little direction or supervision.”
OUR SURVEY SAYS
Corporate Atmosphere
Vault’s Verdict: PRTM is a place where the industry’s seasoned, hardnosed pragmatists can team up to do interesting, meaningful work at their
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own high standards. For those who love a challenge, it’s an ideal work environment.
Overall Satisfaction
• “I have been nothing but satisfi ed with PRTM. I have been given the tools necessary to succeed and I feel that I have been recognized appropriately for my efforts.” – Public-sector consultant
• “The learning curve, executive exposure, quality peer involvement and ability to signifi cantly infl uence corporate success have been invaluable.”
– Senior source
• “PRTM is a great place to work. My projects have been interesting and challenging, enabling me to build my consulting skills and my experience in the health care industry. PRTM does a great job of hiring really smart, down-to-earth people who are fun to work with.” – Boston midlevel
• “PRTM is a very progressive fi rm with lots of opportunities to succeed. If you have initiative and drive, there is no place you cannot go.” – Technology consultant
Firm Culture
• “The culture attracts a very pragmatic, no-nonsense type. There is generally little patience for ‘fl uff.’ And yet, most people are easy to get along with and easily pass the ‘airport test.’” – Junior source
• “The company respects you as an individual. Your work is well recognized, even though it is dependent on individual directors. It is a meritocracy, but also collaborative. There are a lot of expectations, but you are rewarded as well.” – Strategy consultant
• “Our fi rm is not for the faint of heart. We hire extremely smart people and then make them better. In every way, we always put the client fi rst.
I have had conference calls with clients on Christmas Eve. That said, we do believe in creating a viable work/life continuum since one unoffi cial motto is that we are all here to win a marathon, not run a sprint.” – Public-sector insider
• “Internally, the group seems to favor hiring more politically conservative personnel, which tends to set the tone for the offi ce.” – D.C. staffer
Supervisor Relationships
• “PRTM has a very low ratio of partners to consultants and, as a result, access to all levels of management is easily available.” – Health care consultant
• “PRTM is a fl at organization, helping to ensure that consultants are able to interact with directors and principals frequently. Directors and principals are more than willing to take time to discuss client work, ideas and professional development.” – Experienced source
• “Your supervisors treat you as a potential director, so they can be very challenging.” – Associate
Interaction with Clients
• “Our clients appreciate our hands-on working style and the truly unique solutions that we develop because of the time we spend on site directly with client teams.” – Health care insider
• “We work extremely closely with both the client and the client’s staff. One of our implicit missions on every engagement is to transfer our skills and created processes to the client’s organization so that they can tackle similar future tasks without us.” – D.C. staffer
• “Even at the entry level, PRTM consultants work extensively with the client, and are able to develop good working relationships.” – Public-sector junior
Hours & Pay
Vault’s Verdict: PRTM’s travel demands can be a drag and hours can be excessive at times. But overall, these consultants consider themselves well-positioned on the favorable side of the work/life balance equation.
Work Hours
• “Hours are long, and can fl uctuate from week to week, but are generally manageable. Project managers are typically fl exible and can accommodate personal schedules.” – Entry-level respondent
• “I feel that amount of hours I work is appropriate for both the expectations of my level and the compensation I receive.” – Senior consultant
• “Work hours are dictated by each consultant’s effi ciency. We abhor nonvalue-added work, expect billable hours to be completed before any other collateral duties, and only assign or volunteer for collateral duties that benefi t the fi rm.” – East Coast midlevel
• “Depending on the assignment, you can spend up to 100 hours each week, but you will be well rewarded for that. It is up to you to manage your hours effectively.” – Senior consultant
Work/Life Balance
• “It is completely up to you to manage your hours effectively. If you succeed, it is a joy to work for PRTM. Your coach will always ask you to work on your work/life balance.” – Midlevel consultant
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California staffer
• “In the evening, I may need to respond to emails, but usually I can accomplish signifi cant tasks during normal work hours. I may work periodically on the weekends, but typically only for a few hours at home on Sunday afternoon.” – Public-sector consultant
• “It is a diffi cult balance; there is defi nitely a strong demand on personal time. However, the fi rm is cognizant of that, and when a consultant expresses concern, there is generally some effort to alleviate.” – Detroit higher-up
Travel Requirements
• “Consultants are expected to be at the client site Monday through Thursday. Fridays are typically spent working from home or from the local PRTM offi ce. The nature of our consulting requires that we work closely with our clients, so being on site is important. Therefore, we travel every week.” – Boston insider
• “Travel is usually within the continental U.S.” – Midlevel source
• “Commercial engagements often require greater than 80 percent travel.” – Public-sector associate
• “I have never been staffed within 2,000 miles of my home offi ce.” – Operations consultant
Compensation
• “It is a results-oriented culture; if you deliver, you are handsomely rewarded.” – Senior consultant
• “Salaries are competitive, and PRTM annually surveys the industry to ensure standards are maintained.” – Health care insider
• “Bonuses are earned based on deep and fact-based discussions. They are attainable through focus and solid work on client and business development areas. Expectations are clear.” – Technology consultant
• “Utilization targets are much higher than for other fi rms, at every level.” – Junior source
Professional Development
Vault’s Verdict: There’s a defi nite emphasis on on-the-job learning and informal mentoring at PRTM, which works for most. Those who prefer a more structured system are largely left out in the cold.
Formal Training
• “The fi rm appears to view classroom training as too esoteric and not pragmatic enough.” – Operations consultant
• “It’s pretty weak and very informal. The majority of training is on the job.” – West Coast insider
• “Most training is unoffi cial and based on mentoring, which is natural considering the very low consultant-to-partner ratio. There is a substantial and growing formal training system as well—I attend formal training sessions roughly once or twice per month.” – Public-sector midlevel
• “The fi rm does offer offi cial training (both internally and externally developed), but client project priorities sometimes make it diffi cult to attend the sessions.” – Telecommunications consultant
Promotion Policies
• “We have performance reviews every six months, where all of the directors in the business group get together and discuss who should be promoted. I think it’s a very fair, merit-based process.” – Entry-level respondent
• “Consultants seem to generally advance directly in line with their capabilities and performance, at least through the principal level. There is not an explicit up-or-out culture, but if you are not moving up, it might be time to look elsewhere.” – Operations associate
• “If I want to be a rock star and go for a promotion on the fast track, then I can take on more responsibility (i.e., hours) and do so. But if I want to go at a slower pace and enjoy my life outside of work more, that’s an acceptable option as well.” – D.C. junior
• “You perform, you get promoted. It is as easy as that.” – Health care higher-up
Diversity
Vault’s Verdict: The only spot on the fi rm’s otherwise excellent diversity record is the noticeable shortage of women in leadership ranks.
Diversity Issues With Respect to Women, Minorities, and GLBTs
• “I am a gay female employee, and I couldn’t be happier. I feel completely at home here, and have for years.” – Senior consultant
• “The fi rm offers an extended maternity leave program for consultant mothers, as well as part-time staffi ng. Importantly, they work to staff new parents (both moms and dads) close to home for growing families.” – Energy insider
• “We have a richly diverse fi rm—a real strength of the business and representative of the global business environment in which we work.” – Technology higher-up
• “The partners are more than 97 percent men. The fi rm hires a lot of female associates and consultants, but does not have a good track record of promoting these women through the ranks, ultimately to director.” – Public-sector consultant
Overall Business Outlook
Vault’s Verdict: Perhaps the best indicator of the fi rm’s business prospects is employee morale; it’s exceptionally high at PRTM—a luxury that few
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top fi rms can claim in this economic climate.
Overall Business Outlook
• “The overall outlook for PRTM is very positive. Leadership and employee morale are high, and we are excited about the growth prospects of the fi rm in the future.” – Energy midlevel
• “My offi ce is outgrowing its space. Independent studies of the consulting market show that PRTM’s focus on operational strategy puts us in the sweet spot of emerging trends in the consulting industry. While smaller than the largest fi rms, we have a great outlook for growth.” – Public-sector associate
• “We have a different model than our competition in that we typically hire people with more experience and who already have strong analytical skills based on their undergraduate degrees—this lets us staff leanly with small teams of experts and experts in training. Morale in our company has been higher than at many of our competitors, and we have weathered the recession well.” – D.C. staffer
• “We are expanding our efforts across the globe in an effort to mitigate any potential continued softness in the Americas.” – East Coast insider
Confi dence in Firm Leadership
• “Our leadership showed their colors during the economic downturn—they maintained a positive attitude and encouraged employees to stay the course. At the end of the year, instead of pulling back compensation and bonuses, as most companies did, they rewarded us for helping the company pull through a diffi cult year.” – Midlevel consultant
• “Unlike at some fi rms, we have the opportunity to interact informally with PRTM’s top leadership on a regular basis, as colleagues. This collegial atmosphere binds the fi rm together and creates rapport.” – Strategy consultant
• “The leadership team recognizes market needs that fi t with the fi rm’s strengths and seems to have a good roadmap for winning business in these areas.” – Operations associate
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