makes the firm more family friendly. Extended maternity leaves,
backup childcare centers, paid training for women who choose to
stay home for a time but want to go back to work, and mentoring
programs for moms were all part of the new plan. “We’re now giving them more options,” Girault says of the mothers.
But flexibility isn’t just a privilege for the mothers in the firm.
Fathers can take advantage of a flexible paternity leave as well.
But more to the point, the firm doesn’t prioritize life plans, Girault
says, explaining that parents and non-parents alike are treated as
though their outside lives matter, and the flexibility that is afforded to parents is afforded to
everyone. Single people and
non-parents can take sabbaticals
to pursue their passions, Girault
says, explaining that one firm
employee is in a rock band and
PwC works with him to make sure he can play shows.
Girault says the firm has addressed the issue culturally as
well. Booklets such as “The Value of Time Off” and “The Prepared Parent” drive home some of the issues the human resources department is focusing on. But the family leave and
subsequent work/life balance issues aren’t just a challenge at
PwC—they’re a challenge at nearly every consultancy. And firms
are realizing they have to address it now, especially as benefits
grow in importance in many employees’ eyes.
McLean, Va.-based consultancy MorganFranklin up until recently didn’t cover maternity or paternity leave in its short-term
disability plan, says the firm’s human resources director, Denise
Watters. “We really needed to add that component to [it]” in order
to stay competitive, she says, adding that now the firm, like PwC,
also offers backup childcare on site. Now she says, “Our benefits
are robust; [the leadership] really cares about the family.”
Watters herself, she says, is focused on making sure employees—and their spouses—know what benefits are available to them,
and that effort may be one of the reasons the firm saw an eight percent
increase in retention in 2007.
As for specific benefits that would entice a consultant to
remain with the firm, Lese points out that work-at-home
arrangements when consultants aren’t at a client site aren’t a
benefit—they’re a given. “It’s OK, you wouldn’t think twice,”
she says.
Because of the type of culture the firm has, Lese says there isn’t
so much a retention-focused strategy at the firm, so much as a setup
that fosters employees’ professional and personal growth. Training
and mentoring opportunities are examples of that, Lese says. One
standout program is
the benefit that IBM
employees can take
up to three years of a
leave. While some
new parents may use
that time at home
with their child, oth-
ers may go on safari in Africa, she says. That flexibility has had
positive results at the firm. “[Work-life balance is] always rated as
one of the top three reasons why people stay with IBM.”
“If we want to attract the best and retain the
top performers, it really needs to be a culture
that makes people want to work here. Genevieve Girault, PricewaterhouseCoopers ”
Cultural Shift
Carolyn Lese, human resources
director at IBM, agrees with Girault
that the key to keeping employees
happy is flexibility—and it’s some-
Denise Watters thing her firm offers in large doses.
“IBM has a culture of flexibility in
the way that we work,” she says, but in addressing that, she’s not
just referring to IBM’s consulting arm, IBM Global Business Services, but the firm as a whole. And being part of a large firm with
different business lines can open an untold amount of doors for
consultants itching to make a move. “You’re not just joining a consulting firm, you’re joining IBM,” says Lese, who explains that
consultants can move into a different business at the firm without
hurting their career. “There are a plethora of opportunities at IBM.”
Relationships Matter
MorganFranklin has a different philosophy as to why employees
stay. For the firm, it’s about the at-work relationships. The company encourages employees to recruit their friends, and compensates them accordingly. “People like to work with their friends and
people they feel comfortable with and professionals who are at
their level,” Watters says. “We have found that they’re going to
refer someone they think is going to work well within our culture
and with them on the team, and that ensures a good retention rate.”
In addition, relationships are important to the firm’s leadership,
says Watters, who asserts that the firm’s CEO, CFO and COO
“know every single employee, and they care about every single
employee and their families, so they’re always looking for the right
thing to do.” That mindset directly influences her position directly.
“When it comes to HR, it’s very easy.”
The firm also is looking at different ways to boost morale—
although with an 85 percent retention rate last year, keeping employees isn’t a major challenge. Monthly and quarterly awards
programs help keep the momentum going, and new for 2008 are
personal development plans, Watters says.
Awards are a morale-booster at KPMG as well, says Lynne
Doughtie, the national managing partner of the advisory practice.
The firm’s Encore Awards are a chance to recognize employee efforts. More than 60 percent received an award within the past year,
she says, adding the emphasis is on “just making people feel good
about their accomplishments.”
Community Building
In addition, KPMG is looking to build communities through the
use of some online resources. Doughtie cites a number of ways the
firm is using its intranet to keep employees engaged. A career architecture site is a huge hit—and is drawing a lot of hits. Five thousand users, she says, have used the site to design their own career
