Is the hiring freeze still going on within consulting?
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Large parts of consulting are empty calories. (Lots of revenue but zero profit). The question for IBM is “does the high revenue/zero profit model” benefit “Enterprise centric” IBM anymore? I would venture to say it may be better for IBM to shrink (sell or spinoff) its zero profit divisions, and aim for a smaller, nimbler, more focused, efficient IBM. IBM has certainly started in that direction with SW division, and should most likely execute that same play in Consulting. I’ll bet there is a commodity consulting corporation who would gladly trade their enterprise consulting operation for IBM’s commodity operation. YES that means shrinking, but it also means focusing on what you have a monopoly advantage in. Enterprise
@110 LOL I see what you did there!
Is there a consulting? lol
@xz it is illegal
@a2 if there is a hiring freeze why are there so many job openings posted? Literally everyday I see dozens of new ones from all different areas? Is that legal? I know they will say they are putting them for after the hiring freeze is over - but this just seems wrong or those phantom fake job listings. Just seems wrong
Consulting volunteers as tribute!
@dg If you want something AI related, go to the AI department, which is separate from consulting, because of stupid Indian cultural nonsense.
I suspect that what will get sold off are the BPO and AMS groups. These are stup-d money-losing businesses where the customer's employees get "rebadged" as IBM employees and sold back to the customer at a lower price and IBM tries to make money by eliminating some of them and doing the same work with fewer people. Historically IBM loved this stuff because all those salaries got magically transformed into Revenue even though 95% of it was just a pass through Cost. But it's a low growth, near zero margin business that IBM can't afford to be in any more even if it's an easy way to manufacture paper revenue.
Does anyone think there is any hope for anyone looking for a job in IBM Consulting starting in January once the hiring freeze potentially thaws out? Looking for senior-level roles, band 9 or above. Was thinking AI-related .
@cg What the h-ll even is "Hybrid AI"? IBM Consulting US has lost 95% of it's actual AI talent at all levels from Band 6 through Senior Partner over the last 18 months, either through RA or voluntary attrition. There's no one left to sell the work or deliver it. Just some spreadsheet jockey Service Line Leaders in the US and a bunch of new hires with fake degrees in India.
@c3 My department inside consulting had mass layoffs in March of 2025, basically every single American they could purge they did. They've had a complete hiring freeze since then while id--ts in India keep explaining that their spreadsheet shows they don't need any new people.
Attrition and burnout have dropped the number of remaining staff by about half. It turns out you can't run at 105% constantly no matter what the little izzat farming cretins think and claim when talking to each other.
Instead of hiring people they've been bringing in Systal outsourcers to fill the roles. Our clients don't realize that instead of just going to Systal they're going to us to go to Systal and charge them a 600% markup for the privilege.
@cg IBM is a headless chicken in the sla-ghter house.
IBM is reorganizing Consulting. Some consulting practices are going to shrink while others completely disappear. Competitive pricing is the main driver (Indian firms are pricing to win regardless of profitability). Expect some surprising announcements as IBM concentrates on Hybrid AI, and modernization while shying away from just infrastructure management
@bv could you elaborate more? I thought consulting wasn't doing that badly according to earnings.
They are still doing college hires.
@c2 I always wondered this too. Especially when they hire outside companies places like McKinsey or bain also to consult. I realize for different tasks but seems very inefficient and confusing. We all know currently very ineffective
What does IBM need consultants for anyway? Like, if you don't like this PowerPoint then we have these others. Oh, here's how you open our latest PowerPoint. We've fixed all the bugs in this PowerPoint and have an update for you.
@bv agreed. I believe most of, if not all the RAs will be there and all other areas will be untouched. Thank you for your sacrifice. Get out while you still can
IBM Consulting is on the chopping block... heads up!
As per usual, the actual business of IBM is manufacturing quarterly earnings in a spreadsheet, NOT technology.
Till January company wide