• The People – While I have worked with some wonderful people at Capco, the firm does also have its fair share of individuals who are not the friendliest or helpful, and in some (extreme) cases have proven to be quite surreptitious and Machiavellian. At times, on projects, my colleagues and I often felt that we had targets on our backs are were consistently in “CYA-mode” due to a toxic culture/work environment.
• Compensation and Promotion – To be very blunt, the compensation packages at Capco are atrocious, with non-existent wiggle room for negotiations in your compensation packages. I’ve heard horror stories from fellow colleagues about negotiation conversations being shut down (almost immediatley) upon inquiry. The same can be said when it comes to promoting talent, which can only be described as a banal political game. Don’t be fooled by the thinly-veiled doublespeak when leadership talks about having a “meritocratic” culture. When talent feels undervalued, attrition rates begin to rise.
• Lack of Diversity – Frankly, this is an industry-wide problem with very little end in sight. I’ve found that much of the diversity within Capco is relegated to the special interest groups (eg: Women @ Capco, Black @ Capco, et al.), but it certainly is not enough by a long-shot. Such a lack of inclusion can even be seen in some project teams where team leads only pick the same groups of people to work with on projects, effectively shutting out individuals who may be interested in doing the same work. Most of the senior leadership is still a “boys club” comprised of older, white men which has only been penetrated by SOME people of color and women in recent years. If Capco wants to remain competitive in the consulting and financial services worlds then this is something that will have to be addressed immediately.
