Benefits and opportunities keep getting cut. High performers are getting 2% raises even in growing markets (e.g., health), and average performers are getting 0%. Opportunities to do business development (proposal work and white papers) are rare now because of the increased emphasis on direct labor - some of us who used to be 85% billable now are set at 95%, so any additional work you want to do or are required to do is all on what would have been your own time. This is starting to hurt the company's business prospects, because fewer strong performers are raising their hands for things that will help in the long term (white papers, proposal work, etc) and are focusing only on billable work - that is the most important thing.
The acquisition by Carlyle a few years back has chipped away at our available overhead. Overhead is what pays for marketing work, thought leadership, team building, covering strong producers who are on the beach for a short period of time, even things like new hire lunches. When Carlyle sold a division of Arinc to Booz (yes, Carlyle sold a division to itself, essentially), that meant a chunk of our overhead now goes to pay Carlyle for buying something that it still owns. When we took out a loan to pay dividends to our shareholders (mostly Carlyle), that meant a chunk of our overhead goes to paying back our loan. Carlyle uses Booz as a magic money machine. Our leadership at Booz will say again and again that Carlyle lets them manage us without interfering - but that is only true so far as managing what is left after Carlyle squeezes out more cash.
People who have been here forever are finally leaving. I'm just waiting for the right lifeboat, myself.
