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Noted Forced Ranking Enthusiast Deloitte Declares Forced Ranking Dead

The timing of this discussion is pretty good considering we have not one but two hot conversations happening in Open Items as we speak; one person was “forced to resign” from the Big 4 after just 6 months, while another person asks if anyone has been or knows anyone who has been coached out. You will see momentarily what this has to do with forced rankings but for now, let’s pull an old article out of the archive from Francine McKenna:

Deloitte’s New San Francisco Office Will Be Cooler Than Yours

Sayeth San Fran managing partner Mark Edmunds.


He told the SF Business Times, “The cool factor will be very high,” so maybe we’re taking his statement slightly out of context. Presumably, “high cool factor” not only means that there won’t be tight security on bathrooms and they’ll allow pictures in your respective cube but it sounds as though there will be a faux-Starbucks available and a theater so you can listen to Barry Salzberg talk about diversity in surround sound.

The new office — nine floors in San Francisco’s newest office tower — represents not only a change in address, but an evolving philosophical transformation in how Deloitte serves its clients. Instead of private sanctuaries where partners retreat to pore over financial statements, the new environment will be all about collaborative spaces, Starbucks-like cafes and enclaves with the latest video conferencing technology. There will be a theater-style “learning center” that can hold groups of up to 200.

Deloitte recalculates headquarters [SF Business Times (partial subscription required)]

Deloitte Highlights Its Non-monetary Commitment to Its Talent Via Hexagon-Filled Report

Deloitte officially rolled out its Talent Annuity Report today and before you start wondering just what the hell a Talent Annuity Report is, Barry Salzberg enlightens everyone:

We published a Talent Annuity Report because we regard our talenhat generates an annuity. We take pride in the contents of the report — it is a tangible manifestation of our passion and commitment to our talent. Our people are vital to the continued growth of our business, and we are focused on fostering a quality culture where everyone has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.

Everything Dr. Phil says may in fact be true, however when we look at the report, we see a lot of indecipherable hexagons that may or may not be used to communicate this “passion and commitment to [Deloitte’s] talent.”


Fortunately, if you’re not too interested in navigating through the geometric maze, the press release manages to break down why it was such a bang-up year for the talent at Deloitte:

The report chronicles a year of bold talent initiatives and historical milestones including:
• Groundbreaking of Deloitte University, a $300 million state-of-the-art center established to foster personal and professional growth at Deloitte

• Company-wide rollout of Mass Career Customization® , a career development model that enables all Deloitte professionals to dial up and dial down their careers to fit their needs at various life stages

• Launch of a voluntary sabbatical program for employees to take up to six months leave to engage in volunteering and other personal pursuits

• Presentation of Deloitte’s cutting-edge corporate lattice business strategy in a new book titled “The Corporate Lattice: Achieving High Performance in the Changing World of Work“

• Introduction of a customized approach to talent development with Deloitte professionals participating in 2.4 million learning hours

• Achievement of the 1000+ mark for women partners, principals and directors — a reflection of Deloitte’s hallmark Women’s Initiative and commitment to an inclusive environment.

• Recognition from more than a dozen national organizations, including the No.1 ranking on BusinessWeek’s “Best Places to Launch a Career” list

Whether or not spending $300 million to build the Deloitte frat house is worth it, is a matter of opinion.

As for BusinessWeek lists and whathaveyou, most employees understand that this perpetual conclusion is for marketing purposes and would be more than happy to take exception with it. As for the rest of the initiatives and milestones, you can take them for what they are worth.

But what’s especially interesting is the timing of this release. These non-monetary reasons are presumably supposed to serve as reminder of Deloitte’s commitment to employees. But since the report was issued in wake of the merit increases we saw last week, it’s almost if it’s meant to console employees after the relatively disappointing news. And if that is the case, it will fail miserably.

Deloitte Releases Talent Annuity Report [PR Newswire]