Resist the temptation

The consultancy sector is fascinating. The observation alone that budget cuts – wherever that may be – regularly rely on cutting back outsourcing and that this is rarely successful without the advice of, you guessed it, outsourcing. But also the – perhaps factually correct – name ‘outsourcing’ which puts expensive and slick top tier consultants and modest freelancers in the same group.

There is a reason that the consultancy sector is the source of inspiration for books like When McKinsey comes to town (reading tip for the summer, it is a shocking collection of whodunnits where the answer – spoiler alert – is always McKinsey), TV programmes like ‘Tegenlicht’ and its linked play called ‘Bureau Buitenschot’(both in Dutch). The most recent addition to this collection is a book by Simon van Teutem called ‘De bermudadriehoek van talent’ (the Bermuda Triangle of talent), a title illustrating the mystical cloud that surrounds this sector.

Simon argues that the most talented students often end up in consultancy firms, corporate law or the banking world, and waste their talent there. These sectors are highly driven to entice students and make the students commit to them. Students regularly sign with those firms and not only for the financial benefits.

While I do not have any data, I dare say that a significant part of TU Delft graduates also disappear in this Bermuda Triangle. This is a shame, especially given the ‘need for more engineers’ which was one of the reasons for looking into a campus in Rotterdam and Minister Bruins’ goals (in Dutch) of better aligning education to meet societal needs (such as the energy transition) and educate for essential sectors that have huge staff shortages. I do wonder if it really is necessary to train more engineers, or should the engineers that we do train choose different jobs?

Is it really necessary to train more engineers, or should the engineers that we do train choose different jobs?

In my research for this column, I again stumbled upon Simon van Teutem who wrote 3 adviezen komt om jong talent terug te winnen (three pieces of advice to win back young talent, in Dutch) of which the third advice is that universities should take their responsibility to point young talent in the right direction.

I can only reiterate this advice. I too ended up in a consultancy firm after my PhD because of the abundance of consultants on TU Delft’s campus and a lack of visible and inspiring alternatives. That’s how I found myself, at an agency whose name I won’t mention, in the last round of job applications being interviewed by only TU Delft alumni. Similarly at the agency where I eventually signed, TU Delft alumni were well-represented and the firm sponsored the ‘Het Delfsch Duel’(the Delft duel, a competition between a Virgiel and a DSC team, in Dutch) to benefit recruitment.

TU Delft can do little about the efforts that these agencies make to attract our students, but it may be time for a counteroffensive. The students themselves, who organise most of the career events, are perfectly positioned for this. After all, they also banned fossil fuel companies in the 2023 Delft Career Days. The companies were readmitted later to ensure that ‘every sector be represented to meet the demand from students’. I call on those students to make enough space for representation from start-ups, non-profits and government (and perhaps even advise them on how to effectively attract student) and thus create an even playing field. And on more thing: Invite Simon van Teutem to come and give a presentation!

Disclaimer – I have not yet read  ‘De bermudadriehoek van talent’. But I have read articles by Simon van Teutem on this subject.