Deloitte Consulting looks to bulk up

Here's some good news for consultants on the prowl: Deloitte Consulting is looking for you! The firm, which consistently has been named to Fortune's Best Companies to Work For and BusinessWeek's Best Places to Launch a Career, among many other best-of lists, is now in active hiring mode, and plans to bring in around 4,800 new full-time and intern hires in the U.S. in the coming year (even though the firm saw a dip in overall business in 2009). Turns out the firm's got plenty of consulting work to go around (it boasted an 80 percent staff utilization rate for 2009—much ahead of competitors), especially in the M&A space, and it's looking to bolster its standing as a one-stop shop for companies looking to devise and implement high-end strategy. Incidentally, the firm is also on a hiring spree in India, having announced that it will be adding 12,000 staff in the country over the next few years.

Punit Renjen, head of Deloitte Consulting, claims that Deloitte is in a "category of one" in that respect, being able to compete head to head with both the top strategy houses and IT shops. He says, "Clients are not only expecting great insight but that it be implementable and that results are generated that are tangible and measurable. It's not just enough to come in with a great idea and submit a report. Clients want to know: How do we implement this and get tangible results?" Well, one way to do that is to ensure that you have the manpower to back up your client work. So for all you experienced consultants and MBA/undergraduate recruits on the market, it's time to step up your game and hoist Deloitte's name to the top of your wish list.

Deloitte recruiters mean business. They're not only hitting the B-school pavement to fill their ambitious hiring quotas, they're also making an aggressive push in cyberspace with a new recruiting micro-site, a Twitter feed, a Facebook page, and a YouTube channel. These elements are all part of a new integrated social media campaign around the theme "It's your future. How far will you take it?" The idea behind the new marketing is for potential candidates to get a real feel for what it's like to work at the firm by reading first-hand accounts of current Deloitte consultants. (For even more insider feedback, be sure to check out Vault's latest Quality of Life rankings!)

This isn't Deloitte's first foray into viral marketing. Back in late 2008, I covered the firm's "Born 2 consult" campaign, hosted by a 10-year-old aspiring Warren Buffett. That initiative, which targeted mid-20s MBAs, gave a general call for individuals interested in the consulting field. This presents a poignant contrast to the firm's latest recruiting efforts, which are more focused on finding candidates with the right fit. Certainly, the firm now has more tools at its disposal to reach interested candidates on a personal level, but it is also just one more piece of evidence of today's job market: Companies can now afford to be pickier about whom they hire. With a larger pool of candidates looking for work, companies have the freedom—and, in fact, more incentive—to hire individuals that match their desired profile, which will ultimately improve efficiency and lower turnover rates.

And, presumably, a more thoroughly picked-over candidate pool will help create a positive environment for those stuck in the office on nights and weekends, making ends meet on those bulky M&A projects.