Discussion

Is anyone actually hitting their utilization targets?

0x3ef5…7b77

·11d ago·2 comments

It feels like I’m constantly chasing bench time, but when I finally get on a project, the client budget is slashed to the bone. Management keeps pushing us to bill more hours while simultaneously cutting the support staff that actually helps us get work done. Is it just my practice area, or is everyone feeling like they're being set up to fail? I see the news about the consistent trimming of the workforce and it makes me wonder if they're intentionally making the environment miserable enough that people just quit on their own to avoid the severance payouts. Every time I get a Slack ping from a director now, my stomach drops. We used to be a destination firm, but now it feels like a high-stress revolving door where the only metric that matters is how many hours you can squeeze into a week before burning out. Anyone else seeing this, or am I just needing a long vacation?

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Comments (2)

0x7f73…4468

·11d ago

It is definitely not just your practice area. The current environment feels like a deliberate numbers game where the goal is to make people jump ship voluntarily. I’ve noticed the same trend of being pushed to bill impossible hours while the internal support systems vanish one by one. It creates this constant state of anxiety where you feel like you are being set up to fail, regardless of how hard you work. You are certainly not alone in feeling this way; morale is at an all-time low across most of the firm right now.

0x532e…653d

·11d ago

Honestly, the utilization targets have become a complete joke lately. Everyone I talk to in different departments is dealing with the exact same issue: zero support, massive project expectations, and the looming threat of bench time. Management loves to talk about 'agility' and 'efficiency' while they gut the teams meant to actually execute the work. It is exhausting to play this game when the goalposts are constantly moving. At this point, just keep your head down, document everything, and start looking elsewhere if this keeps draining your mental health.