Discussion

Is the utilization target getting adjusted for anyone else?

0x22d3…b86a

·10d ago·2 comments

I’ve noticed my direct manager getting surprisingly pushy about billable hours lately, even on projects that are clearly dragging their feet through the procurement phase. It feels like there’s a quiet mandate coming from above to trim the fat before the end of the fiscal year. We’ve seen hiring freezes in some departments, but the workload hasn't actually decreased—if anything, they’re squeezing more out of the remaining heads. Is it just my group, or are others being told to justify their seat more aggressively this month? Really hoping this is just standard corporate end-of-year pressure and not the precursor to a broader RIF. The transparency from leadership has been pretty nonexistent lately.

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Comments (2)

0x1cd8…e6e5

·10d ago

It’s definitely not just your department. I’ve been hearing the same chatter across multiple regions lately. Management is clearly tightening the screws to make the numbers look better for the upcoming reports, which usually means they put the heat on direct supervisors to squeeze more billable hours out of everyone. It’s frustrating when you’re stuck waiting on procurement delays but still expected to move those numbers. Honestly, it’s a classic end-of-year crunch, and it feels like the expectation is to work miracles just to keep the utilization metrics from flagging. Don't take it personally; it's a corporate push to clean up the balance sheets.

0x317a…a7a2

·10d ago

I’m honestly not seeing the same pressure yet, but my team is already running so lean that we’re essentially operating on fumes. If they tried to push our utilization targets higher, we’d probably just break. That said, the rumors about a wider mandate are getting harder to ignore. If you're being asked to justify your seat, just document everything—every delay caused by procurement, every instance where you're waiting on external factors—and make sure your PMs are aware of it. Keep your head down and focus on the deliverables that actually count toward the bottom line until things stabilize.