Avanade Reviews

Pros

good exposure to Microsoft technologies since Avanade is partly owned by Microsoft

Cons

not much sense of community since you're usually working out of area most of the time

Advice to Senior Management

Try to increase direct sales not tied to Accenture

Pros

Good benefits
If you have a good career manager, you will be happy
Some fun work events
Opportunities to learn more about Microsoft technologies

Cons

Mainly male upper mgmt
Hard to get promoted
Sometimes the life/work balance is tough
Not enough important senior level communication to the company wide
Laying off the best people to better upper mgmt bonuses
People were happier years back under the old executive team

Advice to Senior Management

Talk to the people that work there and do all the work before cutting jobs or making big changes

Pros

Exposure to great technology
Exposure to new customers and industries
Opportunities to advance and support for taking risks
Highly ethical leadership

Cons

Work life balance in a consulting organization is poor
Advancement beyond Director very poorly defined
Compensation slightly below market
Travel necessary to move to higher ranks

Advice to Senior Management

Compensation relative to local market trends needs to be addressed. Move back to managed delivery in areas plagued by Accenture staff aug.

Pros

The company is very transparent and works hard towards employee benefits. You get to work with some really well known clients and on some good projects.

Cons

The one downside I have faced is that not all Consultants are that good. If you get lumped in to a team which has a few incompetent consultants you will end up having to work harder to deliver the project.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop promoting employees based on how many years they have been in the company.

Pros

Great training resources
Good exposure to new technologies.
Benefits: Insurance & 401K matching

Cons

Career Management is muddled.
Benefits and expenses coverage have been steadly decreasing.

Advice to Senior Management

Make career management make sense.

Pros

exposure to large scale projects

Cons

Accenture has too much influence

Advice to Senior Management

Re-institue (and recognize thru pay) a technology track

Pros

Access to latest Microsoft Software Development Technology, Encouragement to try hands on new technology,Some of the brightest minds in the Microsoft universe, Good to spend not more that 2-3 years if you are a fresh graduate, Easy access to Certifications, Fellow workers share the same passion for technology ( Geek Grade, in a good way), Lots of complex projects to deal with, Annual Company meetings are fun.

Cons

Pay is usually about 20-30% below market standards, Company is young so it's plagued with favoritism at various levels in the hierarchy, Growth potential is limited, Its not a career oriented company so you should be careful as staying here for long may dramatically decrease your market value and damage future career options, Long working hours without due rewards, Poor business acumen.

Pros

Ok little perks like the $2k/year bonus/allowance for gadets per year. My biggest issue with this is that you can't use it the way you want. E.G. no Macs.

Cons

Stingy overall with compensation and no support for training. You can go here have no life, be 130% chargable and not get promoted. Just what I was looking for (NOT)! Let's be honest here Avanade is a step sister to its two parent companies (ACN and MSFT). Either of those organizations is your true destination once you arrive the sooner you realize that the better.

Advice to Senior Management

Begin compensating the employees or they'll leave. The idea that non-billing staff was as well if not better compensated than I was made Avanade a step on my career ladder and not a destination. IMO the only companies I will work for are ones where my individual efforts are viewed as part of the core mission of the company.

Pros

Our myopic focus on Microsoft means we aren't everything to everyone. We get the job done on time and within budget but the client must commit up front to a level of review greater than our competitors.

Cons

Not sure we have cons that are significantly different with our competitors.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep pushing for ongoing improvements!

Pros

Avanade maintains a highly competent workforce driven to achieve great results for our customers and career advancement for our people. One of the few places I’ve worked where you can comfortably reach out to anyone for support.

Cons

The competition overall in the SI industry is brutal and it takes a lot of effort to stay out front. Work- life balance is always a struggle.

Advice to Senior Management

Stay relevant technically, focus on deep understanding of customer's business, foster and support creative and even risky new approaches to solutions