Clarity Consulting Reviews

Current Employee – been working at Clarity Consulting for more than 10 years

Pros – Clarity hires only excellent people, and expects them to stay sharp and relevant throughout their careers. Employees are treated fairly, and the company is willing to be very flexible when employees' life circumstances change, allowing people to stay with the company for 5+, 10+, and 15+ years, which is nearly unheard-of in this industry. The culture allows for individuals to choose the work-life balance that suits their phase of life. Crazy hour work weeks are not the norm. The caliber of people makes working here enjoyable, as everyone is honest, reliable, dependable, and talented. Management chooses to disclose details of financial standing to all employees and is approachable and fairly transparent when big decisions are made. Working conditions are first class: paid overtime, main office in a Loop high-rise, frequently upgraded machines and multiple monitors, quality health insurance options and other benefits, self-managed training budget, interesting and mainly cutting-edge work, frequent social gatherings.

Cons – As in any consulting situation, work can range from ultra-new and challenging to older and not-so-challenging. Same type of thing can be said for commutes, though with both of these things, client assignments will rotate on at most a 12-month basis.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Clarity Consulting full-time for more than 7 years

Pros – Clarity knows what they do well and the formula continues to succeed: Hire only bright, driven, talented consultants with personalities you’d actually enjoy having lunch with. They bring small, agile teams to some of the largest companies around and excel by delivering quality and creativity for the client. The goal is never a one-and-done-and-gone solution; success for Clarity means being committed to their clients’ success. That partnership approach makes for more rewarding relationships and a sense of belonging vs. standard consulting approaches.

Project teams are led by a minimal management hierarchy; managers are technical and come from the same career path as engineers. Most managers actively code along with the team. Team members wanting to succeed earn and take on more and more responsibilities as they evolve. Clarity is definitely a place where your drive and creativity are rewarded. Tenure is respected but means very little here; the best have opportunities to rise fairly quickly. It’s all about being proactive: become very solid in the day-to-day skills, find what interests you, find a way to make it valuation within the company and find yourself moving in the right direction here.

You won’t be coddled. Feedback is readily available from many sources but you do need to show initiative and ask for it. Nobody wants to mentor someone that isn't interested. Having a plan for your own development is respected and people are more than willing to help you reach your goals.

Cons – This is a service-based software consulting company focused on small team delivery of complex business problems. Employees need to be willing to perform many functions, need to come equipped with soft skills as well as technical talent, and need to be willing to adjust to clients’ work cultures (within reason). People unable to adapt, remain flexible, work within a team and learn new things will be frustrated by the daily work life. If you’re dead set on working with a particular technology or industry vertical this isn't the place for you.

Chicago-area travel is likely at some point but mileage is reimbursed. More extensive travel is sometimes available but only assigned on a volunteer basis.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Clarity Consulting full-time for more than a year

Pros – * Clarity Consulting has an outstanding "make your own way" philosophy and focus. There is no reporting hierarchy, you don't have a "boss", and there is no waiting for your superior to get promoted so you can get promoted. Work hard and make a name for yourself, and you will be given more responsibility and more rewards. Those rewards are truly merit-based.
* Everyone is a "real" person. There are no corporate figureheads. As a software developer, you won't find yourself reporting to a non-technical person that doesn't "get" the problems you face. Your leaders change with every project, but they are always people that have been in the position you are in.
* Freedom to grow, and resources to support it. You choose what you want to learn, and you have a personal budget to determine how to do it.
* Peers are first-class. Interviews are done by peers, which means that new hires are people you want to work with. There are no "anchors" on the team, just smart people eager to work hard and improve just like you.

Cons – * Consulting has it's negatives, just like it does at any consulting firm. You might have to drive further than you would like during the course of a project, or you might work on a project that isn't very interesting for you personally. Sometimes project teams get into, "just get it done" mode, and the work suffers.
* "Make your own way" can be a challenge, and isn't for everyone. If you aren't willing to work hard (even in your free time), attend company functions, and make a name for yourself, you will have a hard time earning newer and more exciting roles.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Clarity Consulting full-time for less than a year

Pros – Clarity is a team of really talented thought leaders, developers and designers. Everyone is really passionate about what they do, from the consultants to the partners. There is a great office culture, monthly happy hours and other social and volunteer outtings. Clarity has been steadily growing year over year for the past 18 years - they have amazing clients and select the most cutting edge projects to work on.

Cons – Clarity asks that all their consultants be well-rounded and well-versed on the Microsoft stack. You need to be flexible and be able to wear multiple hats at times.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend – I'm optimistic about the outlook for this company

Current Employee – been working at Clarity Consulting

Pros – Very smart & competent people, cool projects, latest tech, stable, I have a life outside work, no micromanagement, good culture, learn a lot, good salary/benefits, company events, friendly down to earth people.

Cons – As a consultant you can be deployed in the burbs, not just in the fancy office downtown. Commute can be an hour long.

Advice to Senior Management – Keep running a great/quality shop, don't become a large company. People here love the small company feel, values, knowing everyone. Most of us dont want to work for a publicly traded company and be lost in the non-sense politics.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Clarity Consulting

Pros – Clarity Consulting is a very down-to-earth technology company. Management all have current technical expertise, and pay and advancement are very merit-based. The executives have an open-door attitude and are always willing to listen to feedback and ideas from employees and respond to them seriously.

It's a great place for people who love technology, have business skills, and are willing to take a lot of initiative and be responsible for their own career growth. Each employee gets a budget for training, tech books, equipment, etc. to use as they see fit. Because it's still a fairly small company, any employee has the potential to make a big difference in the company.

Work-life balance is taken very seriously and is less of a problem than at many other consulting firms, so it's a great place for people who like professional services work but have families and can't hop on a plane every week or spend 70 hours in the office.

Cons – If you're looking for lots of structured training and mentoring, or you need a lot of active management to get your work done well, Clarity Consulting is not the right place for you. To grow your career at the company, you really need to speak up about what you think you can do for the company and how you can be more valuable. Most managers and executives are fairly hands-off although they are very willing to help and give feedback if you ask for it. Because it's a small company, some of the structure and policy you would find at a larger company is absent. On the flip side, if you are comfortable with this it's a great opportunity to try things out for yourself.

Yes, I would recommend this company to a friend

Current Employee – been working at Clarity Consulting

Pros – Good starting salary but fairly stagnant after that

Cons – No growth
Top Management is lier

Advice to Senior Management – Be honest to your employees

No, I would not recommend this company to a friend

Former Employee – worked at Clarity Consulting

Pros – Good product and service with satisfied customers.

Cons – Primarily run by the owner not the management.

Advice to Senior Management – Allow management to do their jobs.