Detica Reviews in London, UK Area

Pros

- On the whole, Detica employs only really good people. There are a few who stand out as not brilliant but this is mainly because they are in the wrong role rather than bad people, and I've seen this sort itself out over time.
- Varied, interesting and challenging work.
- Lots of change, with opportunity to try new things. I understand the strategy and although not all of it applies to my field, I'm happy with it and think its pretty good.
- Detica is my 5th employer, and the best by a long way. Some people get upset by niggles, but the fundamentals seem pretty strong to me.
- Detica has always paid salary increases and bonuses (at some level) and I've never been able to say that before.
- I have been seriously impressed with the way Detica has supported several of my friends and colleagues through personal/family issues. When it really mattered, I've seen this Company do the right thing.

Cons

- Although the Company strategy is fairly straight forward, I see this doesn't always get translated into day to day operations.
- There is a lot of whinging from colleagues who havent worked elsewhere and don't realise how much better Detica is than most employers. Sometimes I wish there was a harder line taken on energy-suckers.
- Review process and performance feedback can be variable dependant on the line manager. No worse than any other professional services firm though.

Advice to Senior Management

Basically a good Company, slightly let down by a few of the basics which havent stood the test of time and growth - ensure that they get addressed before too long.

Pros

Great people, good projects, and a good spread of business across a range of sectors.
Although most people work hard, management are generally supportive of family commitments.

Cons

There are a lot of niggling frustrations (out-of-date IT, poor networks, lack of integration of acquired companies), as well poor training in some business areas, and lack of strategic focus in others.
Overall, it just doesn't have buzz, or sense of excitement it should.

Advice to Senior Management

Invest in infrastructure and environments, and bring some focus on making work easier and fun, as well as investing in training.

Pros

People, travel, pay, career oportunities, interesting work that often makes a difference

Cons

Workload Workload Workload Workload Workload

Advice to Senior Management

Don't take on work you can't sufficiently resource.

Pros

Clever people, smart technology
Paretn company BAES has a lot of weight in markets

Cons

As a lateral recruit, you can get frozen out of 'the Clique'. It is a crony network with lots of senior positions going to people on the basis of 'who you know'.

They hire and fire, often on promises of strategy that never materialises as strategy changes every five minutes depending on the weather.

Their track record on retaining talent lateral hires is very bad. Most laterals I know have left after getting bored and not being able to break into the 'Clique'.

Advice to Senior Management

Clarity in strategy and communication would help.

Leadership and openness to new ideas would be good.

Breaking up the clique to start understanding the outside world would be nice.

And please dont lie to people during itnereviews about your big plans - Laterals leave good careers and find that they got the short end of the stick.

Pros

People are generally good to work with, intelligent, and dilligent
Domains of projects
Decent work/life balance
Travel tends to be limited

Cons

Lack of direction from senior management
Promotion proscpects limited by who you know, and what stage you are in your career (& also not consistent across service lines)
Only product services lines are exhibiting growth
Consulting and large scale SI on the decline
Loss of many good employees in 2010/11 weakened the company

Advice to Senior Management

Replace the current strategy by one that is simple and straight forward to understand
Implement the strategy - with clear plans linked to goals and measurement
Replace some of the senior management team who are under-performing
Be straight forward that Detica is becoming a product company - the paucity of consulting and SI work is very obvious and visible

Pros

* Some very challenging and interesting projects
* Diversity across multiple sectors means stability
* High-caliber working environment - well respected company

Cons

* Long hours culture in some business units
* Benefits are poor for the work horses, whilst the sales and management staff reap the rewards
* Over-promising and under resourcing projects is a big problem for employee health and morale

Advice to Senior Management

* Encourage more knowledge sharing - it is great when requested but is all too easy to reinvent the wheel. Knowledge should be more publically shared within the company
* Some incompetent management in senior ranks

Pros

Very bright and many talented individuals; vast majority having a Masters and a significant proportion of Doctorates; only 2% of the applicants are recruited. Since the aquisition by BAE; Detica is becoming more aggressive in it's attempt to make an international footprint; providing international opportunities, set to increase in the forthcoming years.

Cons

Promotion and appraisal system extremely subjective; who you know, not what you know; so pucker up! Lip service for 'career aspirations and development'; like most companies you are placed on project to earn fees irrespective of whether it meets your career aspirations or requirements set by the promotion board. Reviews for consultants and snr consultants previously twice a year, now once a year; decreases opportunity for promotion - latest of cost cutting measures to be introduced.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't lose sight of the people bringing in the contracts and the fees; e-mails saying thank you for all your hard work is patronising and is not accepted by the bank as a form of payment.

Pros

excellent people - generally very capable with an open and supportive culture
early responsibility for those people who can justify it
entrepreneurial culture

Cons

unclear strategy on how the business will be grown in the medium term
very little strength in depth - the business struggles to deliver on its good ideas
losing the old entrepreneurial culture now owned by BAE, and with the influx of new senior management

Advice to Senior Management

be much clearer on where the business is going and how individuals can contribute to that and share in success

Pros

Smart group of people, with evolving vision of the marketplace that they want to dominate.

Cons

Diversified intake, more evolved style of management necessary for the next level of growth.

Advice to Senior Management

Improved focus on intake of new resources..

Pros

Elite employees, supportive teams, recognition in the market place as the best in certain services.

Cons

Salary not competitive as others

Advice to Senior Management

Needs more inspirational leadership