Dear Future Consultant, No offers have been able to replace Circles - a company where you want to spend more time with each other

Money is a motivator – but so is community

First, the salary model was just completely unbeatable. It was also very closely linked to a salary model of a freelance worker, therefore I was already very accustomed to the way of operating for compensation.

Secondly, the way the company is run is completely unique, something that I have never seen in a company before, let alone a consultancy agency. The transparency of daily operations and business decisions creates trust and community, due to the opportunity of all employees having a say or vote in the decision making process, rather than managers or founders having the final say.

Thirdly (and finally), the interview process that I went through when applying for Circles was a complete delight, and again, something that was truly unique.

There is always an opportunity in Circles

Whether you are looking to influence business decisions internally, develop your knowledge, or help companies solve their problems through tech development, there is never a dull moment in life at Circles.

I know a fair few people who shy away from consultancy work, as a steady job within an organisation creates an easier, comforting life. However, this can also leave you with a stagnant feeling, a purpose void or even keeping you in your comfort zone, reducing your opportunity to grow and develop.

Circles key recruitment scope focuses on finding the best senior talent. Yet, working with senior consultants isn’t the attraction here for me. What keeps me on my toes at Circles is being able to work alongside smart people, or even smarter people. This allows me to not only test my knowledge when others seek my help and advice, but to also learn from other professionals. Learning happens daily, and not necessarily through long meetings or presentations, but coffee machine chit-chat and team bonding sessions.

When it comes to project work, you are almost guaranteed to be working at least 11 months of the year on client work, with the possibility of up to one month “sitting on the bench”, as we like to say. This can be due to many reasons, but primarily due to waiting for a new, interesting and relative project to arise. However, when you are on the bench, Circles offer the opportunity for greater involvement in internal development projects, and in particular, funding self development projects, such as educational courses for you to undertake. The emphasis across the company is continuous improvement – whether that is client work or personal.

Why am I still at Circles?

The holistic, problem solving approach to implementing a solution for the client is something I thoroughly enjoy. Different projects seek diverse perspectives for sometimes unique problems.

Yet, at times, the problem that lies with the client can be very vague therefore a very important skill to have as a consultant is the ability to use initiative. A consultant must work out how to solve the problem through deliverables, and work quickly to deliver a first iteration to demonstrate steps towards the overall solution. This is something that keeps my day to day incredibly interesting.

So I’ll finish with this concrete conclusion – apart from other offers unable to compete with Circles, I really enjoy the culture of the company and being with my fellow colleagues. In fact, I’d love the opportunity to spend more time working in the Circles office, and less in the clients.

Circles truly is a company where you want to spend more time together, as a company.

Written by Niklas Uotila

Senior Consultant