Company Overview

Bienvenue aux les Etats-Unis, Capgemini! The largest supplier of information services in Europe, Paris-based Capgemini established a solid beachhead in the U.S. when it acquired the management consulting division of Ernst & Young in May 2000. Through this merger, Capgemini significantly increased its North American business—at exactly the wrong moment. Just weeks later, the Internet bubble burst, souring an acquisition that seemed an ideal melding of complementary strengths in information systems integration. Revenue declined in 2002 and 2003, prompting the May 2005 announcement of a reorganization that involved closing nearly half of Capgemini’s 40 North American offices, decimating the ranks of VPs and senior managers, and sparking a repositioning to focus on offshore services. But after a continued rough spell in 2004, the firm nearly cracked €7 billion ($8.74 billion) in revenue in 2005, and its earnings were back in the black. The firm bolstered its U.S. presence in 2007, purchasing American-based Software Architects and integrating it into its Sogeti USA unit.

Recent clients include Ericsson, Ford, ING Group, and Philip Morris Japan. The firm added nearly 15,000 new employees worldwide in 2005–06, and brought in new blood in 2006–07 as well.

Still, 2005–06 was hardly rosy for Capgemini’s North American region. More than 2,500 consultants, most of them young, left the firm—a whopping attrition rate of 28 percent. In 2006, the firm brought in 2,125 recruits to boost its North American workforce to 6,441. Overall, it added nearly 19,000 new faces worldwide that year, including 4,282 at Sogeti and 3,897 more in India. “I think the people who stayed are glad they did,” an insider says. “I know a lot of people who have even come back. We’ve made a huge recovery in the market.”
 
INSIDER SCOOP

Fast Learners
Insiders say there are many training options to increase employees’ competency and give them a taste of industries and service lines. “I’ve gotten a lot of knowledge squeezed into a very short time frame,” says one insider. 

These professional development opportunities not only help consultants polish their skills while at Capgemini, but also make them highly marketable should they choose to leave. Capgemini, however, is hoping they’ll stay. In 2005, 60,870 people took courses totaling 1.8 million hours—equivalent to 4.1 days of training per employee. In 2006, 6,600 employees attended “Capgemini University” in Paris. The firm sponsored additional university programs in North America and India.
 
Life’s a Beach
Many Capgemini staffers find they have to make a constant effort to get on good projects and avoid getting placed on those in which they have no interest or that won’t further their careers. “The apparent lack of structure is difficult,” one insider says. “It’s a big firm, and if you’re not proactive in finding work and networking, it’s easy to become lost.” In 2005, almost all the 2,542 North American consultants who departed had been with the company less than four years.
 
These days, lulls between assignments are infrequent and don’t jeopardize job security the way they did in tougher times. “In 2003 or 2004, it might have been true that if you were on the beach for a while you had a better chance of being laid off, but we’re not doing layoffs now,” an insider says. On the social side, insiders seem pleased with the office atmosphere, and not just in North America.

Compared with colleagues at competing firms, “we have more fun in the office and are more supportive of one another,” says an insider at the Paris office. Of the firm’s employees, 54 percent are under age 36.
 
Getting Hired
Capgemini wants to know that you can thrive in consulting’s competitive atmosphere and take the lead in projects. It will use behavioral interviews to see how you’ve handled past problems and gauge your ability to learn on the fly. Adaptability is one of Capgemini’s most desired attributes.
 
Recruiters may also use case questions for MBAs going into the strategy and transformation service line. Interviews occur in two to three rounds, with two to four interviews per round. The emphasis is on experience, even for undergraduates, so be sure to stress your internships or leadership roles in campus organizations.

When Capgemini acquired E&Y, its campus presence dwindled, but the firm has continued to recruit heavily from universities. In past years, the firm has scooped up 100 to 200 recruits annually, with around one-quarter possessing MBAs.

The India office is handling much of Capgemini’s high-tech work. Recruiters eagerly seek candidates with functional and business-analyst backgrounds—and especially those with industry experience. New hires should be prepared to work more than 40 hours a week and travel 100 percent of the time.

Although Capgemini won’t disclose salaries, the firm says it offers competitive compensation and semiannual reviews—giving hires twice as many opportunities for promotions.

Opportunities for Undergraduates
Capgemini typically has an appetite for students with technical or industry specialties. Once you join the company, promotions typically occur every two to three years, leading you up the ranks from staff consultant or business analyst through senior consultant, manager, senior manager, and eventually to the coveted VP status. In truth, few undergrads stay around long enough to see that happen; after a couple of years, most undergraduates go to business school or careers in industry. The firm offers tuition reimbursement on a case-by-case basis.
 
Opportunities for MBAs
Recruiters favor candidates with undergraduate degrees in accounting, engineering, finance, or information systems and at least three years of work experience. Industry expertise in fields such as accounting, banking, consulting, health care, information systems, insurance, manufacturing, and retail—particularly in operational roles—is a big plus.
 
Opportunities for Midcareer Candidates
Recruiting for midcareer candidates takes place all year and varies according to local and regional needs. Typically, successful midcareer applicants have five to ten years of industry or consulting experience under their belts. After you submit your resume online at the company website, it will be routed to the appropriate recruiter.