An utter bodyshopping and low end IT services firm under the guise of Consulting - Associate Director NTT DATA Employee Review

There are quite a few negatives about working for NTT DATA UK as detailed below: 1) Cronyism: The defining characteristic of NTT DATA UK is its rampant cronyism and favoritism. You can choose to become a part of the "inner circle" or clique of influential people that are empowered by the very top management of the organisation. Once you become a crony and be a part of the inner circle, then you can expect promotions every year despite the level of your (in)competence. Needless to say, when incompetence is promoted, competence moves away. Many of the old timers at this place appear to live in a make-believe bubble where they think they are part of a great team that is changing the business world or doing some brilliant, path-breaking work. The reality of it is something else(as described below). Anyone considering NTT DATA UK must evaluate this aspect as the favoritism at this place can have serious repercussions on your career path. 2) Bodyshopping, not Consulting: NTT DATA UK tries to sell itself as a Consulting firm, however, almost all the projects here are IT Services or pure bodyshopping. This is evident by the fact that most of the lower grade "consultants" would be in IT project management. It was indeed strange to read that the CEO of this firm once spoke in an interview that he had never worked in IT, when the entire business is pure IT Services and body shopping. NTT DATA UK tries hard to leverage the NTT brand and its Japanese roots, along with the achievement of its sister companies, only to fall short in landing any worthwhile consulting projects. Anyone who wants to join this firm must be able to filter out the noise of consulting that will be sold to you, and be prepared to work on IT projects. 3) Lack of competence in management: Owing to the fact that they tend to live in bubble and have only ever worked in IT projects, the middle and upper management possess a level of competence that does not match with the top tier consulting firms of the world. It was a shame to see some really talented youngsters being wasted away on body shopping projects. There is a serious lack of thought leadership because most of the published thought pieces are derivatives of the work from other consulting firms or sister concerns. There is a lack of opportunity to learn from senior management since they can only teach from the limited pool of knowledge or skill that they possess. Anyone considering to join NTT DATA UK must remember that you learn better when you are not the smartest person in the room. 4) Sheer Toxicity: Although there are many social events to attend, there is a dearth of genuine and healthy camaraderie at NTT DATA UK. There is a persistent feeling of being under scrutiny all the time if you do not belong to the inner circle. The firm endeavors to present an exciting brand to the outer world by encouraging and coaxing employees to write glowing reviews on social media, especially Glassdoor and LinkedIn. As someone has written in an earlier review, I would strongly advise to read the positive reviews with a massive pinch of salt.