 |
||
|
|
||
| |||||||||||
Child of mergers Renaissance Worldwide is the product of the combination of nearly two dozen companies. Formally known as The Registry, Inc., the company was founded in 1986. The formation was planned to produce a professional IT services organization. Today, through both organic and acquisition growth, the firm - renamed Renaissance Worldwide in 1998 - employs more than 4,500 professionals in 70 locations around the globe. Renaissance Worldwide considers itself "a new kind of consulting company," as it attempts to help companies achieve higher performance and creativity when it comes to the intersection of business and technology. After its IPO in June 1996, the parent company, The Registry, Inc., acquired a blend of consulting firms and boutiques over the course of two years to broaden its services and expertise. Through the purchase of firms such as The Hunter Group, an international enterprise resource planning consulting firm, and Renaissance Solutions, a strategy consulting firm, the company incorporated new competencies into its practice. Meanwhile, the acquisitions of various IT staffing firms increased strength in geographic markets. The company is now split into four major business groups. Of Renaissance's 1998 revenue of $776.3 million, the Business Strategy Group (management consulting) contributed 8 percent; the Enterprise Solutions Group accounted for 21 percent; the Government Solutions Group for 3 percent; and the IT Consulting Services Group for 68 percent. Score! Renaissance has won accolades in numerous publications, including Fortune and the Harvard Business Review for its Balanced Scorecard concept, a creation of Renaissance Solutions co-founder David P. Norton. The fundamental premise of the Scorecard is that "measurement motivates behavior." While Fortune once estimated that "less than 10 percent of strategies effectively formulated are effectively executed," Renaissance claims that this doesn't need to be the case. The Balanced Scorecard, assures the firm, supplies a framework that ensures that Renaissance business strategies are successfully implemented. Fortune has reported that 40 percent of the Fortune 100 will implement a Balanced Scorecard by the year 2000. In June 1999, Renaissance introduced the HR Balanced Scorecard, designed to help optimize the impact of a company's HR function. New outlook In 1999, Renaissance Worldwide announced that it would concentrate more on e-business - following the lead of firms like Gemini Consulting. In line with its decision, Renaissance formed a partnership with e-commerce pro Sun-Netscape Alliance in 1999. That same year, the firm began to expand its European presence by integrating its European businesses. These businesses include, among others, The Hunter Group in London and the Netherlands and COBA Renaissance in London and Sweden. Early in 2000, Renaissance sold its management consulting pratcice, Business Strategy Group, in order to remain focused on the company's devotion to the Internet economy. Further, in mid-2000, reinforcing the decision to concentrate on eBusiness services, Renaissance introduced its National eTransformation Practice. The practice works with eConcept-to-eCompletion(TM) transformation of existing business systems, building on the company's already proven successful Concept-to-Completion(R) delivery model, which optimizes time of return on investment and minimizes risk through the project life cycle. The eBusiness world is rife with competition and while Renaissance may be secure in other areas, they are still struggling to establish themselves as a contendor on the electronic superhighway.
Renaissance provides employment information on the career section of its web site or www.rens.com/career/index.html. For its Business Strategy Group, the firm seeks associate candidates with GPAs of 3.6 or higher. Insiders say candidates should be poised under pressure and possess a familiarity with basic business concepts. Most successful applicants are also proficient with major software packages. The firm favors candidates with degrees in computer science, electrical engineering, or management information systems, but also considers those with a liberal arts background. Nearly two-thirds of Renaissance's business derives from IT consulting. Candidates of varying levels of business expertise and technical skills are recruited for both staff and contract positions across the U.S. The firm also hires MBAs for management-level positions. For its MBA/MS recruiting, Renaissance typically targets only the top programs. Candidates can submit resumes using the firm's online system, fax them to (781)290-3914, or mail them to Worldwide Recruiting; Renaissance Worldwide, Inc.; 52 Second Ave, MS4-1; Waltham, MA 02451.
An innovative environment Employees describe the corporate culture at Renaissance as "innovative," "creative," and "a place where risk-taking is rewarded." The dress code is "casual all summer, and on Fridays the rest of the year." The hours are "long, but typical for consulting," and the perks include travel - one associate reports spending 10 months on a project in Amsterdam and four on a U.K. engagement. The people are "friendly, fun, and helpful, especially compared to other consulting firms." With regard to the treatment of minorities, Renaissance is "very aggressive on promoting diversity," not as "an end in itself but because it brings strength to the organization." The art of Renaissance Insiders say the work at Renaissance is "definitely more art than science." And while that art transpires during "long" and "demanding" hours, one consultant claims to have "only worked seriously on three weekends in the four years I've been here." Employees, even those in the graphics department and other support staffs, "always feel like part of a team." One respondent reports that the "traits" for which he was hired are "given full reign."
Worldwide Recruiting Renaissance Worldwide, Inc.1 52 Second Ave, MS4-1 Waltham MA 02451 (781)290-3914
Arthur Andersen;Booz-Allen Hamilton ;Cambridge Technology Partners;Gemini Consulting;Computer Sciences Corporation More Company Profiles For more career information, go to Vault.com ©2000, Vault.com Inc
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
