A senior technology consultant has resigned from Deloitte after spending a decade with the firm, citing burnout, demanding work schedules and dissatisfaction with career progression and compensation. The Hyderabad-based professional, who was earning around Rs 35 lakh per annum, said he decided to move on after receiving a 5 per cent salary hike and missing out on a promotion.
The consultant, who joined Deloitte as a fresher, said he had originally planned to build a long-term career with the organisation. The firm’s partnership model, opportunities to work on large client engagements, continuous learning and mentorship from senior leaders motivated him to stay year after year.
However, he said the nature of consulting work gradually became overwhelming. According to him, employees were expected to manage client deliverables while also contributing to internal projects, hiring initiatives, proposal preparation and business development activities. As employees moved up the hierarchy, these non-billable responsibilities continued to increase.
He also claimed that projects were increasingly executed with smaller teams and tighter timelines, placing additional pressure on employees. The consultant said this often resulted in workweeks stretching beyond 70 hours, leaving little opportunity to disconnect from work or maintain a healthy work-life balance.
Another factor behind his decision was the perceived disconnect between performance and rewards. He argued that employees who consistently delivered exceptional results often received salary hikes only marginally higher than those given to average performers. According to him, the lack of meaningful recognition contributed significantly to employee burnout.
The former Deloitte employee also questioned the expectation that technical teams spend considerable time preparing high-value client proposals, suggesting that dedicated sales teams should shoulder a larger share of that responsibility.
While compensation influenced his decision, he said it was not the sole reason for leaving. He pointed to organisational restructuring, slower career progression and changing personal priorities as factors that ultimately prompted him to seek a new opportunity.
The consultant has since joined another Hyderabad-based company, where he says he enjoys better pay along with greater flexibility and improved work-life balance. Looking back, he described his departure as the result of evolving career aspirations rather than dissatisfaction with a single incident or manager.
