I'd be really interested to start a list here of consulting firms that are genuinely recruiting in the UK. Input from both consultants within firms that are hiring and also candidates who've been interviewing for genuine roles would be much appreciated. Just about to start looking so would value your insights into which firms are genuinely recruiting. Who'll go first?

If you mean recruiting at Graduate level then all firms seem to be (MBBB, Wyman etc, big 4 and some boutique). Having said that, you've missed the boat this year as almost all will have filled their places.

Thanks for the input. Personally I'm interested in who is recruiting experienced hires. It's encouraging to hear these firms are back to milkround recruiting again, is this also the case with experienced hire recruiting?

EY are hiring partners and directors in F&PM and FS mainly to cover the IBM tw1ts who were quite rightly shoved out of the business over the past couple of years. We have lost most of our private sector clients since they arrived, so there will be a big emphasis on rebuilding our credibility in the marketplace. Ben has done a good job so far, but there is a lot left to do - including getting rid of the last of those poisonous leeches

Accenture are hiring in FS (at least I'm assuming they are since the bench is empty and the bounty scheme is being plugged).

word to the wise - while Accenture is definitely hiring, do beware that experienced hire turnover is extremely high in Consulting and most leave within 18 months. The firm has real difficulty integrating people at C3 and above for some reason.

Qedis is hiring!

Anyone from KPMG or PwC have any insights about recruitment there? Have seen public statements re. their amitions to grow consulting revenues considerably - is this translating into lots of new hires?

I'm at PwC and we are hiring fairly aggresively at the moment - looking for experienced Consultants across all capabilities.

So is it mostly the large brand names recruiting, or are the smaller firms just not as well-represented here? Anyone working for niche firms who are recruiting care to add to this thread?

Just been looking at my linkedin page, and it looks like PA are consulting big time. [Stands back to await the Punch & Judy show at the mention of the P-word]

Capgemini Consulting are hiring in quite a few areas

Recommend you look at the UK careers sites of the consulting firms rather than go through agencies. Either that or apply directly via their employer ads on jobboards such as Top Cons. If a consulting firm advertises a role on its own careers site it is more than likely a genuine role and they will be keen to hear from you directly to save agency fees.

NW - there's certainly some truth in that and thanks for plugging Top-Consultant! I would also say though that many of our clients are now operating with recruitment teams that have been greatly scaled back, so many roles are being entrusted to recruitment agencies to fill. So whilst direct applications should certainly be part of your strategy, I also wouldn't jump to the false conclusion that everything that's out there is being advertised directly...Tony RestellTop-Consultant.com

Which firms have you had / not had good experiences with, in terms of applying direct via their corporate websites and then getting an acceptable response, ie. an acknowledgement and communication about decision / interview timeframes, rather than just the application disappearing into a black hole?

I know our EY Customer practice (Customer Strategy, Sales and Marketing, Customer Service Improvement) are hiring quite heavily at the moment..

Could I turn this one on its head and ask whose firms are definitely not hiring at the present time? Anyone still seeing a clampdown on all hiring activity at their firm?

As an outsider looking in, it certainly seems like more and more of the big brands are back advertising roles again. Do you think we've now turned the corner?

PRTM is hiring into their UK Aerospace, Defence and Industrial, and Telecoms practices, most grades.