The idea of a ready bench is like those mythical creatures: it sounds great, but it’s hard to believe when you take a closer look. Some consulting companies sell clients on the notion of a deep bench of high-end technical talent, just chilling on standby like athletes waiting to sub in. But picture this: the top cloud architect, or data scientist with 10+ years of experience, just waiting around, collecting dust? Hardly. These pros are either snapped up by companies hungry for their expertise, or they’re going directly where the action (and pay) is.

A Continuous Talent Pool vs. The ‘Bench’

At firms like Ursus, we’re not pretending to have talent just waiting around. Instead, we’re constantly curating a talent pool: tracking who’s coming off projects, who’s ready to work, and what rates are competitive based on skills and location. That way, when clients need talent, we already have a real-time understanding of availability and rates, without playing a game of “musical consultants.”

Think of it this way: if staffing firms are chefs preparing fresh ingredients daily, the “bench” mentality is like the fast-food approach. Fast and cheap may seem appealing, but it rarely serves up the quality or customization clients need.

Markups? Oh Yes, They Markup

Here’s the best part—when high-end consulting firms finally admit they don’t actually have the talent they pitched, they call specialized firms like Ursus. And here’s the kicker: they don’t stop at a friendly introduction. They bring our talent to the client, then mark up the cost, sometimes significantly. The “bench” turns out to be a mirage, while the real deal is sitting under the logos of specialized staffing firms.

The next time a consulting company waves around its “bench” of talent, remember: great talent rarely waits around.