Challenge
A leading global professional services firm recognized that its new hires, while highly
skilled and recruited from top college programs, lacked a deep understanding of how a professional services firm operates. Many of these new hires struggled to grasp the complexities of profitability, resource management, client service models, and cross-functional collaboration. Leadership sought a solution to accelerate business acumen development, ensuring that new employees could quickly contribute to the firm’s success.
Solution
The company partnered with Advantexe to implement the Green Lion simulation as part of a 1.5-day interactive learning experience designed to immerse new hires in the business dynamics of a professional services firm. The program featured:
- A hands-on, simulation-driven experience where participants managed a virtual professional services firm, making key decisions on staffing, client engagement, pricing, and profitability.
- Real-world scenarios reflecting challenges like billable hours, utilization rates, and client satisfaction, helping participants understand the delicate balance between revenue, cost, and service quality.
- Facilitated group discussions and debriefs to connect simulation insights to their roles within the firm.
- A capstone session where participants applied what they had learned to solve a business challenge specific to the company’s operations.
About the Simulation
In the Green Lion simulation, teams of four to five learners acted as the executive leadership of a professional services firm facing stagnating market share, declining employee satisfaction, and a confused customer base. Learners set a strategy, oversaw operations, and drove growth by making key business decisions. Over multiple simulated years, they were responsible for boosting revenue, managing cash flow, and improving profitability.
Results
By equipping new hires with critical business acumen skills, employees quickly adapted to the professional services environment, driving smarter decision-making and long-term success. The program had an immediate impact on participant understanding and engagement:
- 92% of participants reported an improved understanding of how professional services firms generate revenue and manage profitability
- A 68% increase in financial literacy scores, as measured by pre- and post-program assessments
- Stronger cross-functional collaboration, with new hires demonstrating a better grasp of how different teams contribute to overall firm success
- Leadership recognized the program’s value, leading to its expansion as a core component of the company’s onboarding process
Participant Quote:
"This experience completely changed how I think about my role. I now understand why resource allocation is such a big deal and how small decisions can impact the firm’s bottom line. It was a real eye-opener."
