Are you experienced in many facets of the Human Resources field? Then perhaps you’re considering becoming an independent consultant or joining a consultancy. This article will shed light on what’s involved in being a Human Resources (HR) Consultant.
Human Resources is Large and Varied
Generally, the field of HR Consulting encompasses:
- Talent Management and Acquisition: Defining, planning and recruiting to fill a talent pool that matches the organizational needs of an organization for the present and future. This involves the development of job descriptions, determining the availability of competency and skills in the market and identifying the various processes available for acquiring the required skills, be it mass media, recruitment agencies, referral network or internal development.
- Learning, Development and Succession Planning: Developing a program where skills and competencies are matched to continuous training, development and facilitation. This is part of a positive career transition plan for employees so they will be continually challenged and motivated. It also supports the employee retention program as well as a planned career transition sideways, upwards or outwards.
- Compensation and Benefits: Creating an effective compensation and benefits program to reinforce and reward employees with organizational performance and market benchmarking. This is a way to support talent management and learning and development.
HR Consultants have expertise in understanding the process involved in the development, support and implementation of talent management, learning and development, and compensation and benefits at a micro level. And yet they also have a macro view of the industry within which the client organization exists. In short, HR Consultants provide guidance and assistance to organizations in all Human Resource matters. In many organizations, HR Managers within an organization are internal consultants.
Required Training and Experience
It is my experience that many consultants get into the field of HR consulting through a natural progression of being a successful Human Resources practitioner. They are effective when consulted by friends, vendors, and customers. Then through referrals they are given offers to support development and trouble-shoot HR issues as well as to define processes and methods suitable to support HR practices. The best training is experience. No matter how much material we present to a prospect, potential client’s wants to hear about experiences, case references and actual scenarios to match. The other option for becoming an HR Consultant is through apprenticeship with major consulting firms. These new graduates learn the ropes from other consultants. Nothing beats hands-on practical experience.
Who Hires HR Consultants?
HR Consultants generally seem to be entrepreneurial and even when they are part of larger organizations they are sole proprietors by heart. There is much affiliation and networking among consultants in order to share experience and even work on projects and assignments together, due to expertise and strength. The natural character and personality of HR Consultants, however, are individual professionals with functional expertise and client management roles. Business development is never far from their mind.
All types of companies and organizations hire HR Consultants, even small retail and manufacturing firms, so long as there are employees involved. The issue here is whether a large prestigious consulting group or the independent consultant is consulted. This may be dependent on the client’s budget and the consultant’s fee rate. Don’t forget, the enterprising business owner will always try to get some advice and consultation for free, so save some of your expertise for when you are hired.
An Essential Role
HR Consultants play an essential role in organizations they serve because they have an unbiased third-party view of the organization and its management. Business owners naturally have high expectations of employees and employees have high expectations in terms of fairplay and just remuneration. The HR Consultant, with his or her third-party view, is able to interact with both groups. Having a wide range of experiences and exposure to many organizations, the consultant can often provide alternatives and options suitable to both parties. For example, I have personally provided services to a number of small owner-operated manufacturing companies, and employer/employee issues were the main obstacles to achieving progress. I was able to provide an avenue for both parties to start talking and working towards something positive, since I held the trust of both the employer and employees.
A Word of Advice
In my experience, many consultants profess they are not into sales. Yet the reality is that consultants must sell. So if you go into this field, be ready to sell your skills and services and to convince clients to follow your advice. There are no two ways about it.
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