Choosing a human resources consultant

Introduction

There are a number of reasons for using consultants. These include the provision of interim or other temporary services, specialist expertise such as employment law, and general support such as coaching. They also include more substantial involvement with change, either just at the diagnostic stage or throughout the change process. There are different modes of consulting, of which the process mode is preferable whenever problems are at all complex.

This unit looks both at sub-contracting particular HR services which could otherwise be provided internally, and at change consultancy, where the consultant brings an external perspective which could not be obtained in any other way. HR consultants are often called in initially for their specific expertise but many find that, even in this case, diagnosis is important, and there are often follow-on opportunities for broader organisational development. A masters degree should provide a good basis for expanding into this type of consultancy, and the ability to do so is likely to make a consultancy more financially viable.

I have chosen to start by looking at a key distinctive aspect of HR consultancy – that it is a service. Marketing a service is different from marketing something more tangible. To do it effectively you need to understand the distinctive characteristics of service provision and the impact that these have on how buyers approach a purchase.

This material is from our archive and is an adapted extract from The human resource professional (B855) which is no longer taught by The Open University. If you want to study formally with us, you may wish to explore other courses we offer in this subject area [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .