When to call in the reinforcements: 5 ways Consultants can add value.

A consultant is a person who provides professional or expert advice - but when budgets are tight, when and for what reasons should you call in the reinforcements? 

In the ongoing current economic many organisations are needing to rationalise their spending – effectively having to distinguish between what they consider their ‘essential’ and ‘luxury’ items.  With that in mind, if you are considering engaging a consultant’s services it’s worth thinking about how they will add value.  What can they bring to the party above and beyond the resources already available in-house?

As a provider of consultancy services in the areas of selection and assessment, development and culture change I find that there are often a couple of key reasons that clients call on my services. These are:

1. Expertise.

As consultants in the area of business psychology Criterion Partnership has developed and honed a set of what can be, quite specialist skills that can be hard to find within an organisation’s internal resource.  Therefore, by using a consultant a business can effectively ‘buy in’ that particular technical expertise for only as long as it needs – whether that be a specific project or as long as it takes to transfer that knowledge internally. 

Within our field this can typically encompass the design of psychometrics, online assessment tools, leadership development programmes, to mention just a few.  However, the same principle of needing to bring in specialist skills applies across the board, whether it be IT, HR, Marketing, or Sales, etc.

2. Experience.

A step beyond having the specialist knowledge and expertise is a track record of successfully applying it to enable organisations to achieve their business objectives.  The primary reason here for bringing in the reinforcements is access to the knowledge and insight that the consultant has developed over the years working with similar clients and industries. 

A good consultant can draw parallels between what you are trying to achieve and share the lessons learnt and best practice from those companies who’ve already taken that journey.

3. Impartiality and a fresh perspective.

As a ‘fresh pair of eyes’ the new and unburdened perspective that a consultant brings to a project or initiative can be a huge asset.  This is particularly the case if a project has had a troubled journey up to that point or is in some ways politically sensitive. Restructures and change management are two top candidates in this area!

Furthermore, I often find that as an impartial and independent voice I can say and do things that it would be difficult for an internal person to do – particularly when it comes to influencing more senior stakeholders.  Being a consultant can often automatically lend you a certain level of credibility and gravitas that harnessed in the right way it can be useful catalyst for moving things forward.  We can ask the difficult questions, name the ‘elephant in the room’ and hold up the proverbial mirror to an organisation – ultimately enabling it to move forward and achieve its objectives.

4. Momentum.

As consultants we are brought in to meet a specific need, with a clear objective (hopefully!) and an agreed deadline.  Straight away this provides the organisation with a highly focused resource that has the luxury of not being distracted by the day-to-day running of the company.  For that reason by using consultants a business can achieve in a few months what they might have been trying to achieve for years through only using its in-house resource. 

Furthermore, as the organisation is more easily able to attach a specific financial figure on the use of a consultant it also tends to ‘focus the minds’ of those supporting the work to ensure that the business achieves maximum value for money.  This additional level of accountability for the need for return on investment can also provide the drive needed to really take a project or initiative forward.

5. Extra resource.

Finally, sometimes an organisation just needs more ‘hands on deck’ to enable a piece of work to get done.  There may be some in-house resource but the amount of stuff already heading their way means that, unless you call in the reinforcements, the work isn’t going to get done.

In this instance, the ability to use consultants to complete distinct pieces of work – which often have very tight deadlines – enable the business to resource a short-term need quickly and easily.  Particularly when recruitment for a permanent employee(s) can be time consuming, costly and potentially unnecessary.

In conclusion when considering calling in the reinforcements my recommendation would be to take a moment to consider which one or more of the points above relate to your specific needs.  Ultimately you want to feel that you are getting value for money and being clear with yourself and any potential consultant you engage will better enable you to do so.

Find out more

If you would like to know more about the services Psychology Works offer, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

In the meantime, if you’ve enjoyed Maria’s ramblings why not check out some of our other blogs and thought pieces.  For real time updates and insights you can also find us on LinkedIn, our social media platform of choice: @PsychologyWorks and @mariagardner