October 28, 2024
Making the transition from employee to consultant can be both an exciting and scary journey. While consulting offers flexibility and freedom, it’s not for everyone. Success requires new skills, such as marketing yourself, networking, and managing uncertainty. In this article, we explore the steps, challenges, and rewards for those who are thinking of making the leap into consulting, along with some tips for success.
Why Make the Switch?
Many HR professionals eventually seek more autonomy, influence, and fulfillment than they can find within corporate roles. Consulting offers a chance to break free from the limitations of internal hierarchies and operate on your own terms. As a consultant, you have the freedom to choose the clients and projects that align with your interests and values, allowing you to focus on the work that energizes you and drives your passion forward. This sense of ownership over your career brings a level of control that can be hard to achieve as an employee.
A major appeal of consulting is the ability to set your own schedule. The flexibility to determine when and how you work can foster a healthier work-life balance. This flexibility not only makes it easier to avoid burnout but also gives you the opportunity to design a lifestyle that works for you, whether that means spending more time with family, pursuing hobbies, or simply having the space to recharge.
Perhaps the most fulfilling aspect of consulting is the ability to drive meaningful change. As a consultant, you are brought in to address real challenges, providing solutions directly to decision-makers. You are no longer just a voice in the background—you become a trusted advisor, guiding organizations through pivotal transformations. The impact of your work is visible and valued in ways that aren’t always possible within traditional HR roles.
Personally, I found that as an HR employee, I didn’t always have access to decision-makers or the opportunity to influence strategy in a meaningful way. Too often, I found myself shielding poor leadership and managing risks rather than implementing proactive change. This misalignment between what I hoped to achieve and what the role allowed me to do left me frustrated. However, in my consulting career, that dynamic has completely shifted.
Now, organizations engage me when they are ready to listen and, more importantly, act on my recommendations. This alignment between my expertise and clients' readiness to change has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my journey. It’s incredibly fulfilling to know that my work not only brings value but also helps organizations grow and thrive.
Selling Your Skills vs. Doing the Work
One of the biggest challenges in consulting is learning to sell your services. In traditional roles, your value is demonstrated through daily tasks. As a consultant, you need to convince clients of your value before they hire you.
Making the shift from doing the work to selling the work can be overwhelming. Here are a few strategies to help:
Create a persuasive elevator pitch: Clearly outline how your expertise solves specific business problems tie it to your "why" and personal values.
Build trust early: Establish credibility from the first conversation. Be your genuine self and remember that a good first impression is critical.
Share thought leadership: through posts, webinars, or articles to help showcase your expertise.
Find Your Niche, Develop Your Brand and Define Your Value
This is so important! What makes you different from other consultants in your field? Who is your target client, and what problems do they face? How can you solve those problems better than others? Consulting success often hinges on identifying a niche and creating clear, consistent branding around your expertise. Specializing not only helps you stand out in a competitive market but also attracts the right clients, those who need exactly what you offer and are willing to pay for it.
Finding your niche requires reflecting on your skills, interests, and market trends. It’s about identifying where your expertise aligns with business challenges. Rather than trying to be a generalist, focusing on a specific area positions you as an expert and builds credibility. Some niche areas to consider include:
Employee Experience and Retention Strategies: Supporting organizations in reducing turnover and improving employee engagement through targeted initiatives.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Consulting: Helping businesses create more inclusive workplaces and foster belonging among employees.
HR Compliance and Policy Development: Assisting organizations in navigating complex labor laws and ensuring compliance with evolving regulations.
Once you’ve identified your niche, it’s time to define your value proposition. Your value proposition communicates how you solve specific client problems and why they should choose you over other consultants. It’s not just about what you do, it’s about how your approach or perspective delivers unique value.
For example: "I help organizations reduce employee turnover by developing customized retention strategies aligned with their unique culture."
This kind of clear, concise messaging helps potential clients understand exactly what you offer and how you can help them achieve their goals. Having a strong value proposition also ensures that your branding stays consistent across conversations, marketing materials, and networking efforts.
Specialization gives you focus you’re not trying to solve every problem for every organization. Instead, you’re becoming the go-to expert in a particular area, which makes it easier for clients to find you, trust you, and hire you. A well-defined niche also ensures that you spend your time on the projects and with the clients that align with your strengths and values, creating a more fulfilling consulting experience.
In the long run, being clear about who you serve and how you deliver results will help you attract the clients who are the best fit for your business, ensuring both your success and theirs.
Networking and Building a Client Pipeline
Building a pipeline of clients takes effort, especially when starting out. Networking is essential for building relationships and creating opportunities, but it requires more than just attending events, it involves actively engaging with people and forming connections. This means offering discovery calls to introduce your services, building trust through meaningful conversations, and partnering with other consultants or service providers to generate referrals. A key part of successful networking is learning to approach people confidently and initiate conversations, even with those you’ve never met before. For many, especially introverts, this can feel uncomfortable and challenging. However, becoming comfortable talking to strangers and developing conversational skills is critical to growing your consulting business. Building genuine relationships allows your network to assess if your skills, approach, and personality align with their needs or those of potential clients. Consistent networking keeps you visible and helps ensure a steady stream of new opportunities over time.
Shift Your Mindset: From Employee to Consultant
The consulting mindset is different from that of an employee. As a consultant, clients hire you to deliver solutions, not execute tasks. Here are a few mindset shifts you’ll need to make:
Think like a business owner: Manage marketing, service delivery, and finances.
Proactive Problem Solving: Leverage a high level of strategic thinking to foresee and solve potential problems and risks.
Embrace uncertainty: Consulting work can fluctuate, so financial planning is critical.
Increased Discipline: Juggling multiple clients requires clear expectations and time management.
This shift can feel exciting and scary, but over time, you’ll need to grow more comfortable managing these dynamics.
Setting Your Rates and Managing Finances
Pricing your services can be tricky. Industry rates for HR consultants typically range from $100 -$200 per hour, depending on experience and niche. Consider offering hourly or project-based rates are ideal for short-term engagements or specific deliverables, while retainer packages work best for clients seeking long-term support and ongoing advisory services. Managing your finances carefully is crucial. Set aside a portion of your income for taxes and build a financial buffer to cover slower periods. Be prepared for the reality that it may take months, or even longer to secure your first clients. Consulting success often requires patience, persistence, and strategic planning to navigate these uncertain times effectively.
Overcome Challenges and Keep Growing
The journey into consulting comes with its challenges. Rejection is inevitable, not every pitch will succeed, but each “no” is a valuable learning opportunity. Balancing marketing and delivery can also be tricky, as you need to continuously promote your services while meeting project deadlines. Additionally, managing time and expectations requires discipline, as there’s no manager to guide you; developing systems to stay productive and organized is essential. However, with persistence and careful planning, you’ll overcome these hurdles and steadily grow your consulting practice.
Join us in an exclusive Lunch n Learn November 27 @ 12:00 PM MST
I am excited to announce a Lunch and Learn Session on Taking the Plunge from Employee to HR Consultant, hosted by the Transform Alberta Chapter. Transform is an ecosystem that connects people-driven leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors to influence strategy, ignite innovation, and shape the future of work.
Join us on November 27th at 12:00 PM MST to hear from our expert panelists: Yasmeen Boahene of Transition HR Consulting, Ashlee Campbell of ACE HR Consulting, and Archana Pande Malhotra, CPHR, SHRM of Fluid HR. These consultants, who have successfully transitioned from employees to independent professionals, will share their experiences, challenges, and insights to help you confidently navigate your own consulting journey. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions to the panel as well so dont miss it!
Want to learn more about the community? Join the conversation at Transform.
To attend, sign up for a free account to register and receive your link to this exclusive webinar. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain practical advice, connect with professionals who’ve made the leap, and discover how to shape your future in the ever-changing world of work!
Registration Link: https://plus.transform.us/c/events/hr-professional-to-consultant
About the Author
Yasmeen Boahene is the founder of Transition HR Consulting, specializing in Human Resources and Organizational Change Management. With over 10 years of experience, Yasmeen has led transformation initiatives across various industries, including government, non profit and healthcare. She focuses on helping organizations navigate complex changes, enhance their people strategies, and foster a culture of growth and innovation. Yasmeen is passionate about designing the future of work by empowering people and creating thriving workplaces.
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