Many people may be aware of the recent statistics on the rise of freelance and consultancy work in the western world, that state that a massive 40% of the US population will be self-employed by the year 2020. Even considering the current trend of entrepreneurship and a start-up culture, these figures are impressive.
Due to the ever-fluctuating market, many people are now considering undertaking consultancy jobs than ever before. The majority of people who choose to work in this way generally do so for greater job satisfaction, a more flexible schedule, increased earning potential and the possibility to bring their skills and experience to roles that they feel are a great match for them.
There are also numerous benefits for companies who decide to hire freelance consultants to work for them. These advantages are generally considered to apply to all different sectors and professions, although it can also be said that there can also be additional plus points depending on the specialisation of your consultant.
First of all, firms offering consultancy jobs can find that hiring an outsider can provide a valuable objective insight on issues within the company. Whereas company employees may be too close to a problem to get any perspective on trying to solve it, getting an external viewpoint can be extremely useful for anyone looking for fresh solutions.
In a similar fashion, it can be argued that those taking consultancy jobs at a firm are less likely to be influenced by internal politics or sensitive issues. This can be important in areas as HR consultancy, where an HR expert can mediate in situations where there are disputes and workplace conflict. By being emotionally untangled, the consultant is more likely to deliver results.
Another advantage of offering consultancy jobs rather than in-house positions is that this choice can have a potentially positive financial impact on the company in question. One reason for this is that although consultancy fees need to be paid, a freelancer of this type is happy to stay with the company for only as long as he or she is required.
Rather than employing someone full-time, hiring a consultant periodically to assist the company can reduce the company’s spend on salaries and other employee benefits. It can also be argued that because consultants are hired to achieve specific results, they tend to deliver a lot of value for their fees; in other words, achieving the results they are hired to create is essential to them being paid.
Because of their objectivity, companies offering consultancy jobs can often find freelancers to do the work that no-one in house wants to do. As mentioned before, this could be resolving employee disputes, or it could simply be taking on a time-consuming task such as conducting interviews for new staff.
With consultants being trained and experienced in their specific domains, they are also more likely to be good at what they do. Of course, it pays to thoroughly check the background of any freelancer to make sure that they are able to complete the tasks set for them better than an existing employee of the company.
Businesses can also find themselves offering consultancy jobs when they have certain roles to fill on short notice. As the hiring of permanent staff can be a long and complicated process, getting one or several consultants on board with the company as it goes through this can make sure work gets done whilst waiting to employ the right full-time employee.
This doesn’t have to be just a solution for when companies have to temporarily hire help whilst they are searching for permanent in-house employees; if there is a difficult project which has unexpectedly required more attention that anticipated, a consultant can be brought on board for the duration of the task.
Given the numerous advantages of hiring freelance consultants, it is no surprise that more and more companies have consultancy jobs on offer at their firms. It can definitely be said that, in numerous situations and circumstances, hiring a consultant can be a great move for business.