When to HIRE - and NOT HIRE - a consultant
As a business management and software consultant, I’ve been in many situations where I could provide needed expertise to clients. I’ve also experienced times when I should not have been hired. Let’s consider what a consultant provides and when you should or should not engage one.
By definition a consultant is simply a person or organization that is paid to give expert advice or training on a particular subject. They can define problems, give advice, provide solutions, provide training, motivate, and give you information about many different topics. There are consultants in virtually every field and industry. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, electricians, IT consultants, and interior designers can all be considered consultants - outside experts that provide input on their area of expertise.
Consultants can be very valuable and a great investment under certain circumstances and they can be a waste of time and money in others. Consider the following before making the decision to hire a consultant.
You should hire a consultant if….
You have a time or knowledge gap on a specific subject – Consultants can provide knowledge and bandwidth to accomplish tasks and projects
You are willing to take advice and commit to change – You need to be willing to accept the advice and commit to change for the investment to be valuable
Your project is important - The bigger the project, the bigger the risk. So, it is worth it to invest a little more in confirming that you are making the right decision.
You can’t figure out what the problem is – Consultants can help you define problems and requirements so that they can be solved
You need a different perspective – An outside person or organization can look at a situation differently, and may have more experience with that situation to help provide a resolution
You want someone to do the dirty work – An outsider can be the “bad guy” and take actions or communicate something unpleasant so you don’t have to
Something that is not part of your core competency must be done – If you have to deal with something infrequently or you have to take action that is abnormal for your organization then a consultant might be a good option
You need a spark – Outsiders can bring ideas and energy to organizations that are lacking or feel like they are in a rut
You need to learn – The right consultant can teach you or train you on virtually anything
Things are changing in your industry – There are consultants and industry experts that stay current on changes in all industries
Do not hire a consultant if….
You already have time and ability to accomplish goal – You don’t need a consultant if you have enough people and knowledge to accomplish a project or task
No significant problems to solve – If things are going well and there is no need to change, then don’t seek advice from a consultant
Unwilling to consume advice, learn or commit to change – This is probably the most important piece of advice in this article. Do not spend time or money on a consultant if you are unwilling to learn or make changes.
Don’t have executive buy in – Similar to the point above, if the executive team is unwilling to change, then soliciting help is useless.
They are not experts – The value of a consultant is providing good advice in a targeted area. If the consultant doesn’t truly understand the issue or industry then they can’t provide good advice.
You don’t have a plan – Being unprepared is just as bad as being unwilling. Make sure there is a goal and expected outcome for your consultant engagement. Otherwise, there is no value.
Contact us if you have more questions on this or related topics.