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Why use consultantsConsultants are expensive. They're also pains in the butt. So why the heck would you want to engage them? Well, since WE are consultants, I thought it appropriate to recap some of the benefits (and associated problems) of using consultants. 1. You don't have time This is the major reason why consultants are out there. They can come into your organization and take care of projects that you just don't have time to deal with. It might be a stack of paperwork that you haven't gotten through, or it might be managing a large IT project. Either way, you need help. However, the problem is that you have to select a consultant. This process can take time in itself...possibly wiping out any gain from using a contractor. Another problem - beware of abdicating your responsibilities to the consultant. Remember that its YOUR company and YOUR staff and YOUR job. If the consultant can help, that's great. But beware of turning him lose and losing control of the project. 2. Expertise In many cases, you hire a consultant because they have expertise that you don't have, and don't want to hire. You don't need the skill for longer than a few weeks or months. You don't want to hire someone for the job, who you'll just have to fire. So you hire a consultant instead. However, make sure that someone on your staff doesn't already have the expertise. Check first to see if it makes sense to use one of your own people. And make sure that someone in your organization won't resent your bringing in an outsider when she would have LOVED to have had a shot at it. 3. Skills transfer Maybe you DO want your staff to have some new expertise and skills. However, you also need to get the project going immediately and you don't have the ability to get your staff trained and experienced in time. You engage a consultant to kick-off the project and train your staff...giving them not only the skills, but the experience in the real world. In this situation, the consultant's job is essentially to put herself out of a gig. The risk here is that the consultant will abuse your staff, not teach them anything and will stretch out the engagement as long as possible. 4. Fresh perspective You know the old saying, "You can't see the forest for the trees." Sometimes you just need a new a fresh look at your problem, and a consultant, who has been doing this type of work at a variety of companies, can give you that perspective. But beware of expecting some special insight that will save a project or make you a zillion dollars. Maybe you were doing it right all along. 5. You need to separate a project or job from your regular operations. You've been handed a task which is outside of and unrelated to your normal operations. If you pay too much attention to it, you'll lose focus on what's really important. Consultants can take care of those tasks for you. However, as with "1" above, you run the risk of abdicating your responsibility. Don't let lose of those reins so quickly. 6. Consultants bring focus. They're not involved in office politics. They don't have to attend all of the meetings. They don't get all the CYA emails that you and your people get (or at least not on your time). They don't get distracted by the normal productivity killing activities that your staff does. They come in, do the job and get out. Beware of project creep, however. Make sure you have a clearly laid out scope before you engage them. Also, if you have consultants at your company on long term engagements - beware. They'll start getting caught up in all of the non-productive activities, just like your staff. 7. Consultants are simple to cost. They don't have vacations (that you pay for), or sick days or benefits or anything else. So you can clearly identify what the cost is to get the job done. 8. Consultants may be cheaper than you think. First of all, you're only paying for their time and maybe their expenses. You don't have to pay for their vacations or sick days. If they have to go home early for a soccer game, you only pay for the 6 hours they worked instead of the normal 8 hours. And, as mentioned in "6" above, they are focused and generally more productive than your staff. 9. Consultants are easy to get rid of. You can fire them much more easily than actual employees. Even if you don't want to "fire" them, you can simply chose not to engage them for additional projects. And if you're dealing with a large firm, you don't really hurt the individual who just doesn't have the skills you need, you don't have to feel rotten about it. They'll just go on to another client. 10. Consultants may come from a pool. If you're working with a larger firm, you'll have coverage if a consultant gets a job elsewhere, is sick for more than a few days, is on vacation, or just doesn't work out. There are no hiring or recruiting costs. It is the consulting firm's responsibility to provide a new person for you. Obviously, you have to vet them like a prospective employee, but you don't have anywhere near as much work - the consulting firm does all the heavy lifting. You lose though, if the firm has too much turnover, or if key people leave, or if it takes too long to put a qualified replacement in. Consultants can help your organization. They can focus on important tasks and get them done fast. They can be an important resource for augmenting your staff. However, they can also be a bear to deal with. Be very careful and make sure that consultants, and the task at hand, are a good fit for your organization.
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