There is something decidely suspicious about hiring extra hands to help the team that helps your people. Often times, your HR team may feel like management is giving the 'sexy' projects to the consultant while they labor away in the weeds. So, what is the correct use of the "C" word when it comes to Human Resources?
Consulting is, at its best, a partnership between leaders who work together to further a new initiative, collaborate on a process, create actionable lists from the collection of data, and essentially to provide support to what everyone knows is your overburdened People and Culture team.
I have played nicely in the sandbox with Operations and HR Officers who wish to polish their sales compensation plans, hiring practices and brand, or just don't have time to audit the job descriptions for FLSA compliance. More than a consultant, I view my role as a management partner intent on complimenting the current team. I hold alot of respect for those guys!
Having seen start-ups squeeze their People function as a means to control costs, consultants come in handy to ease the burden while achieving immediate objectives. For the mid-sized employer (300+ ee), my consulting practice can help HR leaders fine tune culture and diversity/inclusion initiatives.
So, no. I'm not after your job. I'm here to help and I also understand, better than most, how important People who serve People are to the organization. We're in this together--let's put the Human back in to your Resources!