2025 Staffing Trends in the Consulting Industry
- December 4, 2024
The consulting industry is undergoing significant shifts in staffing. As client needs become more specialized, especially in the realm of technology, firms must adapt their staffing models to keep pace. Understanding these trends is crucial for firms aiming to stay competitive in this demanding environment.
In this eBook, we break down 2025 staffing trends in consulting in response to changes in industry dynamics, the availability of work, and the types of projects that are in high demand.
2025 STAFFING TRENDS IN CONSULTING
Specializations
In recent years, consulting has seen a shift towards a greater demand for specialized skills. Clients are searching for consultants who offer deep expertise in emerging fields like cybersecurity and sustainability. Sustainability consulting, for example, is expected to grow at a 27% CAGR. This may be an indication that the industry is moving away from its traditional generalist model and toward one of specialists with niche knowledge. Consequently, consulting firms may respond by hiring candidates with specific, highly sought-after skills to meet these evolving demands.
Technological Development
Another major influence on staffing in the consulting industry is technological development. The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, data analytics, and automation is changing the needs of many businesses. As a result, candidates who have technical expertise or experience with these tools are in high demand. In fact, 92% of CIOs anticipate AI being integrated into their organizations by 2025. Where previous engagements may have been general or open-ended, there is a growing shift toward heavily technical cases–especially for technology implementations.
Economic Uncertainty
Recent economic uncertainty, given the election and fears of recession, has also played a significant role in the type of work that clients request. Firms must be both cautious and strategic in how they allocate resources for consulting services as the Federal Reserve balances interest rates. Periods of financial uncertainty such as this often generate higher demand for services in cost management, financial restructuring, and operational efficiency.
Sustainability
Regardless of the economy, firms will continue to face stakeholder pressure about their ESG efforts. With that in mind, sustainability-focused consulting is rapidly expanding. Firms are hiring consultants with backgrounds in environmental sciences and policy as well as corporate sustainability to advise on how to integrate sustainable practices without sacrificing profitability. After all, consumers are willing to pay nearly a 10% premium for more sustainable goods and services. This ESG work and demand for talent can only be expected to grow as climate pressures increase.
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Contributions from Jake Park-Walters