Human resources consulting: friend or foe?

Summary

We look at human resources consultancy, identify the main players and examine the services they offer. In addition, we sketch out some of the advantages - and disadvantages - of using HR consultants. We conclude that:

  • management consulting and HR consulting have both grown phenomenally over recent years;

  • there is a wide variety of services on offer of relevance to the HR profession, covering issues ranging from employee communications to international expatriate management; and

  • a number of consultancy firms are developing innovative IT-based solutions to common HR problems.

    At the heart of this feature is a directory of contact and service details for 14 leading HR consultants operating in the UK.

    Are you "maximising the return on your investment in human capital"? Is your "HR strategy aligned with your organisation's overall business objectives"? Are your "people management and financial management strategies clearly connected"? Are you prepared for the "new business day"?

    Are these valid questions that will enable organisations to focus on the most important issues they face? Or is this "consultancy-speak" - a series of platitudes dressed up as corporate wisdom? Here, we look into the world of human resources consultancy and assess the range of services offered by some of the leading firms in the field.

    Rapid growth

    Human resources consulting is big business. With the dictum "people are an organisation's most important asset" now part of everyday business language, a proliferation of firms, large and small, has jumped on the lucrative bandwagon of advising organisations how to maximise the performance of their employees.

    According to the Financial Times, the combined fee income of the world's 20 largest management consultancies - a sizeable proportion of which comes from HR advice - was $43.5 billion in 1998, and is forecast to rise dramatically. The sector has grown at 20% a year over the past decade, and at 25% a year over the past two years. Around 90% of the UK's top 300 companies now use consultants1.

    One reason for this spectacular growth has been the dramatic changes confronting organisations - technological transformation, globalisation and intensified competition - which have necessitated external counsel. Solutions currently in vogue, such as harnessing "intellectual capital", "knowledge management" and "emotional intelligence" (all of which have a clear HR dimension) require specialist input if they are to have a practical utility to an organisation.

    The advocacy of ideas such as these has led to accusations that consultants can effectively "manufacture demand", although their standard defence is that they are merely responding more quickly to the changing business environment than everyone else. Quoted in the Financial Times, John Lindquist, a senior vice-president at Boston Consulting Group in London, says: "If we can stay two years ahead of our clients, and sometimes only six months ahead, there will continue to be growth opportunities."2 There is some way to go, it seems, before the consulting bubble bursts.

    Targeting HR

    The expansion of HR consulting has generally mirrored that of management consultancy as a whole. With the shift from a welfarist and operational "personnel" approach to a more strategic, business-oriented human resources management programme common in many organisations, the role of HR has been transformed, and consultants have not been slow to offer their services in facilitating this transition. In addition, fundamental shifts in working patterns and practices, such as outsourcing, multiskilling, total quality management and technology-driven change, have also increased organisations' demand for external expertise.

    In a 1995 feature looking at the role of HR consultants, we suggested that "the need to deal with constant change in a competitive environment is a frequent theme for HR professionals", and, given that many HR functions had been slimmed down, "it is perhaps unsurprising that an increasing number of employers are calling on HR consultants for help in introducing specific changes" (IRS Employment Trends 589). With this in mind, we identified three main reasons why employers were likely to use HR consultants, namely:

  • because they require more specialised expertise or experience to deal with a particular issue;

  • because consultants can provide objective and independent advice; and

  • because there were insufficient resources available internally to deal with the work.

    Confirmation of these points was provided in a 1996 IRS survey of employers' use of management consultants, which found that the most popular reason for using consultants - mentioned by nine out of 10 respondents - was to obtain more specialist expertise on a particular issue than was available in-house (IRS Employment Trends 620).

    Four years on, it seems that such reasons are more valid than ever. The demands facing the HR profession - from new legislation to the electronic revolution and increased competition for high-quality staff - mean that more, not less, expertise needs to be called on, and independent solutions sought.

    Another explanation for the rise of HR consulting is the general change in the kinds of issue tackled by management consultants themselves. The historic thrust of management consultancy was concentrated on improving performance in relation to profits, costs and revenue; in recent years, it has developed more in terms of ideas, creativity and maximising the contribution of an organisation's people. And here HR obviously has a central role to play.

    Human resources consultants can be grouped into three categories:

  • specialist HR firms: organisations such as Hay Management Consultants, MCG Consulting Group, Towers Perrin, Watson Wyatt Worldwide and William M Mercer all have a distinct employment-based focus, be it in general HR, pay or pensions. All have long been established as specialists in their field. American firm Towers Perrin, for instance, was incorporated in 1934, and began its UK operations in 1969. Similarly, William M Mercer, another US-based operation, started up in 1945 and opened its London office in 1970;

  • "strategy" consultants: firms such as Andersen Consulting, Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey & Company are among the best-known and oldest management consultancies, and work with larger organisations on ambitious, strategic projects. HR consulting is therefore usually offered in conjunction with other advisory work on business processes, technology change or organisational development; and

  • "big five" accountants: in the early 1990s, the large professional services firms (Arthur Andersen, Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, KPMG and what is now PricewaterhouseCoopers) saw a gap in the market for consulting that matched their "hard" financial expertise in areas such as accounting and tax with a "softer" HR focus, and subsequently developed a "one-stop shop" approach whereby they could provide their clients with a holistic service.

    Services offered

    The directory provides a detailed breakdown of the HR-related services offered by 14 major consultancies operating in the UK. This is not an exhaustive list of the service providers available - a plethora of other firms and many hundreds of individual consultants offer similar wares.

    What the directory does indicate, however, is the wide range of consulting services that is on offer. It lists eight areas - general HR, employee relations, change management, remuneration and benefits, executive reward, pensions, employment law and international HR - that fall under the umbrella of employment-related consultancy. In addition, it details supplementary services offered by consulting firms that do not fit easily into one of the eight categories.

    Analysis of the entries reveals that:

  • all but one of the 14 firms featured offer general HR consultancy, the exception being New Bridge Street Consultants, a pay specialist. This might take the form of general advice on HR policies, systems and procedures or more advanced problem-solving, diagnostic or transformational work in relation to specific HR issues;

  • 10 of the 14 consultants offer advice in respect of employee relations, be it on communications strategies, consultation with staff and/or unions, employee involvement initiatives or more general industrial relations issues. The main strategy consultants - Andersen Consulting, Boston Consulting and McKinsey - provide expertise in this area, as do most of the specialist HR firms and some of the accountancy giants;

  • the same number of firms offer change management consulting - the big strategy consultants, who are usually involved in other business transformation projects, and the large accountancy firms, with their multidisciplinary expertise, are perhaps best placed to do this, although others offer services in this area;

  • in the field of remuneration and benefits, all but the strategy consultancies offer expertise, but the types of services on offer can vary. For instance, the "big five" accountants have historically offered advice with a distinct technical slant - in relation to Inland Revenue- registered profit-related pay (PRP) schemes or different types of share schemes - when compared with other firms, although this has gradually changed as they develop new services and others catch up on the harder financial skills;

  • nine of the 14 featured companies offer consultancy on executive reward, often in conjunction with work on all-employee remuneration;

  • eight offer advice on pensions, which can range from drawing up scheme rules to providing guidance on how to manage investments. Most of the "big five" accountancy firms now have practices dealing with pensions, as do many of the HR specialists;

  • just five of our panel of consultants can offer legal services on aspects of employment law, usually through associated or subsidiary law firms; and

  • 13 of the 14 firms featured offer advice on international aspects of human resource management - such as relocation, overseas assignments and structuring HR operations - which, given the emphasis many place on the impact of globalisation, is not surprising. Indeed, all but two of the firms are international, and one of the exceptions to this rule, New Bridge Street Consultants, offers international consulting through its association with the global law firm Clifford Chance.

    Added extras

    HR consultancies' promotional literature reveals that they offer a wide range of supplementary services to clients and use some innovative consulting techniques. These include focus groups with employees, attitude surveys and process or systems audits of HR functions. Many offer regular seminars and conferences addressing topical issues, briefings and newsletters about key developments, and general surveys that aim to quantify aspects of the business environment.

    Most consultants also undertake bespoke research tailored to individual client requirements. For instance, Hay operates a "research for management" service, while rival William M Mercer uses specialist research teams to support its consultants' work in the field.

    A number of firms have also developed databases derived from the findings of their client work. For instance, Watson Wyatt's data services unit has built up an extensive global compensation database, similar to the compensation and benefits database pioneered by Hay. MCG has created an "HR benchmarker" database.

    The use of methodologies is another favoured selling point of consultants. Although these are particularly prevalent in the area of pay and benefits benchmarking, some firms have developed models applicable to other fields. Arthur Andersen, for instance, has created what it calls "human capital appraisal", a system for reviewing HR policies and quantifying cost and value to the business.

    One of the growth areas in consulting in recent years has been information technology. Some firms have developed applications designed with HR functions in mind, to enable clients to streamline administration, outsource types of work, measure performance more effectively and provide better reporting. Examples include Hay's HRXpert programme, PricewaterhouseCoopers' HR information systems practice, Watson Wyatt's HR technologies practice and Arthur Andersen's bespoke software products, which it claims "can remove a substantial part of the administrative burden from your HR department".

    Benefits ...

    The sustained increase in demand for HR consultants' services suggests, to some degree, that organisations believe they are gaining something and creating value by using them. Indeed, the pages of the major consultants' brochures are liberally sprinkled with case studies showing how leading companies and public sector bodies have benefited by deploying their counsel.

    Closer analysis of this material suggests that there are four general advantages that might be gained through using consultants:

  • Access to expertise - major consulting firms have unrivalled troubleshooting experience, and it is likely that they have grappled with similar issues dealing with hundreds, and possibly thousands, of client organisations.

    Most consultants work with organisations from both private and public sectors, covering all parts of the economy and ranging from smaller businesses and partnerships to major multinationals. Employees of consultancies are, in the main, well-qualified both academically and professionally, and some have experience either of working in industry or of running their own businesses. The majority of the 14 firms featured in the table make some play of their multidisciplinary capacities: lawyers, accountants, actuaries, tax specialists and HR experts all work together in project teams.

  • A holistic, integrated approach - because consultants employ a diverse collection of specialists, they usually provide consulting services that can, if necessary, accommodate HR initiatives within a wider business and organisational context.

    With HR departments in many organisations having an increasingly strategic remit, this is advantageous. Many of the 14 firms featured in the table have expertise beyond the HR realm; the strategy consultants, for example, have operational knowledge spanning the whole organisational spectrum, while the "big five" accountancy firms offer an ever-increasing range of professional services, including auditing, corporate finance, taxation, technology and business development. In a similar vein, specialist HR firms such as Towers Perrin, Watson Wyatt and William M Mercer have expanded their knowledge bases into related business disciplines.

  • Global coverage - with only one exception, the consultancy firms featured here all offer an international approach to their work.

    This is increasingly important at a time when the HR profession's work is acquiring an international dimension (see Western HR in eastern Europe). Most consultants are not slow to stress the opportunities - and pitfalls - of the accelerating process of globalisation. They are equally quick to point to their own credentials demonstrating they are global organisations of some size and complexity. This, however, is more than just rhetoric: 12 of the firms featured here are genuinely transnational, with offices across the world, staffed by people of many nationalities, who are often actively encouraged to undertake secondments and assignments overseas. Their knowledge and experience of dealing with diverse national business environments and cultures builds into a comprehensive resource.

  • Improved performance - the upshot of the above (wide-ranging expertise, an integrated approach and global coverage) usually, although not always, means that using consultants has a beneficial effect on the desired aspect of organisational performance.

    In terms of HR, this might mean: increasing employees' motivation and performance through better communications or reward strategies; reducing the time and resources devoted to unproductive tasks or routine administration; improving systems and processes, or creating a new culture; facilitating restructuring or change elsewhere in the organisation; and making efficiency gains or reducing costs.

    ... and drawbacks

    The rise and rise of management consultants - a recent television series about them was titled "Masters of the Universe" - has attracted some negative publicity from those who view the profession with a degree of cynicism. Consultants are expensive, they say, and basically offer the same advice. Furthermore, some argue that the solutions they offer are merely common sense dressed up in confusing jargon and terminology.

    Is there any evidence to support this view? While it is highly unlikely that the services of the major consultancies would be in such demand if they did not add value to client organisations, there is, it seems, an element of truth in the "sameness" charge.

    Many of the messages peddled by HR consultants are undoubtedly very similar (see box, left). Two themes underpin much of their work, namely:

  • the notion that people are an organisation's key asset; and

  • the need for people, process, technology and strategy to be aligned.

    Few would disagree with the validity of such statements: what some people object to, however, is expensive consultants passing off such axioms as expert insights.

    The danger of consultants singing from the same hymn sheet is that if everyone uses them - and around 90% of the top 300 UK companies do - competitive advantage is lost. There is nothing to be gained by using a consultant if your closest rival is receiving similar advice; on the other hand, there is everything to lose by not keeping up with the game. This leads critics to argue that consultancies have a captive market.

    Our 1996 survey of employers using management consultants offers some evidence to support the views of critics (IRS Employment Trends 620). Although most respondents were generally satisfied with the quality of the consultancy received, a significant minority voiced serious reservations about the performance of their advisers. These included:

  • a lack of knowledge and understanding of the culture of the organisation;

  • a lack of awareness of legislation and legal considerations underpinning HR issues;

  • a failure to produce "clear, jargon-free reports and recommendations"; and

  • in some instances, limited expertise and an inability to produce an impartial opinion.

    Finally, good consultancy is not cheap. Consulting is a lucrative business - clients pay premium rates for services from the top firms. They are usually billed on the basis of hours worked by the individual consultants employed on a project. With partners in the most prestigious firms "charging-out" at around £500 (and more) an hour, and the most junior associates costing £60, fees mount up quickly.

    1Financial Times, 10.12.99.

    2ibid.

    Management consultancy - a definition

    • What is a management consultant?

    A management consultant is an independent and qualified person who provides a professional service to business, public and other undertakings by:

  • identifying and investigating problems concerned with strategy, policy, markets, organisation, procedures and methods;

  • formulating recommendations for appropriate action by factual investigation and analysis with due regard for broader management and business implications;

  • discussing and agreeing with the client the most appropriate course of action; and

  • providing assistance where required by the client to implement the recommendations.

    Qualities of a management consultant

    The personal qualities required of a person to enable them to carry out these duties effectively and efficiently are:

  • objectivity, impartiality and independence;

  • knowledge of management organisation and techniques;

  • consulting skills;

  • practical experience; and

  • technical expertise.

    Source: Institute of Management Consultancy.

    Institute of Management Consultancy, 5th floor, 32-33 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8DL, tel: 020 7242 2140, fax: 020 7831 4597, e-mail: consult@imc.co.uk, www.imc.co.uk

    How to choose and use management consultants

    According to the Institute of Management Consultancy (IMC), there are 10 "golden rules" for choosing and using management consultants effectively1. Although the IMC is primarily the professional association for individual consultants and smaller firms, its recommendations might also be applied to the selection criteria for larger firms. Its advice is:

  • clearly define the objectives that you hope to achieve;

  • consult with others in your organisation to agree those objectives;

  • shortlist no more than three consultants, and ask them to provide written proposals;

  • brief the consultants properly;

  • see the individual consultant(s) who will do the job and make sure that the "chemistry" is right;

  • ask for references from previous clients from the chosen consultant and follow them up;

  • review and agree a written contract before the assignment starts;

  • be involved and in touch during the assignment;

  • ensure that the consultant does not save surprises for the final report; and

  • implement the recommendations and involve your management as well as the consultant.

    1Contact details for the IMC are listed in the document extract.

     

    Directory of HR-related services offered by 14 leading management consultants

    Name and Address

    Contact details

    Size

    HR consulting

    Employee relations

    Change management

    Remuneration and benefits

    Executive reward

    Pensions

    Employment law

    International HR

    Other HR-related services/areas of expertise

    IRS comment

    ANDERSEN CONSULTING

    2 Arundel Street
    London WC2R 3LT

    Tel: 020 7844 4000
    Fax: 020 7844 9748
    www.ac.com

    Worldwide firm with 65,000 staff.

    O

    O

    O

    x

    x

    x

    x

    O

    Business process management; collaboration and knowledge management; IT and technology consulting; stategic development.

    Eight distinct lines of business underpin the firm. Multinational project teams use Knowledge Xchange and Solution Centres to share ideas. Formerly part of Andersen Worldwide with Arthur Andersen, currently involved in acrimonious split.

    ARTHUR ADERSEN (HUMAN CAPITAL SERVICES)

    1 Surrey Street
    London WC2R 2PS

    Tel: 020 7438 3000
    Fax: 020 7831 1133
    www.arthurandersen.com

    Some 70,000 employees in 83 countries, with 6,500 professionals in 14 UK offices.

    O

    x

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    Expatriate management and relocation services; HR systems and technology consulting.

    Rebranded in January this year, US accountancy giant claims to have coined the phrase "human capital". One of the first consultancies to offer one-stop accounting, tax, actuarial and HR service. Legal services through Dundas & Wilson and Garretts.

    BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP

    Devonshire House
    Mayfair Place
    London W1X 5FH

    Tel: 020 7753 5353
    Fax: 020 7753 5750
    www.bcg.com

    One UK office with 170 employees; total of 47 offices in 33 countries.

    O

    O

    O

    x

    x

    x

    x

    O

    IT consulting; healthcare consulting; corporate development; knowledge management.

    One of the major "strategy" consultancies, together with

    Andersen Consulting and McKinsey & Company, Has developed "Workonomics", a systematic approach for measuring and improving a company's human resourses.

    DELOITTE TOUCHE TOHMATSU (DELOITTE CONSULTING)

    Stonecutter Court
    1 Stonecutter Street
    London EC4 4TR

    Tel: 020 7303 3000
    Fax: 020 7303 6326
    www.deloitte.com;
    www.dc.com;
    www.deloitte.co.uk

    Consulting arm as four UK offices, although parent firm has 23 UK sites and annual fee income of $10.6 billion from 700 offices in 130 countries

    O

    O

    O

    x

    x

    x

    x

    O

    Change leadership; "PeopleSoft" Solutions - integrated tools and services

    People Transformation is one of Deloitte Consulting's four key service lines. Project teams are multiskilled and multinational. "Increasingly our clients are thinking and acting globally. To keep pace with them, we must become even more flexible, fast moving, responsible - and global."

    ERNST & YOUNG (EMPLOYER SOLUTIONS)

    Becket House
    1 Lambeth Palace Road
    London SE1 7EU

    Tel: 020 7951 2000
    Fax: 020 7951 1345
    www.ey.com
    www.eyuk.com

    In UK, 8,568 staff in 24 cities.

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    Executive search and selection; HR planning; interim management.

    "From thought to finish", EY says it proves an integrated tax, reward and employment service. Focusing on particular markets and industries, the firm develops a "service charter" with clients to clarify goals prior to start of an engagement.

    HAY MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS

    52 Grosvenor Gardens
    London SW1W 0AU

    Tel: 020 7881 7000
    Fax: 020 7881 7100
    www.haygroup.com

    Around 2,000 staff in 75 offices in 36 countries worldwide; six UK sites.

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    x

    x

    O

    Selection and development advice; competencies and performance management; Hay Information is world's most expensive pay database.

    Working with 73% of the FTSE 100 companies, Hay is one of the longest-established consulting firms. Its "Hay points" job evaluation system is used as a benchmark the world over.

    KPMG (HUMAN RESOURCES SOLUTIONS)

    1-2 Dorset Rise
    London EC4Y 8AE

    Tel: 020 7311 1000
    Fax: 020 7311 5044
    www.kpmg.co.uk

    Over 9,000 UK employees; more than 90,000 staff worldwide in 844 offices in 155 countries.

    O

    x

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    Management consulting division offering business transformation and IT services.

    One of the "big five" professional services firms, KPMG's HR Solutions practice comprises - among others - tax, share scheme and pensions experts. It works with companies of all sizes, and public sector organisations.

    MCG CONSULTING GROUP

    11 John Street
    London WC1N 2EB

    Tel: 020 7242 3665
    Fax: 020 7242 3885
    www.demon.co.uk/mcgchrmcg
    @mcgchr.demon.co.uk

    Two UK offices (London and Liverpool).

    O

    x

    x

    O

    x

    x

    x

    x

    Performance management; training, development and competencies; benchmarking HR; employee selection consulting.

    Formed in 1976, MCG is a smaller, specialist consultancy but still services large plcs and public sector organisations.

    "We work with a wide range of organisations to help them maximise the return of their human capital through imaginative and enlightened management."

    MCKINSEY AND COMPANY

    1 Jermyn Street
    London SW1Y 4UH

    Tel: 020 7839 8040
    Fax: 020 7873 9777
    www.mckinsey.com

    One UK office (London) and 81 worldwide sites.

    O

    O

    O

    x

    x

    x

    x

    O

    IT and technology consulting; strategic development; change leadership; organisation design.

    "By far the most influential consulting firm in the world," according to US magazine Business Week. Works with large, high-profile organisations and charges accordingly.

    NEW BRIDGE STREET CONSULTANTS

    20 Little Britain
    London EC1A 7DH

    Tel: 020 7282 3030
    Fax: 020 7282 0011

    www.nbsc.co.uk
    info@nbsc.co.uk

    One office in London; links with Clifford Chance Consultants.

    x

    x

    x

    O

    O

    O

    x

    O

    Communications campaign advice; shareholder relations.

    Small but well-established firm - advises three in 10 FTSE 100 companies - with reward specialism. Lawyers, accountants, actuaries, tax specialists and remuneration experts form multidisciplinary terms.

    PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS (GLOBAL HR SOLUTIONS)

    1 Embankment Place
    London WC2N 6NN

    Tel: 020 7583 5000
    Fax: 020 7822 4652
    www.pw.com

    World's largest professional services firm has 63 UK offices.

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    HR/benefits outsourcing; organisational effectiveness and development consulting; HR IT systems advice.

    Consisting of five complementary groups, Global HR Solutions is one of six lines of service (others of interest to HR practitioners are Management Consulting Services and Global Tax Services). Its aim is to "build and run cost-effective,

    targeted strategies to address your HR challenges".

    TOWERS PERRIN

    Swan Gardens
    10 Piccadilly

    London W1V 0AE

    Tel: 020 7379 4000
    Fax: 020 7872 0556
    www.towers.com
    cuttint@towers.com

    Around 7,600 employees in 27 countries worldwide; 700 UK staff.

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    x

    O

    Actuarial consultancy through sister firm Tillinghast-Towers Perrin; strategy and change consulting through Kinsley Lord, another sister company.

    One of the longest-established HR consultants. American firm that aims to "build internal capability rather than consultant-dependency". Guiding philosophy: change people one person at a time.

    WATSON WYATT WORLDWIDE

    Watson House
    :London Road
    Reigate
    Surrey RH2 9PQ

    Tel: 01737 241144
    Fax: 01737 241496
    www.watsonwyatt.com

    5,000 consultants operating in 89 offices worldwide in 33 countries; nine UK offices.

    O

    O

    x

    O

    O

    O

    x

    O

    Retirement consulting; healthcare consulting; HR technologies; practice dealing with people management during mergers.

    Another specialist HR advisory firm, operates "ClientFirst" service programme based on partnership and collaboration. Guiding principle is to integrate people and financial management: "One without the other is only half the solution."

    WILLIAM M MERCER

    14 Tothill Street
    London SW1H 9NB

    Tel: 020 7222 9121
    Fax: 020 7222 6140
    www.wmmercer.com

    12,000 staff in 34 countries worldwide operating out of 125 offices; 3,000 UK staff in 20 office locations.

    O

    O

    x

    O

    O

    O

    O

    O

    Health insurance consultancy; occupational health and absence management; organisational communications; personal financial advice.

    Investors in people (Iip) firm. Services are "geared to helping companies use the power of their people to enhance business success". Teams are supported by international knowledge management network. Specialist EU practice in Brussels.

    Key: O = services offered; x = service not offered.

    Service descriptions:

  • HR consulting: general services offered in relation to a range of human resources, people management and personnel issues, covering problem solving, administrative work and process improvement.

  • Employee relations: advice on industrial relations, workplace consultation, communications strategies and/or staff involvement initiatives.

  • Change management: strategic/culture change and/or business transformation consulting, with specific reference to people issues.

  • Remuneration and benefits: assistance with key pay issues, including grading structures, broadbanding, incentive pay, profit-related and variable reward, all-employee share schemes and benefits provision.

  • Executive reward: advice on how to reward senior or board-level management: base pay, bonuses, share options, long-term incentive plans, benefits, pension arrangements and benchmarking comparator companies.

  • Pensions: actuarial and legal advice on managing pension schemes, investing in appropriate funds and/or choosing service providers.

  • Employment law: legal advice on employment-related issues such as pensions, share schemes, contracts of employment, workplace rights, disputes and grievances.

  • International HR: consultancy relating to HR issues with a transnational dimension: relocation, international assignments, restructuring, global people management and expatriate tax.

    HR consultants: singing from the same hymn sheet?

    Do consultancies all peddle the same approaches, as their critics would have us believe? It cannot be denied that some of their publicity material conveys remarkably similar messages.

    HR consultants on the importance of people within organisations ...

    "Successful organisations understand they cannot achieve their potential without achieving the potential of their people." - Andersen Consulting.

    "It is no coincidence that the most successful businesses are those that are best able to realise the full value of their people." - Arthur Andersen.

    "Good people, not scarce capital, are the critical resource for competitive success." - Boston Consulting Group.

    "You can't rely on strategy, products or technology to deliver superior organisational performance. Only your people can make that happen." - Hay Management Consultants.

    "We believe that in any organisation, be it a major plc or a small local authority, the most important asset is the people employed." - MCG Consulting Group.

    "We also know that sustained change - true transformation - only comes when people in the organisation change." - Towers Perrin.

    "An organisation's people make the difference. That's the accepted wisdom these days." - William M Mercer.

    HR consultants on the importance of aligning HR and people strategies with overall business objectives ...

    "The firm works with clients from a wide range of industries to bring about far-reaching change by aligning their people, process and technology with their strategy." - Andersen Consulting.

    "Aligning the people strategy with the business strategy is critical to realise a business's full potential." - Arthur Andersen.

    "We specialise in working with multinational and large national entities to assist in the integration of their strategy, process, technology and people." - Deloitte Consulting.

    "In order to change the whole system, all the elements need to be aligned; culture with structure, people, processes, technology and leadership." - Towers Perrin.