Category: Life as a Consultant

1. How to Become an HR Consultant: Reclaim Your Flexibility and Redefine Success

   Posted on 7:00pm Sunday 27th Jul 2025

    

   Have you ever wondered what life could look like outside the 9–5?

   Senior HR Professional (In-House)

   Day	Activities	Constraints
   Monday	Internal meetings, ER cases, reports to write, lots of interruptions	Fixed hours, limited flexibility
   Tuesday	Project updates, managing team performance	Competing priorities, red tape
   Wednesday	Recruitment & retention planning, stakeholder management	Office-based or hybrid expectations
   Thursday	Preparing for board presentations, policy review	Last-minute requests, long hours
   Friday	HR admin, inbox backlog, planning next week	Often working late to catch up

   Key Issues: Reactive workload, limited autonomy, no time for creativity

   HR Consultant

   Day	Activities	Flexibility Gained
   Monday	Morning strategy call with a client, admin in the afternoon	Home-based working, your schedule
   Tuesday	Write a proposal, publish a LinkedIn article	Creative freedom, no internal politics
   Wednesday	Client coaching + a walk in nature	Personal time when you need it
   Thursday	Deliver a workshop, finish early for family commitments	Location independent, no commute
   Friday	Marketing, planning next week, early finish	Work/life integration

   Key Benefits: More control, varied work, strategic focus, better work/life balance

   How to Become an HR Consultant – 5 Key Steps

   Thinking about making the leap? Here’s how to get started:

   1. Define Your Niche
      Decide what kind of a lifsteyle you want.What are you known for? Focus on your strengths – whether it’s employee relations, culture change, or fractional HR leadership.

   2. Clarify Your Ideal Client
      Do you want to work with SMEs, scale-ups, or larger organisations? Knowing this helps you position your services and price confidently.

   3. Get the Right Tools
      Set up your essentials – business structure, website, contracts, insurance, and tech tools to keep things simple and professional.

   4. Build Visibility
      Share your expertise on LinkedIn, connect with your network, and showcase how you help. Consistency builds credibility.

   5. Join a Supportive Community
      Going it alone doesn’t mean being alone. Surround yourself with mentors, fellow consultants, and business development support.We have a great community you can join too!

   Final Thoughts

   Becoming an HR Consultant is not just a career move – it’s a lifestyle upgrade.

   If you're craving more flexibility, purpose, and ownership in your career, consulting could be your perfect next step. You already have the experience. Now it's time to use it on your own terms.

   Ready to Get Started?

   We’ve supported over 250 HR professionals to launch successful consulting businesses – and we can help you too.

   🟣 Grab your copy of our best-selling book: Leap into HR Consulting
   🟣 Join our Virtual Bootcamp: Learn how to launch and grow with confidence
   🟣 Explore The HR Consultancy Academy: Be part of a thriving community of consultants

   💬 Still exploring? Let’s talk. Book a free Discovery Call and take the first step toward your new future.

2. Can You Really Earn Enough as an HR Consultant?

   Posted on 1:00pm Sunday 20th Jul 2025

   Let’s Have an Honest Conversation About Becoming an HR Consultant

   Your personal brand

   A strong LinkedIn profile, clear website, and real case studies build trust — and trust increases your rates.

   Don’t forget to follow us on Eventbrite for upcoming free webinars and live sessions. More events are being added soon.

    

    

3. Burnout in HR: The Crisis We’re Not Talking About

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 22nd Apr 2025

   

   
   By Sarah Hamilton-Gill FCIPD

   While wellbeing has become a mainstream conversation in the workplace, the wellbeing of HR professionals themselves is still largely overlooked.

   In my latest podcast episode, I explore the rising crisis of burnout in HR – especially among those who’ve left corporate life to run their own businesses. The data is clear: burnout is not just common, it’s become dangerously normalised.

   Entrepreneurs at Breaking Point
   Running a business brings freedom but also intense pressure. Recent stats show:

   • 42% of US small-business owners have experienced burnout
     
     

   • 37% of UK founders say work has harmed their health
     
     

   • Nearly 50% of Canadian entrepreneurs face ongoing mental health issues
     
     

   We often swap corporate stress for entrepreneurial stress – and it’s taking a toll.

   HR Professionals: Supporting Everyone but Themselves

   According to the HR Wellbeing Survey 2024:

   • 74% have experienced burnout at least once
     
     

   • Over 60% report multiple episodes
     
     

   • 91% feel lonely in their role
     
     

   • Half are considering leaving within a year
     
     

   • A third have taken stress-related sick leave
     
     

   • Over half have had no recent performance feedback
     
     

   These figures reflect a sector in crisis, and for HR consultants juggling both people and business demands, the impact can be even more intense.

   What’s Driving the Burnout?

   The causes are layered: unrealistic expectations, emotional labour without support, lack of visibility or boundaries, and little opportunity for feedback or reflection. Many feel constantly "on" and professionally isolated.

   How We Start to Recover
   Burnout is not a badge of honour. It’s a red flag. Here's what can help:

   • Setting and maintaining boundaries
     
     

   • Seeking support through coaching or peer networks
     
     

   • Creating time for personal reflection
     
     

   • Saying no when necessary
     
     

   • Joining communities designed to support HR professionals – like the HR Consultancy Academy
     
     

   This episode is an invitation to start taking our own well being seriously. The calm exterior so often expected of HR masks a growing internal crisis – and it’s time we addressed it.

   Listen to the full podcast for the full conversation and practical ways forward.

   #LeapIntoHRConsulting #TheHRConsultancyAcademy #HRBurnout #MentalHealthInHR #EntrepreneurWellbeing #WellbeingAtWork #BoundariesInBusiness