How Student Affairs and Services Units Should Leverage Consultants
Using a Consultant is Beneficial for Projects and Staff
In my experience and years in higher education thus far, I have found that we do not leverage the power of hiring a consultant enough to assist divisions, offices, and units to grow, move projects forward or even change direction. While I know that some parts of academic institutions hire consultants, our student-facing units could use more consulting assistance from time to time.
If for no other reason, it allows those units to focus on their students instead of worrying about the collateral assignments or special projects. Projects of this short-term nature can be better suited for a non-permanent staff such as a consultant.
Since the suggestion is for student affairs units and operations to leverage and harness a consultant’s knowledge, skills, and expertise, here is my unsolicited advice on hiring one for student affairs and services areas.
- “Ask them about their previous higher education and consultancy roles.”
- “Discuss the overall fee structure and hours upfront.”
- “Ask for reviews and check references.”
These are some basic yet logical and practical steps and practices for hiring a consultant for your team or office. Let me share a few more pointers for a HigherEd Consultant’s hiring process.
Hire a “Top” Consultant
Whether you hire a freelance consultant or one from a top consulting firm, choose this person based on their personal and professional attributes and expertise that would fit your institution.
Hiring Process for a Consultant
It is similar to hiring an employee and thus requires some time investment. If you do not have the bandwidth, use your human resources department, a recruitment agency, or an online platform system to handle the hiring process. In this approach, you only interview the finalists and onboard the selected person.
Hire a Consultant Specializing in Your Niche
Yes, consulting is more than strategy advice. In most cases, having a specialist over a generalist will create an improved process and recommendations for the project. It is highly recommended that you find and hire a consultant with expertise in your specific problem. While a generalist can get the job done, why not hire a consultant who has previously solved the same or similar issues in the same niche?
For example, if you want to review and design student engagement programming for student housing, it’s recommended that you hire a consultant with student housing and programming development experience. This level of knowledge is better suited for the project instead of hiring a student affairs generalist consultant who may or may not have experience with student housing. That’s why it’s crucial that you define your problem first and then decide which type of expertise and skills you are seeking in your consultant.
Gain Team Support for Hiring a Consultant
The decision to hire a consultant should be supported, especially by the team; the consultant will spend most of their time in working relations. Engage and build a connection between the team and the consultant to avoid any skepticism that might occur from having an outsider who is asking questions and diving into the operations, processes, and policies.
Also, ensure the leadership is socialized to project and support the consultancy; this becomes crucial when implementation starts after the consultancy ends.
Note Institution in Emerging Economy Nations
For academic institutions in emerging economies that are challenged by hiring international staff or gaining insight into change management in the student services sectors, I encourage them to seek a consultant.
Your possibility increases in achieving the support and knowledge transfer from an international expert or returning national who might be more willing to commit to a short-term project. Thus, both parties can have a positive outcome.
Final Thought
Hiring the best consultants for the student affairs unit has never been easier because of freelance consulting options and platforms. It might take some research, a few emails, and a couple of phone calls to find a match for your need. However, once you find one to two top finalists, discuss your project with a leading consultant and let them provide a plan.
In today’s virtual, remote, and online workforce, you can hire consultancy expertise worldwide. No matter what your student affair challenge is, there’s a consultant out there that specializes in solving them. All you need to do to have an open approach to leveraging consulting to bring satisfaction to your unit, staff, and students.
Learn more about me, my areas of expertise, and the consulting services we can partner on for your organization. Connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram.
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