The management consulting industry is witnessing several transformative trends, driven by technological advances, evolving client expectations and strategic shifts within organisations.
Vencon Research has prepared an overview of the key trends currently shaping the landscape and the challenges being faced by the industry in 2025, specifically with regard to human resources management.
Authors:
Erwin Harbauer is Managing Director and founder of Vencon Research International
Hilmar Albers is Partner of Data Integrity at Vencon Research International
Andy Klose is Associate Partner and Advisory Leader at Vencon Research International
1. Emphasis on Specialised Expertise
Clients are increasingly looking for consultants with deep industry knowledge and specialised skills. The traditional model of “generalist” consulting is giving way to a demand for experts, who can deliver measurable results and adapt to clients' evolving capabilities. Consultancies are expected to refine their service offerings in order to deliver more targeted and impactful solutions.
This shift however requires the recruitment of a new breed of staff, often being recruited from sources outside of the current pool of top-MBA universities. Furthermore, this trend is however also creating significant disruption within traditional consulting companies, where the newly defined specialist roles are expecting access to senior leadership positions and/or partnership.
2. Integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data-driven decision making
Advanced analytics, big data, and predictive modelling are becoming essential consulting tools. Data-driven decision-making allows consulting companies to deliver more precise and actionable insights to clients by leveraging vast amounts of structured and unstructured data. Consulting firms are using AI-powered business intelligence platforms to extract patterns, predict market shifts, and offer real-time strategic recommendations. With AI playing a larger role in business operations, ethical concerns regarding bias, transparency and governance are growing, increasing demand from organisations get advice on developing responsible AI strategies.
Internally, firms are investing heavily in AI technologies to improve productivity, automate routine tasks and offer innovative solutions to clients. For example, large firms have developed custom AI tools to assist with tasks such as email drafting, data formatting and document summarisation, allowing their consultants to focus on higher value activities. It is a matter of time before AI applications are rolled out into HR and compensation, however, caution will be advised to ensure accuracy and effectiveness in implementing such ambitious, and often unproved, technologies.
3. Decentralised and Blockchain-Based Consulting Solutions
Blockchain technology is beginning to find a foothold beyond finance, into areas such as supply chain and healthcare. As organisations experiment with tokenisation and smart contracts, consultants are increasingly called upon to advise on regulatory compliance, risk management, and the practical integration of these technologies.
4. Private equity investment and industry consolidation
There has been a notable uptick in private equity interest in consulting firms. These investments are fuelling strategic acquisitions and partnerships, expanding market reach while also forcing traditional equity partnerships to adapt to new ownership models and the challenges of integrating disparate corporate cultures.
It is important to note that these investments also bring significant cultural changes and financial implications for the traditional equity partnerships, who have to adapt to new ownership structures or, for example stemming from the merger and integration of the consultancies being purchased. Implications are also expected for the talent pool, as new, expanding or restructured firms make their mark on the local employment market.
5. Focus on Resilience and Risk Management
In response to geopolitical uncertainties and economic fluctuations, advisory services focused on building organisational resilience and effective risk management are in high demand.
Key focus areas include, for instance, geopolitical and financial risk management, supply chain resilience, cybersecurity, ESG compliance, and crisis preparedness to ensure long-term business stability.
6. Sustainability and ESG Advisory
Sustainability is no longer an optional business practice but a core strategic priority. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) consulting is shifting from compliance-focused approaches to holistic business transformation strategies. At Vencon Research we see both this and the previous Risk Management trend substantiated in steadily increasing demand for compensation benchmarking related to consultant roles in these fields.
7. Growth of Corporate Out-of-House Firms and Independent Consulting
A continuing trend is strong growth of consulting offering stemming from consulting practices that were originally founded to consult their parent companies in-house, as well as from firms that were otherwise more strongly focussed on non-consulting actively. Examples include Detecon, DSS+, IQVIA and Mastercard, all of which are now both well respected and seen as serious alternatives to traditional consulting firms working in their field of expertise.
In parallel, we see a notable uptick in prominence for “independent” consultants, i.e. freelance or individual service providers, with clients attracted by the autonomy and flexibility this alternative offers. This growth is leading to the formation of new consortia and networks of independent consultants, allowing them to collaborate on larger projects and share resources.
Both of these trends will increase the realm and span of potential competitors to the traditional consulting organisations – with consequent effects on staffing and compensation.
8. Niche and Specialised Boutique Consulting
The trend continues that competition increases from boutique consulting companies specialising in emerging fields such as ESG compliance, AI ethics, and supply chain resilience. Firms offering deep industry or functional knowledge are in great demand from a broad spectrum of clients. Careful evaluation is called for when deciding whether to include such firms as competitors in a benchmarking exercise. It may be that a firm competes for talent with such boutiques in a given market, or, conversely, their relative size, pay structure, and business focus may result in a skewed perception of the wider market.
Broader Recruitment Strategies
While each of the above trends brings its own set of considerations to HR and talent management, one additional shared is found in a consulting landscape that is continually becoming more diverse. Firms are expanding their recruitment efforts beyond traditional MBA programmes to include candidates from non-target schools, specialised master's programmes, PhDs and experienced professionals to allow more for more effective recruitment. This applies whether in generalist or specialist roles.
Salary Trends
Reviewing our own market data and recently published external sources indicates a worldwide anticipated “average” increase in salary budgets of approximately 3.7% in 2025 (we include Vencon Research data in this projection as an average across all positions and countries in our database).
This rate is marginally lower than the increase that was observed in 2024. While the management consulting industry continues to offer very competitive remuneration packages, the rate of salary growth in 2025 reflects a cautious approach amid evolving economic conditions.
Interestingly, we have seen a higher increase in the salaries typically being offered to recruits coming from outside of the traditional MBA programmes but only limited increases to those candidates from within the traditional channels for recruitment.
Vencon Research – Independent Insights for Consulting Firms
Vencon Research provides data-driven analysis and benchmarking tailored to the consulting industry. With a focus on clarity and precision, their research helps firms refine compensation strategies, assess market trends, and make informed decisions. Learn more at venconresearch.com