Opinion article authored by Ana Castro Silva, People & Talent Manager at KCS iT. Originally published in Human Resources.

I invite you to dive with me into a topic that, socially, usually oscillates between two perceptions: the negative one, or the lack of one, while still attracting trivial opinions: the association of being a Partner or Employee at a Consulting firm.

More than ever, given the challenging moment of possible recession we're going through, it seems relevant to bring social-labor clarity to this topic. The central question we should ask is: What are the possible advantages for a professional of being tied to an Outsourcing company?

I'm often struck when I hear people claim: "Outsourcing companies keep a large part of the employee's salary." Well, speaking practically, these companies give the client the chance to focus on their core business, helping them identify what needs might have to be filled, also sourcing those very profiles, and ultimately managing them on an ongoing basis. Full stop. It's like a transfer of responsibility for specialized work.

Consulting firms don't keep compensation that isn't rightfully theirs; they simply work to find the required profiles, ending up mediating between themselves and their client companies. Of course, throughout this whole Management process, there's a parallel economy invested by the consulting firm, and that's where the gain lies, in that assessment. From my perspective, I see a win-win-win triangulation in this process.

First, the Employee has a right to a salary. A fair, market-rate salary is one received among peers, even when hired by the very company where they're placed. If the consulting company earns more money for the entire process concerning that person, it's simply the result of the investment that was made. There's a whole cost to the consulting company: expert staff, time spent on sourcing, integration into the company's records, training, career management, and ongoing follow-up itself.

Second, the Client can secure a response for a project that might have an uncertain timeline, without committing a permanent resource in times of an uncertain economy. Second, as far as the hired Consultant is concerned, the main advantage lies in the possibility of
exploring their professional development across different business areas, without having to break a permanent employment contract, the latter being so much a driver of present-day stability.

Clearly, a change in project or business area comes with the need for a different pool of human capital than the consultant may be commonly used to. With this in mind, and anticipating the (natural) desire for change or professional growth from their current position, some consulting firms lay out multiple partnerships when it comes to training. As I often share in interviews: "The idea with us is that you apply your current skills to project X, while, in parallel, we're working with you to shape what you might design for your future." I emphasize that the future might mean the next step, or, in the long term, the idea of how the consultant envisions redesigning their career, so that, hand in hand, we can align things so there's room for their career vision to become feasible.

As such, with the commitment to also provide training to our people, in order to match their personal aspirations, while also being able to deliver a more immediate response to our partners, our training offering isn't limited to the standard 35 annual hours. We thus offer unlimited access to Training and Certification, from a linguistic, behavioral, and technical standpoint - with a greater emphasis on the latter, which, let's admit, is a field of constant disruption, novelty, and competition. So the key lies in a continuous thirst for exploring and acquiring new tools.

On the other hand, at consulting firm events, the lens is different. Broader, I'd say. It's still focused on the goals set out, but more than that, it recalls the Mission, the Purpose, and the range of opportunities. It should be said that no one reports an experience better than the person who actually lived it, no one gives better insight about a company than the various employees placed there, especially when they know their employment relationship lies with the consulting firm, which gives their words a lighter, more transparent tone. Here, opinions aren't scripted, they're genuine when it comes to the sense of belonging and focus on the work.

Let's admit that in times of an unstable economy, it's comforting to surround ourselves with a broad network of contacts, knowing that, if the company where we're currently placed agrees to a layoff situation, we can sleep soundly knowing the Consulting firm will have multiple matches waiting for us.