Why hire an EDI Consultant?
The word ‘consultant’ often comes with a lot of baggage.
So why should you consider working with one?
I’m sure many of us at some point in our working lives have come across a consultant. Whether our companies have brought them in, or we’ve seen one on LinkedIn, consultants have become increasingly common. Some research suggests that in two years, the number of management consultants rose by 76,000 in the UK. That’s a lot!
Despite the growing number of consultants, generally consultants have a PR problem. When I searched ‘what do people think of consultants?’, I got some interesting results:
A post on a forum titled ‘I feel like a lot of consulting is bullshit’
A blog called ‘Why does everyone hate consultants?’
Ouch.
Are consultants really that bad?
As a consultant, I’d like to think not! Going back to those search results, some of the negatives around consultants include:
Consultants just tell clients what they want to hear
Consultants feel that they know everything and judge a client
They never understand the nuance of a business
Spending client’s money on making presentations
Not only spending money – they cost a lot of money
While I can’t rule out that some consultants might be like that – there's no regulation required to call yourself a consultant – this isn’t always the case.
There are lots of consultants (myself included!) who:
Take the time to listen to an organisation’s problem and the context they work in
Engage with people who work there, as well as customers and clients
Spend their time producing data-backed findings and realistic recommendations
I like to think of a consultant as a critical friend. We may tell you some things you already know, but it’s also possible we’ll tell you some new things. We might also gently push or challenge some thoughts and ways of working. Our intention is to give you value for money and something you can actually work with.
What does an EDI consultant do?
While you can get a consultant for pretty much anything, one of the areas I offer support in is equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).
As an EDI consultant, I love helping organisations get to grips with EDI and how it applies to their context. That includes whether it’s a totally new thing for them, or they’re wanting to do more for their people. I do this by providing training, reviewing services, data and documentation, and getting hands on with tackling problems.
An EDI consultant can help in two main ways – with the operational (the ‘doing’) and the strategic (the ‘thinking’). I can support you with writing policies, training staff, and reviewing your website language. Or, we can produce an organisational EDI strategy or goals for your business to work towards.
Why should I work with an EDI consultant?
Working on improving EDI is, and should be, everyone’s responsiblity. In the words of Karen Catlin, author of Better Allies:
“Inclusion is a job for everyone, not just for people with diversity, inclusion or belonging on their business card”
However, realistically, many of us have the core parts of our jobs to focus on. If you’re a leader, there are lots of plates to keep spinning, and if you’re an employee, you’ve got work to do and keep you busy. You may not have the time or energy to spare on other work, EDI included.
Hiring an EDI consultant is like bringing in a temporary resource for something really specific. While consultant rates often feel high, in comparison to hiring someone year-round to work on EDI it can be cost-effective.
An EDI consultant also sits outside of the organisation, so can spot barriers and challenges and raise them in a neutral manner.
They’re also specialists. If you don’t have the capacity for developing your approach to EDI, or don’t feel like you know enough, EDI consultants know and enjoy this stuff. They can bring their expertise and enthusiasm to your business and provide help where you need it.
Rob Drury Consulting
I’m experienced in areas of equality, equity, diversity and inclusion, and would be thrilled to help you if you need help in trying to make your business more inclusive. This could be through conducting reviews or surveys, assessing your company data, producing policies and guidelines, or something really specific to what you do. Get in touch to start something great!
