Consulting firms utilize different staffing models based on the project at hand. These are based on for example client requirements in both skillsets and costs.
Staffing generally falls into three types: onsite, nearshore, and offshore staffing. In this article, we will provide a brief summary of these staffing models.
Onsite consulting staffing
Onsite staffing, as the name suggests, involves consultants being at the client site. Onsite members of the team may come in every day or a few days a week at the client site. Typically, they often are the project leads if there are consultants offshore. Onsite consultants provide the client with a more bespoke connection and experience.
Offshore consulting staffing
Offshore staffing involves consultants who work remotely on the project. They are frequently in lower cost locations in comparison to the client site. This ensures the project pricing can remain competitive compared to having all team members on client site. Offshore consultants typically are in a different timezone from the client location. Common offshore consultant locations serving North America and Western Europe include India, Pakistan, and the Philippines to name a few.
Nearhore consulting staffing
Nearshore staffing is a staffing model in between onsite and offshore. Often they are consultants who are within the same or very close timezone to that of the client. They might also be from a location that has more cultural commonality to the client location due to geographic proximity. This model of staffing has expanded as once former locations which were not well known for talent emerged as strong talent centers. In serving North America, nearshore locations can include Argentina, Colombia, and Brazil as common countries. For Western Europe, common nearshore locations that have emerged include Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria.
Consulting firms frequently switch and mix staffing models based on the needs of the client. For certain projects where there is a need to have deep stakeholder interactions, more onsite consultants might be utilized, while on other projects with tight budgets, more offshore consultants would be used.
About PrepareConsult:
PrepareConsult is a platform to practice the consulting case interview with AI and peers. PrepareConsult is founded by Milad Mohammadi and Sahhas Nathella.
Milad Mohammadi – 7+ years of experience in consulting and professional services with experience across North America and Europe.
Sahhas Nathella – 5+ years of experience in consulting and professional services with strong experience in complex digital transformations.
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