Independent Consulting Landscape - What's New?

Is the independent consulting market thriving? You’d expect us to say yes, and we’re saying so emphatically. Whether it’s from the perspective of expanding contingent categories, or as a way to accelerate transformation, independent consultants are among the most sought-after types of worker right now.

It was a hot topic in a recent Human Cloud roundtable event and here’s some of the trends that High5 CEO Sandeep Dhillon observed:

• ‍From ad-hoc to mainstream: When we started our marketplace over a decade ago, independents were used sporadically for one-off projects. Today, they’re embedded into business models, particularly across private equity, consulting, and now increasingly enterprise.‍
• Enterprise wake-up call: Procurement and contingent workforce leaders are realising there’s significant independent consultant spend happening outside their programs. That creates compliance risks and unnecessary costs. Now they’re pulling it under central control.‍
• MSP expansion: Managed Service Providers see this as an untapped area. Independent consultant and Statement of Work (SoW) spend is now being brought into scope, which is driving growth for them.‍
• Talent shift: Professionals have increasingly indicated a desire for flexible, portfolio careers and our research within our own community has backed this up over many years, and it's not just a Gen Z thing: over 60% of our network is over 40. Much like creatives and tech talent, they value variety, control, and impact over long corporate tenures.‍
• Regional differences matter: Adoption is uneven globally. In the Nordics, strong employee benefits reduce incentive to freelance; in Japan, culture still favours “job for life”; in India, brand-name corporate roles are preferred over independent careers. These cultural and structural factors mean the freelance consulting model scales at different speeds.‍
• Regulatory challenges: Hiring independents still comes with compliance concerns, but particularly at the SoW end of the spectrum, the risk of misclassification is lower, making this route attractive for enterprises that need flexible expertise without major legal exposure.‍
• Not competing with consulting firms: Large and boutique firms remain key partners. But the economics of relying solely on them don’t work anymore. Businesses need flexible skills at speed, and independents increasingly fill that gap.‍
• AI and transformation as accelerators: With waves like AI, there’s a rush to adopt. But if processes aren’t right, tech becomes a costly distraction. Independent consultants, coming in without internal baggage, are prized for speed, agility, and specialist expertise in moments of rapid change. They bring a structured mindset and approach to order the chaos.‍
• The value equation: Enterprises want the same outcomes consulting firms offer, but with faster delivery, leaner teams, and lower cost. Many independents now follow or replace larger consulting teams, delivering strong returns on investment.

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It’s the convergence of business need (faster, cheaper, compliantsolutions), talent preference (flexible careers), regional adoption patterns, and technology disruption that’s making independents a mainstream part of the consulting landscape. We have watched this build for over 10 years and it's now easier than ever to engage with independent talent through platforms like high5.

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