The Evolving Role of the Internal Consultant

by Candy Hogan

The role of Learning & Development (L&D) inside organisations is shifting faster than ever – and it still has a way to go before it’s consistently seen as the commercial, viable, value-adding function that I know it can be.

I still find it both surprising – and mildly terrifying, as the mother of a now not-so-newborn – to admit my L&D career is creeping towards 20 years. In that time, I’ve seen attitudes towards L&D change dramatically. Not just from within the HR community but also at senior leadership level.

What drew me into L&D in the first place (and I wince slightly at this confession) was the “performance” element. When I first started my career at Alliance & Leicester in the Lincoln branch, I thought the trainers had the most glamorous job going. As an ex-Youth Theatre member, it looked like a dream – all eyes on them, a kind of corporate stage performance, plus the luxury of staying in a fancy hotel every night of the week.

Spoiler alert: it wasn’t quite like that. What I was seeing was just the very tip of an iceberg – the visible “end performance” of a much more sophisticated, strategic process. And those hotels? Let’s just say a Premier Inn on the outskirts of Bradford doesn’t scream glamour.

But the perception stuck. And to this day, it’s easy to see why L&D can be misunderstood.

We still get labelled as the “pink and fluffy” department. After all, everyone has been on some form of training, which means we often face rooms full of “experts” who think they know exactly what we do.

Very few functions in a business are subjected to quite the same level of internal scrutiny. And it shows up in the kinds of requests we get:

• “Do you have a list of training courses I can send my people on?”
• “Could you squeeze that half-day event into an hour?”
• Or my personal favourite: “I’ve got one person in my team who’s underperforming, and I don’t want to deal with it directly. Can you just train everyone instead?”

Sound familiar?

Too often, we end up positioned as passive order-takers.

Our internal customers don’t always share the real problem they’re facing or even know how to articulate this. Instead, they see us as service providers – a quick fix, a course catalogue, or a bolt-on.

Plus – we are accustomed to explore and fix the symptoms rather than the glaring gaping wound.

To make it more complicated, we’re also competing with external consultants. For years, big-name consultancies have been brought in to deliver “credible” solutions – sometimes overshadowing the expertise already sitting inside the organisation. And yet, in times of financial challenge, L&D is one of the first places where budgets and headcount get trimmed. It’s a tough cycle.

But here’s the good news. Right now, there’s a shift happening – and internal consultants are perfectly placed to step into the gap.

The Changing Landscape: Why Internal Consultancy Matters More Now

Two major forces are reshaping the world of work right now: AI and the changing role of external consultancies.

AI has exploded into the mainstream. Tools like ChatGPT, learning platforms with built-in analytics, and automated training modules are being hailed as the future of workplace development.

While these technologies bring incredible opportunities, they also raise big questions. How do we ensure learning is contextual, relevant, and human? How do we make sure people don’t just consume knowledge but actually apply it to drive performance? How do we apply challenge – rigour and convey the subtle political issues driving what gets done.

This is where skilled internal consultants come in. We can bridge the gap between shiny new tools and the unique challenges of our organisation.

At the same time, many organisations are quietly moving away from the big, glossy external consultancies. Budgets are tighter, leaders are more cautious and there’s a growing recognition that external partners don’t always understand the nuances of a business.

More and more, companies want people who get them – who know the culture, the context, the unspoken dynamics. That puts internal consultants in a position of real strength. We don’t have to learn the business from scratch. We live it every day.

From Order-Taker to Trusted Advisor

So, how do we make the leap from being responsive solution providers to becoming proactive, trusted internal consultants?

It starts with a mindset shift. Instead of simply delivering what’s asked for, we step back and ask:

• What’s the real problem here?
• What outcome are we trying to achieve?
• How will we measure impact and ROI?
• What will stop change happening?

This means having the confidence to challenge, to reframe, and to co-create solutions. It’s about seeing ourselves less as course deliverers and more as strategic partners.

And yes, that can feel uncomfortable at first – both for us and for the stakeholders who’ve got used to “ordering” training like it’s a fast-food menu.

I genuinely believe, the more we build trust and demonstrate impact, the easier it gets.

What It Takes to Become a Great Internal Consultant

There are a few things that really make the difference when stepping into this role:

• Buy-in from senior leaders – You need your SLT and HR leadership behind you. Without their support, it’s hard to shift perceptions.
• Deep organisational knowledge – Metrics, goals, performance trends… you need to know your business inside out. This is what gives you credibility.
• Collaboration across functions – The best solutions don’t sit in silos. Partnering across departments helps embed change.
• Confidence in challenging conversations – You have to be ready to ask the “awkward” questions and push back on quick fixes that won’t work.
• Practical consultancy skills – Things like problem analysis, facilitation and influencing are vital – but not always things we’re trained in formally.

Having worked in in-house L&D and HR teams, I know that the right external partners boost your department rather than work in competition with them. This is where qpeople like to work with our clients. We can bring in fresh expertise, help upskill your HR and L&D teams, and act as a sounding board while you embed an internal consultancy approach.

Most importantly, we work with you to be able to do this without us. The real measure of success of any consultancy interaction.

Why I’m Passionate About This Work

For those who know me, you’ll know how passionate I am that my fellow L&D and HR professionals are recognised as a function full of brilliant internal consultants. People who add real value to their organisations – commercially, strategically and culturally.

That’s why I’ve created an Internal Consultancy Development Programme – a practical, engaging way to help HR and L&D Business Partners and Managers step into this trusted advisor role. It’s not about theory. It’s about making consultancy skills real, usable, and part of your everyday conversations at work.

Ultimately, the role of the internal consultant is about impact. It’s about moving beyond “training as a product” and stepping into a role where we genuinely help shape the future of our organisations. In a world where AI is taking over tasks and external consultants are being deprioritised our value as trusted, internal experts has never been more important.