What are the most popular consultancy skills?

Project management, process improvement, data science and analysis, financial modelling and business transformation are some of the popular consultant skills in Australia at the moment.

Expert360 conducted analysed more than 500 project postings since January from corporates, which it defines as companies that make more than $500 million in annual revenue, to discover the most requested consultant skills across a variety of industry sectors covering financial services, utilities, aviation, retail, telco, healthcare and government.

Expert360 CEO, Bridget Loudon, noted a big trend in the demand for data and analysis skills as businesses grapple with how they can best store and use their data to improve business functions such as internal processes, customer experience and marketing strategies.

“As a result, there is high demand for data and analytics consultants in Australia’s biggest companies across a wide range of industries from aviation to telco’s,” Loudon said.

“Similarly, now more than ever, enterprise businesses are looking to bring in experienced project managers to effectively define and drive project success. High quality project managers are incredibly important for enterprise businesses as they not only manage cost and timings, but encourage teamwork, ensure quality and manage integration.”

Loudon noted a shift in the way organisations use their top-tier talent.

“Many of the best consultants no longer sit in firms or hold traditional full-time roles and Australia’s biggest corporates are posting projects valued up to $700,000 to tap into specialised skills," Loudon said.

A recent Peoplebank Salary and Employment Index further backed this up, indicating that business intelligence/data analytics, digital and digital transformation roles, project managers, developers and engineers, were in hot demand. It also pointed out that ‘non technical’ staff were being brought into business IT projects.

"Equilibrium between the supply and demand for technology skills is being maintained, especially in the financial services sector, large organisations are assigning high-performing staff from non-technical business units to IT projects," Peoplebank CEO, Peter Acheson, said at the time.