We are delighted to share The Barton Partnership’s 2022-23 Independent Consulting in Review report.
This report marks our eighth year of research into the independent consulting market. Between August and October 2022, we surveyed our entire global network of independent consulting and experienced interim talent. This report draws on the results of this survey, exploring the current state of the independent consulting market - average day rates, days worked and project lengths - whilst identifying what drives those who enter independent consulting and the primary considerations for respondents when deciding on which projects to devote their expertise.
Amidst a competitive talent landscape and uncertain post-pandemic future, independent consultants and experienced interims can be of particular benefit to businesses, driving the delivery of business-critical projects and programmes of change and transformation. Indeed, over the last 12 months, we have seen growing demand for independent and interim talent for project-based work across all industries, and analysis of more than 750 projects reported in the survey explores why and how businesses across a full spectrum of industries are effectively engaging this increasingly important and necessary subset of today’s workforce.
Key findings:
Independent consulting is growing in popularity as a long-term career choice, with 60% of respondents intending to remain working as independent consultants for 6 years or more
Flexibility, autonomy, and work/life balance are the top three drivers when moving into independent consulting or contract work
Day rates have remained steady, with 95% of respondents reporting an increase or no real change to their average day rate over the past 12 months
81% of respondents maintained or increased their average days worked YOY
60% of respondents report that IR35 has had ‘limited’ or ‘no impact’ on their project decisions
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