What Is an HR Consultant? Salary, Traits of People Who Thrive, and Recommended Certifications

An HR consultant is a type of “management consultant” and is a profession that identifies and resolves issues in a company’s human resources domain.

In this article, we explain HR consultants in an easy-to-understand manner, covering the following topics in order:

• Types and job responsibilities
• Reasons demand is growing
• Average salary
• Rewarding aspects of the job
• Characteristics of people who are well-suited
• Career paths and useful certifications
• Main employers
• Tips for a successful career change

If you are interested in becoming an HR consultant, please read through to the end.

What Is an HR Consultant?

An HR consultant is one type of “management consultant” that supports the resolution of management challenges. They are responsible for identifying issues in a company’s human resources domain, gathering information toward their resolution, clarifying the root causes, and proposing improvement measures to client companies.

Specific examples of issues addressed include:

• Recruitment activities
• Talent development
• Building HR systems
• Policy and system design

In addition to the above, HR consultants may also take over HR operations on behalf of client companies.

Types of HR Consultants and Their Job Responsibilities

HR consultants resolve HR-related challenges such as developing HR strategies and building HR systems. Here, we focus on three areas— “Recruitment Consulting,” “HR Organization Consulting,” and “Talent Development Consulting”—and explain the details of each role.

Recruitment Consulting: Supporting Recruitment Activities

Recruitment consulting primarily involves advising and guiding companies on their recruitment activities.

Specifically, to resolve company challenges such as “wanting to increase the number of applicants,” “wanting to streamline the hiring process,” “wanting to hire new graduates but lacking the know-how,” or “struggling to hire experienced candidates,” the following tasks are carried out:

It is necessary to provide tailored support to each client company based on their desired candidate profile, management policies, and vision. Since the recruitment market fluctuates each year, support that reflects the latest information and trends is required.

HR Organization Consulting: Human Resource Management and HR System Development

HR organization consulting primarily involves building HR systems and reforming organizational structures. To resolve challenges such as “wanting to overhaul our HR system but unsure where to start” or “struggling with how to introduce a new performance evaluation system,” the following tasks are undertaken:

• Analyzing HR system challenges
• Planning and executing measures
• Measuring the effectiveness of measures

HR organization consulting includes tasks such as reviewing evaluation systems to improve employee retention and restructuring the organization to align with the business model.

HR organization consultants also support system design and operation based on management policies. Specific examples include:

• Performance evaluation systems
• Improving compensation structures
• Globalization of HR systems

Building HR systems is closely tied to employee motivation, making it critically important for client companies. For this reason, HR organization consulting is one of the core responsibilities of an HR consultant.

Talent Development Consulting: Human Resource Development

Talent development consulting aims to enhance the capabilities of employees currently working at a company. To address challenges such as “new employees aren’t growing because our training system is underdeveloped” or “we’re unsure what kind of training is right for our company,” the following tasks are carried out:

• Setting talent development goals
• Developing training systems
• Proposing training programs
• Conducting training sessions

Training is conducted across a wide range of themes tailored to needs, from foundational programs for all employees to management training and technical training.

Even if a company has secured its workforce, without a well-developed training system employees cannot grow appropriately, which does not lead to company growth. Through the tasks described above, talent development consulting supports the improvement of employee capabilities and the strengthening of organizational effectiveness.

Reasons Why Demand for HR Consultants Is Growing

In recent years, HR consultants are seen as a profession with high future prospects. Below, we present three reasons why demand for HR consultants is growing.

DX Is Being Promoted in the HR Domain

One reason for the growing demand for HR consultants is that digital transformation (DX) is being promoted even in the HR domain.

DX (Digital Transformation) refers to efforts to transform business through the use of digital technology. In recent years, it has become commonplace even in the HR domain to automate performance evaluation systems using online tools and to introduce digital training content.

Given this situation, some companies that do not have staff with digital knowledge internally are leveraging HR consultants to drive their DX initiatives.

Human Capital Management Is Being Prioritized

The growing emphasis on human capital management is another reason why demand for HR consultants is increasing.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry defines human capital management as follows:

A management approach that views human resources as “capital,” maximizes their value, and thereby enhances corporate value over the medium to long term.

Source: Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry “Human Capital Management ~ Maximizing the Value of Human Resources ~“

In other words, human capital management refers to a management approach that aims to maximize the value of every employee through reviewing staffing arrangements and improving training systems.

In recent years, labor shortages have been widely reported across all industries, and job changes have become increasingly common. This is the background behind the growing number of companies that place great importance on human resources as capital.

To Achieve DEI

The increasing number of companies striving to achieve DEI is also considered a background factor in the growing demand for HR consultants.

DEI is an acronym for “Diversity,” “Equity,” and “Inclusion.” It refers to the idea of respecting the individuality of all employees, creating an environment where choices can be made according to each person’s lifestyle, and connecting this to corporate growth.

Knowledge and expertise are required to adopt DEI and fully implement those efforts in order to enhance corporate value. From this DEI perspective as well, demand for HR consultants is on the rise.

Average Salary of HR Consultants by Age Group

While it varies depending on skills, experience, and employer, according to jobtag by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the national average annual salary for HR consultants is approximately 11.34 million yen.

The average annual salary of HR consultants by age group is as follows:

Age Group	Average Annual Salary
Age 20–24	5.58 million yen
Age 25–29	6.65 million yen
Age 30–34	10.14 million yen
Age 35–39	11.19 million yen
Age 40–44	11.48 million yen
Age 45–49	20.05 million yen
Age 50–54	13.92 million yen

The highest earners are in the 45–49 age group, with an average of approximately 20.05 million yen.

According to a survey by the National Tax Agency, the average salary for salaried workers employed throughout the year is 4.78 million yen. By gender, the average is 5.87 million yen for men and 3.33 million yen for women.

From this data, it can be seen that the salary of HR consultants significantly exceeds the overall average for salaried workers.

Reference: jobtag (Japan’s Occupational Information Providing Site (Japanese version O-NET)) “HR Consultant“
Reference: National Tax Agency “FY2024 Survey on Private Sector Salary Statistics“

Rewarding Aspects of Being an HR Consultant

Here, we introduce two main rewarding aspects of working as an HR consultant.

Making an Impact on Corporate Management

Being involved in important work that influences corporate management is one of the greatest sources of fulfillment for HR consultants.

The key management resources in corporate management consist of four elements: “People,” “Things,” “Money,” and “Information.” HR consultants work with “People,” the most fundamental of these management resources.

Examples of tasks include conducting hearings about corporate management during meetings with management-level staff regarding the development of recruitment strategies and the construction of HR systems.

While work that influences corporate management comes with responsibility and pressure, the success of a self-proposed initiative brings a great sense of accomplishment.

Engaging with People Across Diverse Industries

The opportunity to engage with people across a wide variety of industries is another rewarding aspect of being an HR consultant.

While HR consultants specialize in the HR domain, the industries they engage with are diverse, including healthcare, construction, services, and IT. They also have opportunities to interact with a wide range of roles, including not only HR staff at client companies but also executives, job seekers, and project team members.

By acquiring knowledge across various industries and understanding their trends, your breadth of knowledge expands. Through interaction with a wide variety of people, your thinking and perspective broaden, which also contributes to your own growth as an HR consultant.

Characteristics of People Well-Suited to Being an HR Consultant

Here, we introduce five characteristics of people who are well-suited to being an HR consultant. If you are considering a job change or new career, compare these with your own personality.

Strong Communication Skills

Having strong communication skills is one of the characteristics of people well-suited to being an HR consultant. As this is a profession that involves frequent interaction with a wide range of people, a certain level of communication ability is required to ensure smooth mutual understanding.

Additionally, HR consultants may need to give instructions depending on the situation. Communication skills that build trust and understanding are indispensable for presenting satisfactory solutions to client companies and working collaboratively to resolve challenges.

Those who find it difficult to talk with others, or who prefer to work alone, may not be well-suited to being an HR consultant.

Logical Thinking Skills

People with strong logical thinking skills tend to be well-suited to being an HR consultant. Logical thinking is the skill of systematically grasping and organizing complex matters to simplify them.

HR consultants are responsible for grasping and analyzing the challenges companies face, devising solutions, and proposing them. When presenting solutions to clients, it is difficult to gain their agreement without being able to explain logically.

With strong logical thinking skills, you can efficiently consider and explain optimal solutions to complex challenges, increasing the likelihood that clients will accept your proposals.

High Intellectual Curiosity

People with high intellectual curiosity are also well-suited to being an HR consultant. Intellectual curiosity refers to the desire to explore everything that captures your interest.

Fulfilling the duties of an HR consultant requires an enormous amount of information and knowledge, including news about the industries of client companies, competitor analysis, the latest technologies, and recruitment trends. Depending on the nature of the challenge, cases where a solution is not easily found are not uncommon.

With high intellectual curiosity, absorbing vast amounts of knowledge becomes effortless, and you can view things from multiple perspectives. Furthermore, since you can advance your thinking without being constrained by preconceived notions, you will find it easier to make optimal proposals to client companies even for complex challenges.

Physical Stamina

Having sufficient physical stamina is also one of the necessary characteristics of an HR consultant.

HR consultants have broad job responsibilities and are kept busy, and depending on the time of year and the projects being handled, working hours may extend or days off may decrease. Furthermore, since there are cases involving work related to corporate management, a great deal of responsibility and pressure accompanies the role.

Even in situations where work is piling up, the toughness to handle tasks calmly without falling ill is required.

Ability to Follow Rules

Adhering to rules is also a fundamental and important quality for excelling as an HR consultant.

HR consultants handle a very large amount of confidential information, including important details known only to executives, personal information of employees and job seekers, and trade secrets. To prevent information leaks, it is necessary to comply with established rules regarding information storage methods and security measures.

For this reason, HR consultants are well-suited to people who make few careless mistakes and can follow rules faithfully.

Career Paths from an HR Consultant Role

HR consultants are highly regarded for their skills and experience, and a wide range of career steps is available to them. Below, we introduce examples of career paths available from an HR consultant role.

Career Advancement Through Job Changes

Whether deepening specialization as a consultant, changing jobs, or becoming a consultant in another field, HR consultants have a rich variety of career paths. There is also a view that experiencing multiple companies increases one’s rarity value, and many HR consultants advance their careers through job changes.

What is common across all consulting work is “analyzing client company challenges and proposing solutions.” The frameworks, experience, and sales capabilities cultivated as an HR consultant can be applied to consulting work in other fields as well.

Transitioning to a Business Company

As an example of a career path from an HR consultant, there is the option of changing jobs to a business company and working as an HR professional at a large corporation, or the route of joining a small or medium-sized enterprise or startup as a member of the management team.

Knowledge of recruitment and HR can be applied at many companies beyond consulting firms. In particular, in recent years there has been a growing trend of companies feeling a sense of urgency about talent shortages and wanting to strengthen their recruitment efforts. As a result, experience as an HR consultant is a welcome asset across various industries in the business sector.

Starting Your Own Business or Going Independent

Among those building a career as an HR consultant, many go independent as freelancers or start their own business.

By starting a business or going independent, you can freely determine the scope of your work, increasing the likelihood of turning what you want to do into a career. Some people also hone their areas of expertise to become specialists in that field, and going independent can be expected to lead to even higher income.

On the other hand, starting a business or going independent can tend to reduce social credibility. Since you need to acquire work on your own, many people who start a business or go independent face the challenge of struggling to gain clients.

In such cases, making good use of agent services and crowdsourcing platforms makes it possible to increase your client base.

How to Become an HR Consultant

In general, the typical route is to gain experience in a company’s HR department and then join a consulting firm to become an HR consultant. While some consulting firms do hire new graduates as HR consultants, the majority of hiring is for mid-career candidates who can contribute immediately.

Building up experience and obtaining certifications closely related to the work will be useful when changing careers or taking on side work as an HR consultant.

Useful Certifications for HR Consultants

Even if a certification is not strictly required for the job, holding one serves as proof of competence and allows you to organize your own knowledge through the process of obtaining it. Below, we introduce certifications with high relevance to HR consulting that are useful for career changes and other purposes.

Career Consultant

A Career Consultant is a national qualification for supporting career development for students, job seekers, and working individuals. Since it involves proposing career plans and methods for career advancement to job seekers, it is useful when supporting talent development as an HR consultant.

To become a Career Consultant, you must pass a written exam and a practical exam, and then register in the Career Consultant Registry maintained by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The practical exam consists of a written component and an interview component.

To take the Career Consultant exam, you must meet one of the following conditions:

The Career Consultant exam is administered by two organizations: the NPO Japan Career Development Association and the NPO Career Consulting Council. The exam schedule can be confirmed on the websites of these registered testing organizations.

Social Insurance Labor Consultant (Shakaihokenroumushi)

A Social Insurance Labor Consultant is a national qualification for providing support related to labor matters such as wages and working conditions, as well as social insurance. HR consultants sometimes review HR systems to address corporate challenges, and knowledge related to wages and working conditions is useful when creating an environment where employees can work comfortably.

To become a Social Insurance Labor Consultant, you must pass the Social Insurance Labor Consultant exam, which consists of subjects such as the “Labor Standards Act and Industrial Safety and Health Act” and the “Employment Insurance Act,” and then register in the Social Insurance Labor Consultant Registry (requiring either two or more years of practical experience or completion of a designated training program).

The Social Insurance Labor Consultant exam is administered once a year by the federation, under commission from the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Reference: National Federation of Social Insurance Labor Consultant Associations “How to Become a Social Insurance Labor Consultant“

Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant (Chusho Kigyo Shindan-shi)

A Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant is a national qualification for supporting the improvement of management challenges at small and medium-sized enterprises. Since HR consultants also play a role in working toward management challenge improvement, the skills and knowledge of a Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant can be applied.

To become a Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant, after passing the First Examination administered by the Japan Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant Association, you must also pass the Second Examination, as well as complete either practical training or diagnostic work, or finish a designated training program. Anyone can take the exam regardless of age, gender, or educational background, which is a characteristic of this qualification.

Details of the Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant exam can be confirmed on the website of the Japan SME Consultant Association Federation.

Reference: Small and Medium Enterprise Agency “FY2025 Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultant Exam“

Occupational Safety Consultant

An Occupational Safety Consultant is a national qualification for supporting the improvement of occupational safety. Since HR consultants need to build HR systems with workers’ safety in mind, the knowledge of an Occupational Safety Consultant can be applied to their work.

To become an Occupational Safety Consultant, you must pass both a written exam and an oral exam administered by the Japan Examination Center for Hazardous Work Licenses. There are five exam categories: machinery, electrical, chemical, civil engineering, and architecture, and you may take one of them. Eligibility requirements are detailed and the difficulty level is relatively high.

Information on obtaining the Occupational Safety Consultant qualification can be confirmed on the website of the Japan Examination Center for Hazardous Work Licenses.

Reference: Japan Examination Center for Hazardous Work Licenses “Introduction to Occupational Safety Consultants“

Occupational Health Consultant

An Occupational Health Consultant is a national qualification for supporting the improvement of occupational health standards. Knowledge related to workers’ health is useful when thinking about creating an environment where employees can work comfortably, just like for an Occupational Safety Consultant. Therefore, it is beneficial for HR consultants who are involved in building management strategies and HR systems.

To become an Occupational Health Consultant, you must pass both a written exam and an oral exam administered by the Japan Examination Center for Hazardous Work Licenses, and you can choose between two exam categories: public health or occupational health engineering. Similar to the Occupational Safety Consultant, the eligibility requirements are strict, making the barrier to obtaining this qualification relatively high.

For more information on the Occupational Health Consultant, please visit the website of the Japan Examination Center for Hazardous Work Licenses.

Reference: Japan Examination Center for Hazardous Work Licenses “Introduction to Occupational Health Consultants“

List of Main Employers for HR Consultants

The employers available to HR consultants vary depending on the type of consulting firm. Below, we introduce the main employers for HR consultants.

HR-Focused Consulting Firms

HR-focused consulting firms are consulting companies that specialize in the HR domain.

They provide improvement support for challenges in the organizational and HR domain, such as:

• Designing HR strategies
• Reviewing HR systems
• Organizational transformation

A defining characteristic of HR-focused consulting firms is that they do not engage with external markets and focus exclusively on the HR domain of companies.

General Consulting Firms

A general consulting firm is a consulting company that comprehensively supports client companies across the entire process, from upstream tasks (such as strategy planning) to downstream tasks (such as implementing measures).

General consulting firms handle clients across all industries. Specific examples of the industries their clients belong to include:

• Financial industry
• Manufacturing industry
• Telecommunications industry
• Energy industry

Examples of challenges handled by general consulting firms include:

• Global strategy
• Talent development
• System development

General consulting firms address challenges across a wide range of industries, and consulting in the HR domain is included among those services.

Think Tank Consulting Firms

Think tank consulting firms are consulting companies backed by government bodies, financial institutions, or major corporations, and can be broadly divided into four types:

• Government-affiliated
• Financial institution-affiliated
• Securities company-affiliated
• Corporate-affiliated

A defining characteristic of think tank consulting firms is their involvement in research, analysis, and studies related to society, the economy, and politics. They also offer services in the HR domain to address issues such as labor shortages, and HR consultants can apply their experience in these areas.

Independent Consulting Firms

An independent consulting firm refers to a consulting firm that does not belong to any particular corporate group and operates as an independent company.

Basically, they provide advice and guidance on management to small and medium-sized enterprises. Examples of their work include understanding the needs of people working on the front lines in production, manufacturing, sales, and retail, and providing support to improve production efficiency.

Joining an independent consulting firm as an HR consultant to support the HR functions of small and medium-sized enterprises is also a viable option.

Top 3 Major Companies in HR Consulting

Some people may not have a clear image of the main employers for HR consultants. Below, we introduce leading firms in the HR consulting space.

Mercer Japan Ltd.

Mercer Japan Ltd. is a consulting firm that provides solutions centered on “people and organizations,” covering organizational and HR matters, benefits, asset management, and pensions.

Mercer as a whole has approximately 20,000 staff worldwide, operating from bases in 43 countries and providing services in 130 countries. In Japan as well, leveraging 45 years of extensive experience and a global network, it comprehensively provides solutions to companies and public organizations across a diverse range of industries.

In Japan, there are offices in Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka.

Towers Watson Co., Ltd.

Towers Watson Co., Ltd. is a consulting firm that supports companies in improving business performance in the areas of “HR and finance”.

It primarily handles system design and administration related to retirement benefits, as well as the provision of solutions, data, and advisory services in the HR domain. It provides services in more than 140 countries and markets, supporting client growth and comprehensive operational support.

The headquarters of Towers Watson Co., Ltd. is located in Tokyo.

Korn Ferry Japan Ltd.

The Korn Ferry Group is one of the world’s largest organizational HR consulting firms. It has 86 offices in 49 countries, with more than 4,000 staff.

With expertise spanning more than 50 domains, it provides consulting on organizational and human resources—including HR strategy development, organizational design, and capability building—to a wide range of companies.

In the areas related to organizations and HR, there are diverse themes such as advancing corporate governance, strengthening management execution structures, and leadership development. What distinguishes the Korn Ferry Group from other organizational HR consulting firms is that, as a “comprehensive organization and HR specialist,” it covers all of these areas.

Korn Ferry Japan Ltd. has its head office in Tokyo, Japan.

Tips for Successfully Changing Careers to HR Consulting

For those considering a career change to HR consulting, here are three tips for making a successful transition.

Build Experience in a Company’s HR Department

Knowledge of recruitment and HR is essential to succeed as an HR consultant. Building experience in a company’s HR department is a key factor in making a successful career change to HR consulting.

If you are currently working in a role unrelated to HR, we recommend first gaining experience in an HR department before considering a career change. This will allow you to apply that experience in recruitment consulting, one of the core responsibilities of an HR consultant.

However, since the scope of work in HR departments can vary between companies, be mindful to choose a company where you can gain broader experience.

Register with Job Listing Sites

Registering with job listing sites is also a good approach to successfully changing careers to HR consulting.

Job listing sites carry a wide variety of job postings, including HR consultant positions, and allow you to check and apply for job information at your own convenience. Review the job descriptions, compensation, and candidate requirements, then apply for positions that interest you. To gather a wider range of information, it is important to register with multiple job listing sites.

However, job listing sites generally do not provide personalized career support. If you want to gather broad information for your job change, consider combining this approach with other methods.

Use a Recruitment Agency

Using a recruitment agency is also an effective approach to successfully changing careers to HR consulting.

There are many mid-sized and smaller consulting firms where you can develop skills on par with major firms. However, because there are so many companies, many people end up giving up on a career change after being unable to find the right job as a consultant. This is a common reality.

Recruitment agencies offer support in introducing job opportunities that match the needs of job seekers. Since different recruitment agencies specialize in different areas, choose one whose strengths align with your own.

ConsulNext.jp introduces job listings specialized in the consulting field. A major feature is that it supports career changes primarily for candidates in their second new-graduate job phase through their 30s, with job openings at mid-sized and smaller consulting firms.

Whether you are actively considering a career change to a consulting firm, or simply want to discuss your future career goals without any immediate plans to change jobs, please feel free to apply.

Conclusion

In this article, we focused on HR consultants and explained their job responsibilities, salary, recommended certifications, career paths, and more.

An HR consultant is one type of “management consultant” and is a profession that identifies and resolves issues in a company’s human resources domain. In recent years, attention toward this role has been growing alongside the promotion of DX and the growing emphasis on human capital management.

The rewarding aspects of being an HR consultant include being able to make an impact on corporate management and engaging with people across a wide variety of industries. Since the salary of HR consultants exceeds the overall average for salaried workers, many people aspire to make their mark as an HR consultant.

However, since there are a large number of consulting firms, finding the right job opportunity that fits you among all of them presents a significant challenge.

Recruitment agencies offer support in introducing job opportunities that match the individual needs of each job seeker. Even if you feel anxious about changing careers, please consider making use of these services.