Navigating the Shifting Tides: Key Trends Reshaping Professional Services in 2025
Julie Sergent
Content manager
May 6, 2025
5 min
.png)
As we step into 2025, professional services firms—particularly in consulting, audit, and IT—are facing a fundamental recalibration. After nearly a decade of double-digit growth, economic and geopolitical instability is ushering in a new era of slower, more strategic growth. Europe, in particular, is feeling the pressure, with actual growth rates falling short of expectations—IT services recorded just 0.7% growth in France in 2024, compared to the projected 0.9% (Numeum).
The global consulting market is entering a period of caution. From reduced public procurement to rising geopolitical tensions and looming tax reforms, uncertainty is throttling both internal and external growth.
Philippe Dajean, Partner at Wavestone, states:
We’ve grown significantly through external growth, but now our focus is on unlocking organic growth. Today, this is a top priority.
In Napta’s 2025 study, 38% of respondents foresee a worsening economic climate, while 46% expect stagnation. These sobering forecasts underscore the urgent need for adaptability.
To stay competitive, firms are implementing strategic transformations across three main dimensions:
Despite the challenges, professional services continue to eye growth—just not at home. The US, UK, Middle East, and Japan remain highly attractive for their profitability, fee structure, and consulting maturity.
Per Breuer, Global Managing Director at Roland Berger, notes:
The most attractive consulting markets of the world still are the US, UK, Middle East and Germany. These are very profitable consulting markets.
Firms are pursuing:
With hiring freezes and fewer open roles, the job market is increasingly competitive:
Still, firms like Wavestone continue to invest in young talent, emphasising energy, potential, and cultural fit. Philippe Dajean points out:
We therefore maintain a certain level of hiring for young graduates. What matters most to us is their enthusiasm for joining our project, their energy, and their potential. When we recruit young talent, it’s to build the future.
With shorter contract durations and price pressure, maximising margins is a top priority. Firms are adopting cost-smart models:
As stated by Isabelle Chevallier, COO Group of Palo IT:
The year 2025 is set to be complex. Our main objective will be to leverage the lessons learned from 2024 by focusing on profitability and innovation.
After years of booming growth, freelance consultant usage is decelerating due to:
Still, freelancers remain essential in niche areas requiring rare expertise or when internal teams are at capacity.
Mathilde Le Coz, HR Director at Forvis Mazars in France, explains:
The approach to freelancing is driven either by the need for specific skills or to supplement internal resources when they are stretched to capacity.
Training and development are no longer optional—they're strategic imperatives. Firms are:
Philippe Dajean notes:
We know how to adapt to market conditions, and when a sector or business activity faces difficulties, we demonstrate agility and solidarity. In such cases, we implement cross-staffing between business units.
Though the start of 2025 is “very, very quiet” for some consultancies, history suggests resilience. From the dot-com crash to the COVID-19 pandemic, the consulting sector has bounced back stronger every time.
According to Benjamin Polle, Founder of La Lettre du conseil:
The early 2025 downturn will not be the first—nor the last. But those with a long-term vision will see opportunity beyond the storm.
Professional services firms must rethink their economic, organisational, and strategic models to survive and thrive. The key imperatives for 2025 are:
Firms that blend agility, innovation, and operational excellence will not only endure but emerge stronger in this evolving professional landscape.
.jpg)
