Unlocking Success in 2025: Why Professional Services Must Embrace a Skills-Based Approach

Training: Driving Agility and Excellence

In today’s economy, training is a strategic investment—not just a cost center. While it reduces short-term billability, it pays off by opening up high-value market opportunities and increasing employee loyalty.

As stated by Sébastien Huet, Partner at EY:

We face a real training challenge, as new essential components—both in terms of subject matter and the techniques used—are set to profoundly transform our profession.

Benefits of a Strategic Training Program:

• Adaptability: Equip employees with cutting-edge knowledge in AI, ESG, and compliance.
  
• Excellence: Maintain service quality that meets or exceeds evolving client expectations.
  
• Engagement: Position training as a pillar of talent development and motivation.
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Isabelle Chevallier, COO Group of Palo IT explains:

When it comes to training, it is crucial to first and foremost prepare consultants for greater adaptability in response to the rapid evolution of technologies and tools.

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Firms like EY and Bain & Company are actively investing in hybrid learning formats—combining microlearning, coaching, and in-person seminars—to ensure continuous professional growth.

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Agility: The Must-Have Competency of 2025

In a world where client needs shift rapidly and project durations shrink, agility has become the most in-demand soft skill. Consultants are expected to move across domains, adapt quickly, and deliver value fast.

As specified by Sébastien Huet, Partner at EY:

Agility is a crucial issue in a context of economic slowdown, with a focus on team versatility and their ability to work on different types of assignments.

Agility depends on:

• Recruitment strategies that prioritise adaptability and cross-functional competencies.
  
• Training programs that develop both hard and soft skills.
  
• Workforce mobility, including cross-department staffing and international collaboration.
  

Retention: Securing Expert Talent in a Competitive Market

Retention is the top challenge for 59% of respondents in the Napta study. While job market sluggishness has temporarily lowered turnover, firms must double down on long-term retention strategies.

Strategies for Stronger Retention:

• Offer meaningful career paths built around skill development.
  
• Support ESG initiatives and impact-driven missions, now key differentiators for professionals.
  
• Provide flexible work environments and hybrid models that accommodate personal and professional aspirations

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Redefining Management and Organisational Models

The traditional pyramidal structure is being replaced with a diamond-shaped model, emphasising mid- and senior-level experts. This model boosts client satisfaction and project profitability—if supported by the right pricing strategy and internal processes.

Mathilde Le Coz, HR Director at Forvis Mazars in France explains:

Retention challenges highlight the importance of managerial skills. Companies with the best managers are the most resilient.

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Key shifts:

• Managers now act as performance catalysts, balancing KPIs with human leadership.
  
• Social KPIs are being introduced to measure and incentivise managerial effectiveness.
  
• Junior roles are evolving—more focused on acquiring specialised knowledge quickly due to the automation of repetitive tasks by tools like ChatGPT.
  
  

Final Thoughts: Turning Skills into Strategic Capital

In 2025, skills are not just a resource—they are the strategic foundation of competitiveness for consulting, audit, and IT services firms. Those who embrace data-driven forecasting, invest in agile training models, and retain top talent will gain a powerful edge.

Professional services firms must stop viewing skills as static assets and start treating them as dynamic, future-proof levers. The firms that do so will not only weather economic uncertainty—they will emerge stronger and more relevant than ever.