Kim Seals knows HR consulting like the back of her hand.
Currently a senior partner at management consulting firm West Monroe, Seals has over 30 years of HR experience, including a decade in corporate roles followed by a consulting career at firms like PwC and Mercer.
In her current role, one of Seals’s responsibilities is developing the firm’s next generation of leaders—which she believes is most important.
“We have a very people-first mentality. We want to have a well-rounded experience for our consultants,” she told HR Brew. “As we think about that next generation of talent…they want development, they want to move fast with their careers. And so I think by doing that, I am helping the firm grow.”
When identifying and developing consultants, Seals says these two skills are critical: Active listening, and relationship-building. Often, she’s noticed consultants will pitch solutions to clients, often during their first meetings, without first asking or trying to understand what the customer’s problem is.
“The best thing you can do is listen. Listen to learn and listen to understand what the client is really facing and what is our unique ability to solve their problem,” she said.
Secondly, Seals says consulting at its core is a relationship-based business; Her team often works with clients from planning to execution and must build trust and demonstrate their expertise. Forming and sustaining those relationships is critical.
“Most consulting firms all have the same kinds of services and solutions, but it really comes down to the people that we have on our teams and how they consult with our clients,” she said.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
What’s the best change you’ve made at a place you’ve worked?
Over a 30-year career, that’s a tough one—but I’d say it’s when we’ve helped clients truly transform their HR operating model. It’s rewarding to help organizations shift from delivering HR programs that just check a box to delivering in a way that actually drives impact for the business. When a client says, “This is exactly what we needed to take our business to the next level,” that’s the kind of change that sticks with me.
What’s the biggest misconception people might have about your job?
That consulting is this glamorous, jet-setting lifestyle. Over the past 25+ years, I’ve traveled to nearly every region of the world for work. People hear that and say, “Wow, that must be amazing!” But the truth is, I’ve seen most of these places from a taxi window. I once spotted the Eiffel Tower while heading from the airport straight to a client meeting. In Germany, I had 10 minutes to walk through a stunning church next to my hotel before diving back into work. Most trips are nonstop days with back-to-back meetings, catching up on work at night in hotel rooms, and trying to make the first flight home to see my family. It’s rewarding—but it’s not exactly the vacation people picture when they hear I’ve been around the world.
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What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your job?
Aside from developing our people, (which I really enjoy) it’s when a client takes our recommendations, implements them, and we get to see the real impact. Sometimes that means helping them through the implementation phase, and other times it’s checking back in to see how things went and what we might tweak.
One recent example stands out: We worked with a client last year on a large HR operating model transformation. Not long ago, I saw that same client presenting the work at a conference talking about how it helped them move their organization forward. That was incredibly fulfilling. It’s one thing to deliver good work, but seeing a client proud enough to present it to their peers? That’s the best part.
What trend in HR are you most optimistic about? Why?
Generative AI. I’m incredibly optimistic about how it can transform HR—making our work faster, more accurate, and more impactful. We’ve been trying to streamline and modernize HR processes for decades, and I think AI finally gives us the tools to do it right. It can take care of repetitive, transactional work—like benefits enrollment or basic policy questions—so HR can focus on the strategic initiatives that really move the needle.
What trend in HR are you least optimistic about? Why?
[Generative AI is] also where my concern lies. I worry that too many organizations will stop at the basics and never make it to the more transformative possibilities. Things like predictive, strategic, workforce planning or using AI to analyze talent data in a way that shapes long-term business strategy—that’s where the real value is. I want to see our clients think bigger and bolder and not miss the opportunity to fundamentally rethink how HR operates.