HR Interims

As the need for a flexible workforce increases, so does the importance of recruiting interim personnel.  Pay rates are on the up and many more organisations are relying on interims as an essential resource and the world of HR is no different.  Increasingly, firms are seeking out the skills and experience an HR interim manager can offer, especially for challenging or sensitive change management or transformation projects, where an injection of experience is needed for a dedicated time period.

Ashley Kate HR has seen an increase in the last 12 months for HR interims and have a dedicated recruitment team in place who focus purely on Interim HR.  We have seen a willingness for companies to source the best talent and specialist skills, especially for implementing a new strategy or starting new business critical projects.

To start with, let’s clarify exactly what we mean when we say ‘Interim’.   Yes it is tricky to know the difference!

In this instance we are a talking about Interim Management as opposed to Temporary roles.  We would define an Interim as a senior HR professional who provides senior managerial expertise, is used to delivering a strategic piece of work and can offer both practical advice and delivery of an initiative whereas a Temp usually will work for a limited period and normally is paid on an hourly rate.

Let’s take a look at why companies are using Interims now

As the title suggests ‘Interim Management’ is all about management! An Interim is required for a number of reasons:

• Where direct managerial experience is needed
• A (senior) role is vacant and needs cover
• A senior project role needs to be completed e.g. Transformational change
• Where issues cannot be resolved in-house and external expertise and hands on delivery is needed e.g. turnaround
• Where access to top level management experience is needed e.g. M&A or restructuring

So – What are the benefits to a company when appointing an Interim Manager?

Interim management has become much more acceptable in recent years with more companies realising that it is possible to fill a skills gap with a highly qualified person at very short notice. Firms look to source external senior level expertise rather than ‘grow their own,’ because they are increasingly more comfortable with having a healthy, variety of expertise coupled with an outsiders, non biased perspective on the project. This avoids any upset of moving employees around and so continues the focus on their day to day objectives. HR can see the benefit of the breadth of organisational experience an Interim can deliver and how this can impact the business in a positive way.

Business insight and professional expertise that comes from HR professionals who have already worked at senior levels previously. They will take control immediately so make an impact straight away

Vast experience in functional roles and sectors and a proven ability to adapt to their roles at pace. They will specialise in certain areas, thus negating the generalist approach and achieving the skills needed to meet the task in hand.

Outside the Box – Interim Managers do not have any preconceptions and are not blinded by internal politics, process or culture; they can provide a fresh thinkingapproach by thinking outside the box.

Value for Money – Not having to make a large pay off to end permanent contracts, and the cost effectiveness in comparison to Consultant fees makes appointing an Interim a very attractive option.

Interims leave behind a valuable gift: not only the work results but also in the capability and motivation of the employees and teams they have coached and developed. They continue to make an impact long after the project has finished  as they will have  implemented new ways of working and advised on areas such as; succession planning.

Is your business in need of an Interim Manager?  Remember when you take on an Interim for a specified project it is a simple daily rate, there are no additions to your fixed payroll and no termination costs.

Are you an Interim Manager looking for your next role and would like expert career advice or an employer looking to recruit an HR Interim for a current or impending HR project? Contact Emma Dobson on 0845 413 3200 or email emma.dobson@ashleykatehr.com and we will be happy to assist you in your search.  Have you ever wondered how you would benefit from exclusivity? Take a look at our Multiple Agency article.