The benefits and challenges of hiring interim staff

What are the main benefits of hiring interim professionals? And what is the most common challenge? We´ve listed them in this article.

When considering the difficulty of hiring the right full-time talent, it is logical for businesses to give their existing staff the opportunity to expand their skill set, and take on new projects or additional work.

However, increasing an individual’s workload due to a gap in skills in the organisation, or awarding someone with minimal project experience a high value/high-risk change programme can have a detrimental effect on productivity and the quality of work.

Where a project involves high risk and investment, taking on a specialist interim with relevant and proven experience can be the best way to mitigate this and ensure successful delivery.

To ensure we can best advise our clients on the ever-evolving landscape, we’ve explored the benefits and challenges of hiring interim staff in today’s market.

1. You hire temporary expertise

In order to stay ahead of the competition, companies must constantly innovate. There is barely time to implement a new technology or strategy before the next one comes along. It is impossible to have all of this expertise in-house.

Interim consultants are sometimes managers, but often are specialists in a specific field. They bring a wealth of experience from previous projects. While they implement the new technology, you’ll have some time to recruit an employee who can work with it later on.

2. You can cover long-term absences

The practice of taking some time off in the form of a sabbatical is becoming increasingly common, also at the management level. Moreover, employees in senior management roles may be absent for longer periods of time due to illness or pregnancy. The problem with this is that corporate management and strategy cannot be put on hold.

The great advantage of interim specialists is that they have often built an entire career before deciding to pursue an interim career. They have, for example, many years of experience as a controller or accountant. Thanks to their extensive experience, they are able to hit the ground running when they enter your organisation.

3. It becomes easier to handle workload increase

Every company goes through periods of increased workload. Just think of launching a new product, an audit, the end-of-year process, change management, internal processes such as insourcing or outsourcing, or changes to legislation and regulations.

At such times it is nice to be able to hire an expert who can help get the job done without a training period. Interim managers offer that expertise. They are effective and result-driven. Moreover, it is in their interest to complete the project on time.

4. You can see potential candidates in action

Hiring an interim to cover a position or lead a project is a great way to support the business at short notice without adding to the headcount. It is a highly efficient and flexible solution. Not to mention, this also allows you time to see potential candidates in action, and can sometimes lead to a permanent member of staff joining the team.

Speed is required when hiring interim professionals

A common challenge when hiring interim staff is the speed required to fill the post. Dedicated contractors are well networked and often have a plan in place for their next assignment. If you are looking for a candidate who is immediately available, you should expect them to have multiple opportunities on the go. It is crucial to have a streamlined recruitment process in place to avoid any delays.