Interim hires – How can they benefit your business?

There are many reasons why businesses find interim hires an attractive and valuable asset; from being particularly useful during transitional phases like mergers or acquisitions, to the implementation of new technology or software, through to strategy development or loss of current staff. Interim professionals leverage their extensive experience to lead projects, adapt strategies, and promptly provide value-added solutions for clients. Here, Sophie Atkinson, Senior Consultant at Macmillan Davies discusses some of the key benefits of interim hires for businesses.

Is hiring interim staff better than permanent staff?

Both options, hiring an interim or a permanent staff member, have their advantages in delivering optimal results. Typically, bringing in an interim professional does not replace a permanent staff member. Interim candidates are usually brought in for specific projects, offering flexible and on-demand support for business needs and workloads. They can also fill in temporarily for staff on leave (such as parental or sick leave).

On the other hand, hiring a permanent staff member can be a challenging process for a company. It necessitates a clear understanding of the role's requirements, necessary skills, experience, and future direction. Staff turnover can sometimes lead to a period of crisis or, on a positive note, trigger restructuring or role redefinition. This may require a thorough examination of the company's core needs, which can be intricate and time-consuming.

While hiring an interim is not a permanent fix, in the interim, engaging an experienced interim professional to step into the departed staff member's role can yield positive outcomes and drive success. This approach allows the company to define its long-term needs for a permanent hire while ensuring the smooth operation of daily tasks within the organization. However, this is not the sole reason why hiring an interim professional can be the optimal solution for a business.

Flexibility

HR interims can be hired for specific durations or projects, which allows businesses to adapt to changing needs without long-term commitments. As businesses battle for a competitive advantage, they need to be able to respond quickly and strategically. Interim professionals offer flexibility for businesses as they bring in the right skills, at the right time, and for as long as needed. 

Expertise

Typically, interims are highly experienced. It cannot be overstated how valuable this experience is, it is in an interim’s best interest to be as qualified as possible for any given project as their next contract could depend on the success of their last. Expertise, intelligence, and creative problem-solving become the interim’s highest priority which they build on over the course of several years and even decades. This allows a business to tap into invaluable amounts of expertise and experience to aid them on a project that, dependent on experience, a newly hired permanent member of staff might not be able to provide.

Objectivity

As external professionals, interims can provide unbiased perspectives and insights, which can be crucial for making strategic decisions and driving change. Interim professionals keep up to date on current best practice standards and are able to apply what they have learned from previous projects they have been working on. The views and decisions of permanent members of staff can be influenced by internal factors while interim professionals can provide a fresh perspective and new ideas.

Speed

Another key benefit of interim professionals is the hiring process and the speed at which they can hit the ground running. Instead of taking weeks and months, Macmillan Davies can provide interim professionals quickly, enabling the interim to get up to speed within days. As a result, businesses can see an impact, almost immediately, from their work.

Cost-Effectiveness

Creating a dynamic mix of permanent employees and highly skilled interim professionals allows businesses the ability to increase or decrease staffing numbers based on current demands, giving you more control over labour costs – and morale. You can rapidly staff up or down in response to customer demand, while at the same time lightening the load for employees who may be stretched too thinly.

Change Management

Interims are often skilled in managing transitions and driving change, which can be beneficial during periods of restructuring or organisational change.

Knowledge Sharing

Interims can mentor and develop existing staff within your HR team, sharing their expertise and enhancing the capabilities of the permanent team.

Results Focused

Our HR interims are goal-oriented, focussing on achieving specific outcomes within their tenure, leading to high productivity and efficiency.

Mitigate Hiring Risk

Hiring an interim can mitigate the risk of making a poor permanent hire by allowing the company to assess needs and the fit of the role more accurately before making a long-term commitment.

Network Access

At Macmillan Davies, we are connected to a large market of interims, who in turn often have extensive professional networks that can be leveraged for additional resources, partnerships, or opportunities.

How does Macmillan Davies’ approach to interim hires ensure success?

At Macmillan Davies, we focus solely on HR appointments which gives us an in-depth understanding of our clients and the broader HR market. This means we can provide businesses with interims who are assessed based not only on their experience in the market, and in a variety of business scenarios, but most crucially, cultural fit. Our consultative approach to HR interim management services means we can tailor solutions and provide the best workforce for our clients’ needs in order to add the most value.

If you are looking for an experienced and transformational interim, get in touch today to discuss your requirements.

Get in touch

Should you wish to have a confidential chat with Sophie Atkinson to discuss the current HR market or your search for work/recruiting into your team, please contact her directly at satkinson@mdhr.co.uk

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