Interim to centre stage: Is this the solution to the shortage of permanent candidates?

We live in turbulent times - political upheaval, the cost-of-living crisis and economic downturn. The need for companies to have a strong HR team in place to support their employees is more vital than ever before. With so many uncertainties, organisations need to maintain the strength and continuity of their HR function to support their employees and wider business needs. So, with a shortage of permanent HR candidates, is an interim placement the solution? Amy Smith, Head of Interim Recruitment at Macmillan Davies discusses.

Official data has revealed the number of current vacancies has experienced the largest quarterly fall since the pandemic, yet recruitment for HR is buoyant. Is this something you have seen specifically for interim?

As my colleague Kerry White discussed last week, the HR market has been continuously busy, both for interim and permanent placements, but whilst the permanent market is seeing a candidate shortage within HR, interim candidate availability remains high. The requests from our clients for interims is increasing alongside this - whether that be for short-term cover or a longer-term project. This is for both immediate starts and definite plans for interim hires in the new year.

Is interim the solution to company’s who are struggling to hire? If so, why?

With the Christmas period fast approaching, many companies are planning future projects and considering workload cover for the new year. Bringing in highly skilled interim professionals allows businesses to increase or decrease staffing numbers based on demand, giving more control over labour costs – and morale. You can rapidly staff up or down in response to customer requirements whilst lightening the load for employees who may be stretched too thinly or blocking gaps when a permanent employee leaves or is off long-term. A key benefit of interim professionals is the hiring process and their ability to hit the ground running. Instead of taking weeks and months, an interim can get up to speed within days.

Why do you think HR is bucking the trend?

With everchanging business requirements and market demands, the need to have a strong HR function is vital. Bringing in skilled interims can provide senior HR professionals with the breathing and head space they need Uncertainties such as a political upheaval, the cost-of-living crisis, the IR35 challenges, standards must be maintained by HR professionals, to support the business and employees through these times.

What is the state of the candidate market?

At Macmillan Davies, this is one of the most buoyant interim candidate markets we have seen. We are finding candidates are more flexible on their needs and requirements from a business. Company ethos and work life balance are topping the table, but a boom in hybrid working options has led to new and experienced candidates entering the interim market. It also allows people to consider working options in locations they never would not have been able to previously.

Are you finding roles easy/hard to fill?

With the candidate market so buoyant, businesses have options. However, with many options, come challenges, including the time it takes to advertise roles, review applications, interview and negotiate offers. Organisations need to streamline their interim recruitment process to allow them to benefit from the heavy candidate driven market and have a successful interim solution to make an impact as efficiently as possible. There are, as with anything, some more niche areas in HR which can of course be more time consuming, but with the quality and availability of the interims we are working with here at Macmillan Davies, we are able to provide clients with the solutions they need.

The Interim Recruitment team at Macmillan Davies

The Macmillan Davies Interim Recruitment team is expanding and I am delighted to welcome Sophie Atkinson as a Senior Consultant to work alongside me. With the interim market growing rapidly it was important we had the capacity to be able to continue to frequently place high quality interim candidates to our clients. Sophie comes with a number of years’ experience working in the interim market in a variety of sectors including HR. Sophie is a great addition to the team and is already supporting candidates in their search for new interim opportunities.

Get in touch

For more information on interim opportunities for yourself or for your business please contact our interim consultants:

Amy Smith – asmith@mdhr.co.uk – 07946 173 393

Sophie Atkinson – satkinson@mdhr.co.uk – 07930 086 518