6 ways interim talent will save your business (and your sanity)

Interim talent is becoming a huge part of the workforce, a valuable resource for businesses looking to adapt and change.  With a general increase in uncertainty around hiring, loads of transformation within organisations and the toughest market for hiring great talent in recent years – many companies are finding success resourcing skills gaps with interim talent helping them get through.  

Interims (unlike temporary workers or contractors) are engaged with at a senior level on a project basis and are used most effectively when there is a skills capability gap within your current team that needs to be closed in order to meet business requirements. 

But how do you know you need one?  Here are some ways that interim talent can help:

1. YOU’VE GOT A BIG PROJECT AND NEED “BUSINESS AS USUAL” HELP.

Whether its an ERP implementation, a new line of business or a specific project around the business – chances are, you’ll want to put some of your current staff on that project for the short term.  It’s a great way to give your team the opportunity to develop their skill base and is a great retention strategy. While they are on the project – a good interim resource ensures that the day to day job is still done well, is on time and ensures a smooth transition afterwards – taking the pressure off.

2. IT’S BUSY… REALLY BUSY.

Business growth is great – but growing pains are real.  Often, support roles get overloaded when businesses grow – think the finance team who are paying more people, issuing more invoices and chasing more debt and getting more overwhelmed.  Smart organisations hire interims to help during busy times to ensure they have growth capacity. These interims can bring with them a fresh perspective from their previous experiences, along with speed and agility to stop your staff burning out.

3.YOU’VE JUST HAD A SENIOR RESIGNATION.

While losing a valued senior team member is never great – it’s always an opportunity to reassess whether your organisational structure or the role needs tweaking.  An interim resource covering the role gives you time to review the role (they can also give key insight into the role which is valuable), to hire well (you may not necessary want candidates being immediately available as your key hiring criteria), provide effective knowledge transfer (a professional interim will be skilled and experienced at this), and also in instances when someone might have left under less than ideal circumstances, the new person isn’t influenced by the opinions of the outgoing person. 

4. YOU’RE UNSURE OF THE BUSINESS CASE YET.

You might have had growth but are unsure if you really have a need for another person in the long term, your business might be toying with the idea of outsourcing some roles or changing systems – when there is uncertainty around what your team might look like in the near future – interim staff give you some breathing space while you work it out.

5. TRANSFORMATION – PEOPLE AND/OR PROCESS.

We are currently seeing a lot of transformation of process and often a lack of internal capability to lead this.  This leads to a transformation of people too, many relish the challenge of a new way of doing things, but there are those that are resistant to change and will likely move on – use this time (and staffing capacity) to hire an interim with transformation experience to lead, guide or strengthen your transformation project.

6. RETENTION OF CURRENT STAFF.

Too often, we meet candidates who are exiting their current role because of overwork and overwhelm.  An interim can act as a mentor, or give your current staff a breather before it’s too late. This can mitigate the risk of losing your best person because they have too much on their plate.

Ultimately, the success of your interim hiring experience will rely on choosing an interim with a solid understanding of your requirements and a proven track record of delivery.

But where do you find interims with specialist knowledge for your business? We are privileged to represent some brilliant interim talent – people that can ensure that you not only get through the work, but support your staff and company through change and challenge.  If any of these above scenarios sound familiar give us a call – 09 410 7235 and find out how interim talent might assist you and your business.