In truth, this has been a constant question ever since I began placing interim HR professionals. The answer has not changed hugely since the economy hit harder times, but the emphasis and sentiment has certainly shifted. While my response is still “it’s challenging”, this is not so much due to a lack of client demand or ability to commit funds to bringing in external short-term resource, but because of their requirements for absolutely fail-safe appointees.

 

Clients are now far more in tune with the nature of interim management and are under intense pressure to deliver value to a variety of internal and external stakeholders. Indeed, Tom Hadley, Head of Professional Services at the REC, wrote in a recent edition of The HR Director about “a flexible ‘cloud’ of contingent talent around a core workforce.”

 

This shift in clients’ attitudes is a positive development for our industry because it means there is a growing desire and understanding of how to engage with this incredibly valuable pool of interim HR expertise. The black arts of navigating spheres of influence and working out the most effective modus operandi are still key competences for a successful interim manager. However, in today’s market conditions, when clients better understand why they have procured interim expertise in the first place, the speed of engagement and delivery are ever more important to the overall success of the assignment and the client’s business as a whole.

 

Chloe Watts, Managing Consultant, HR