Interim leaders: When and how to hire an interim manager

Fixed-contract managers or leaders can plug gaps in your organisation and help you navigate transition periods. Here’s how you can access their skills in the short term.

Effective management is a crucial part of running a successful business. However, companies often find themselves lacking the specific skills they want in their leadership, or realise they need very specific talents but only for a limited period of time. For situations like this, many organisations turn to interim managers.

These short-term hires can patch the gaps in an organisation during key periods. They can be used to provide mentorship and training to staff to develop them into permanent managers. They can help make periods of transition easier, and provide organisations with the skills needed to tackle short-term projects. There are many great reasons to take on an interim leader; however, it is crucial to hire the right person for the job.

What is an interim manager?

In short, an interim manager is someone who enters your company in a management role for a fixed period of time. They are typically able to start on short notice, enabling companies to hire them reactively in response to a sudden change, such as someone leaving the business unexpectedly. If a crucial leadership position is suddenly vacated, companies can plug the gap with an interim manager while they go about finding someone to fill the role permanently.

This is just one of the many uses for an interim manager. Any time a business has a potential need for a leader on a short-term basis, an interim manager can be taken on. The manager will know that their job is for a fixed period of time and will be able to ensure they provide what is needed in that period.

Usually, an interim leader will have a slightly different role to that of a permanent manager in the same position. Part of the job of an interim manager is to prepare the company for when their contract ends. For example, they might be involved with training a permanent replacement, or getting the business to the point where they no longer need the interim manager’s specific skills.

How long should an interim leadership position last?

The precise answer to this will depend on the specifics of the position. However, in general an interim leader or manager should last for no more than 18 months. The point of an interim leader is to fill a short-term gap in the skills and qualities your company has access to; if you don’t plan to have these after 18 months then really you should be looking at hiring a permanent manager.

Remember that part of the role of an interim leader is to prepare the organisation for their absence. They should be helping to get the business to a point where they are no longer needed, whether that’s by training a replacement or solving a specific problem. This should be something you are working towards throughout the interim leader’s contract.

Signs you need to hire an interim leader

There are times when interim management is not only a good idea, but is necessary for your company’s success. Here are some of the situations when an interim leader is the best option for most organisations:

Managing a crisis

There are plenty of different emergencies a company could fall victim to, and in many cases they can be managed by existing leadership. However, sometimes the skills needed to recover don’t exist in the company as it stands. Whether it’s PR, financial restructuring or specialist HR, an interim manager can provide leadership in a specific area to prevent a crisis from getting out of hand.

Stabilising after mergers and acquisitions

A merger or acquisition can be extremely turbulent for both the company being bought and its new owner. There will be a lot of reorganisation and redevelopment in any merger, and some cases are much harder to manage than others. In this situation, extra leadership during the aftermath of the merger can go a long way towards making things run smoothly.

Taking on a new project

Whether it’s developing a new product, moving into an unknown market or trialling a new process, businesses often venture into unfamiliar territory in order to grow. These projects are not guaranteed successes, and will benefit greatly from being managed by someone with experience in the field. An interim leader can provide this experience during the initial stage of this growth, so companies can access their expertise without having to commit to an expensive long-term hire.

Preparing internal employees for management

Many organisations prefer to hire internally, but this is not always possible. Maybe you don’t have any potential employees with the right skillset, or there are people with the potential to lead but who don’t have enough management experience. In this case, an interim leader can handle management while you train someone up internally, while also providing development and mentoring to your future manager.

Hiring an interim manager

Sourcing an interim manager can be tricky, especially when there is time pressure. Your network and contacts can be extremely helpful here, as there may be people they can recommend. Hiring through job adverts is possible, but takes much longer, which is often a big disadvantage when your needs are urgent.

When you are interviewing potential candidates, one of the most important things is clarity. If they know exactly what you expect and what your needs are, they will be able to explain how they can help. You don’t want to waste time and money hiring someone who will then have to uncover what’s really going on at your business.

When they come on board, make sure you and your interim manager agree on the specific outcomes you need them to achieve during their time. Ideally you want to be able to measure their progress, so agree on KPIs as well. That way you can be sure your interim manager is definitely working towards a version of your organisation that no longer needs them.

Help sourcing an interim leader

While your network might be able to provide you with a great interim hire, you might find that you don’t have a huge amount of choice between candidates, particularly when there is time pressure. If you need an interim manager quickly, it is often better to work with a specialist recruitment agency.

Allen Senior Appointments is able to find high-level leadership talent quickly thanks to an AI-powered search engine that sources candidates based on the specific skills you need. If you need help finding an interim manager, get in touch today.