An interim approach

Citation

Watts, C. (2008), "An interim approach", Strategic HR Review, Vol. 7 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/shr.2008.37207aaf.001

An interim approach

An interim approach

Thought leaders share their views on the HR profession and its direction for the future

Chloe Watts of Boyden Interim Management discusses the growing role of interim HR.

There has been a huge increase in HR interim management since the start of this decade. Last year I joined Boyden Interim Management, a general management interim provider, to establish a specialist HR practice. In comparison with my experience of setting up the interim business for HR resourcing firm, Courtenay, in 2000, there has been a significant shift in maturity of the sector. More HR professionals are proactively choosing to pursue an interim career and at an earlier stage in their professional lives. On the client side there is increased awareness of the role that interim management can play.

A MORI survey carried out in 2006 for the Interim Management Association in the UK shows that 26 percent of interim managers are now in the HR sector, with finance coming in second at 16 percent (www.interimmanagement.uk.com/docs/mori-research2-2006-04.pdf).

Drivers behind the growth

HR professionals that take the interim management route tend to be very capable individuals who are frustrated with corporate roles. The maintenance side of the HR role bores them and they want to move on to new projects. This makes them ideal for change management situations as it allows them to do what they do best.

Clients are also becoming much more aware of the benefits of interim management and corporate resourcing professionals are readily engaging with this flexible, well-qualified resource pool. My experience of the initial growth in interim management stems back to the dotcom boom, when organizations found they needed a lot of new resources quickly. At the time, interim management was an emerging sector used to meet this need and to provide a solution for absence cover, such as maternity leave.

A more strategic approach

Interim management is no longer purely the domain of crisis management but is about strategic resourcing. HR functions that are aligned with the business drivers will recognize peaks and troughs of change activity and word has spread of the substantial benefit of introducing highly experienced executive capability. In these scenarios, an interim manager’s objectivity and ability to be hands-on is invaluable in supporting organizations through capability or capacity gaps. Typical assignments might include:

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  Providing short-term, flexible resource to smooth the curve of the HR annual cycle, for example managing the annual performance and reward reviews.

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  Providing change management expertise, such as M&A due diligence, new market entry, etc.

Making it work

Typically interim assignments tend to last for between three and nine months and successful interim managers frequently find their brief is extended beyond the original term. A good interim manager, however, will not be interested in entrenching themselves into the organization or creating dependencies on their skills. Instead they will always be looking towards an exit. They will be independent of internal politics, but aware of their existence. Generally, the characteristics that make a good interim manager are:

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  a huge capacity to learn and adapt;

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  a balance of insight and intuition with sharpness of judgment;

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  independence and objectivity;

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  a commitment to action; and

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  emotional resilience.

Clients can be tempted to abdicate responsibility, particularly when an interim manager is called in to deal with a tricky situation. Interim managers can only be as effective as the permissions they are given. The client needs to take responsibility for positioning them properly, giving them the delegated authority and communicating their purpose to others. It is particularly important to have clear communications during change programs or due diligence.

Future development

As organizations understand and witness the value delivered by interim executives it is no surprise that both the frequency and the complexity of how interim managers are used continues to develop. Add to this the convergence in length of an interim assignment and the tenure of senior permanent executives and we could argue that the future for management teams lies in bringing together time-based capability to deliver shareholder strategy.