What are the best resources for your projects?

October 24, 2020
What are the best resources for your projects?

As a result of COVID-19, for many change has now become ‘business as usual’. We understand that for many organisations, the chance of getting back to pre-crisis levels of business activity is a long way off. According to recent reports, McKinsey Global Institute and Oxford Economics have estimated that it will take at least five years on average for large businesses, and much longer for small ones.

Therefore, for all businesses, it will be critical to make the right investments if they are going to have the best chance of recovery and growth. This will be a tough challenge at a time when budgets are being slashed and spending frozen.

As a specialist HR provider, we understand that resourcing projects is both challenging and also a significant opportunity to change the capabilities within the business. Most of our clients are either in growth or change mode as a result of the Pandemic and need immediate help with their workforce on major strategic programs. But where should you turn to obtain the input and expertise for vital projects? 

I have looked at the three main resourcing options that are available (along with the potential pros and cons) when compiling a project team to drive transformation:

Interim Professionals

As mentioned in my last blog, simply put, Interim HR is the use of HR experts on a temporary/ short-term basis. However, the term Interim HR in the truest sense relates to a group of individuals that are proven, experts in their field (in this case Human Resources) and are typically engaged by organisations to solve critical business challenges. They bring with niche skill sets, expertise and leadership capabilities required to drive forward change.

These individuals are referred to as Interim or Transformation Managers and are typically experienced business leaders who now operate through their own individual limited companies.

From our experience, we know that Interims are often individuals that have spent time ‘in the client’s seat’, giving them a deep understanding of the typical requirements and deliverables of a project.

Interims aren’t a long term hiring solution for an organisation but are a valuable resource for achieving fast turnaround, rapid results and supporting in driving business forwards. Whether an organisation is undergoing a complete transformation or only requires a consultant on an ad-hoc basis. Interim consultants will take the lead on a range of business-critical projects where internal resource isn’t available or sits outside the skill set of the organisation. 

So, what are the benefits of hiring an Interim Manager?

Pros
Cons
Management Consultants

The UK’s management consulting market has grown significantly over the past few years. 
Management consultants are experts who are trained to solve complex problems, devise strategies and improve the financial and operational health of their clients’ organisation. 
Management Consultants primarily focus on improving organisational performance by analysing the existing challenges and developing improvement plans. An organisation is likely to engage a Management Consultancy who would then resource a team of consultants who have expertise in a certain area, which the organisation may not have internally. As Consultants do not have the ‘day job’ to do as well, they solely focus on the project on hand without getting distracted by the day-to-day running of the business. 
Consultancies range in what they provide, with larger firms offering end-to-end solutions while others may focus their expertise in a specific area. 

What are the benefits of hiring Management Consultants?
Cons
Internal Resources

When starting a new project within the organisation, businesses will often look internally to identify strong performers to run business-critical change projects. It is however rare that momentous change projects will be fulfilled entirely by an internal team. Nonetheless, it is equally vital that internal team members are involved in these types of projects as this will prevent the programme from losing momentum after the specialist change experts exit. 
At first glance, an internal consultant is just like an external consultant. They are put onto the project to solve organisational challenges and improve the performance of an organisation.

What are the benefits of using Internal Resources?
Cons
Would you hire an Interim Manager, Management Consultant or Internal Resource for your next Change and Transformation project? 

Each of the three options explored has both pros and cons. As a business leader, you will need to think carefully about the type of change project you are embarking on, along with the budget and resources available. You may choose a blend of all three options or have a preference but whatever it is you need to consider this decision carefully. The pandemic has created massive uncertainty and rapid change that businesses need to adapt to, finding new ways to thrive if they are to have a chance of surviving.

If you would be keen to discuss how an Interim HR Professional could support your business or to talk to one of our experienced interim team about your next assignment please visit our interim page or contact me directly