Why hire interim or temporary HR professionals?

The facts speak for themselves: 2020 turned out to be different than expected.

Especially when businesses agreed and approved their budgeting, personnel topics or expansion plans for the year. For most businesses out there these plans are invalid now. Currently only few components are actually scalable as the current situation needs flexibility and an immediate implementation of actions. This can only be achieved by specific skilled staff members. However, this is not always feasible with current employees or workload.

What’s the best approach?

One approach here could be to hire temporary candidates. This would help in covering temporary peak periods. Furthermore, it can cover any administrative work occurred during  restructuring for example. This approach can also provide a company with some fresh insights and help create stability during uncertain times. Two of the most helpful models in these situations can be the use of a “temporary” and/or “interim” solution.

Temporary solution – an option when there is a lack of capacity in your daily HR operations   

The temporary solution offered in Germany is when a recruitment agency supplies its employee to the client for a limited period of time (maximum 18 months).

With this model it is possible to cover long-term absences like illness, maternity leave and workloads occurred due to various other reasons. Temporary candidates are able to start on short notice and work in HR roles such as Recruiting or HR administrator/assistant. The advantage of appointing a temporary candidate is the speed itself: a quick hire can help to maintain the daily business.

Further, the costs for the temporary assignment can be easily calculated as the client pays just the hours worked. Holidays or sick leave are the responsibility of the agency. Temporary staff can work on short assignmentsor long-term projects on different hierarchy levels.

Interim HR recruitment – a solution when there is shortage of skills and expertise at a (strategic)management level

Interim HR recruitment is a temporary project or assignment on a management or specialist level. The Interim Manager takes over responsibilities for a certain time frame or project and can be a consultant for the business at the same time. The remuneration of the Interim Manager are calculated at an hourly or daily rate: only the actual hours worked are charged.

An interim assignment could include a reorganisation of a business, a digital transformation project such as implementing a new HRsoftware, a business takeover or downsizing. A lack of personnel can be a reason for an interim project as well.

Similarly like a temporary placement, it is possible to have an interim assignment on very short notice. In HR, this can be a HR Manager, a Talent Acquisition Manager, an expert in M&A or restructuring and many more specialisms. Interim candidates have a wealth of experience and can offer a high degree of flexibility and efficient way of working, which leads to faster problem solving.

A business can profit from hiring interim candidates who bring many years of experience, are highly skilled, and have the knowledge of particular industries. The knowledge transfer, tools, or solutions implemented by the Interim Manager during the project remain with the business even after termination of the project. The Interim Manager has an objective view on the business: decisions made by the Interim Manager during a project are made on a neutral basis. The Interim Manager is also a standalone role, not overlapping with any manager or specialist role in the business. 

Despite the differentiation made above between the two temporary models, it is not always obvious at first sight which solution is right for your company. With our extensive expertise and as your recruitment partner, we are more than happy to assist you in finding the right solution for your business.