FM Company Updates

So you won’t hire an interim candidate

June 14, 2021
James Deeley

James Deeley

James Deeley is our Business Manager within the contract and interim team. He specialises in Project Management roles and works closely with his clients to make sure they never have gaps in their teams.

So, you’d never hire an interim candidate.

We’ve heard it – they’re too expensive. They don’t have the commitment to the company that you need. It’s too time consuming to recruit for a temporary role and then a permanent one.

We’ve heard all the reasons. We understand your point of view. But we think you’re missing a trick.

Because the benefits of hiring an interim candidate or a contractor are huge.

Interim candidate

Contractor vs Interim

A contractor would normally be brought in for a special project, or for a particular time bound role, whereas an interim candidate is usually a highly experienced expert in their field, ideal for when you need to make a big impact quickly.

Whichever of these it is that may have been suggested to you, they will bring benefits to your company. Here are four massive positives for your business:

1. Caretaker

If you take on an interim consultant, you’re guaranteed a caretaker – a safe pair of hands who can hit the ground running, and make sure that your timelines aren’t delayed and KPIs aren’t missed. Think about the cost of the missed business opportunities having no one in role – you can bypass the inaction and have someone who knows the role come in to move it alone.

Contractor

2. Talent

Interim consultants will have worked above the level you require and have a specialist skill set that can offer you added benefits and insight to help make sure your permanent candidate has the best possible foundations when they start.

The additional skills and experience brought in by an interim candidate can transform your project and the strategy behind it, meaning when you find the right permanent candidate, they’ll be able to get started with a high-quality handover.

3. Cost Effective

Using a specialist contractor for short term projects and transformation projects can be hugely beneficial, as they’ll have direct experience of delivering similar projects to deadline. And because they can start straight away and are only paid for the duration of the project, they can be far more cost effective than bringing in a new permanent staff member.

4. Breathing Room

It’s a candidate short market. The last thing you want is to rush to make a bad appointment, but sometimes the pressure is on to make sure you have someone moving things forward. An interim candidate can make sure that your projects keep moving while you recruit for the right person who will fit your company culture long term and have all the skills needed to be successful. When you’re up against the deadline of someone’s notice period, having a handover to a replacement can be crucial. Having the option of an interim can make sure you’re not pressured into the wrong choice (which can be far more costly in the long run).

The Boden Group Contract & Interim Team have always shown themselves to be diligent, and add value time and again. They've placed really high quality interim candidates into my team, who have been game changers in the projects we're running. Thanks Ryan and the team!

So when you weigh up the potential benefits of bringing in an expert interim candidate or contractor to move your project forward, are you still against it?