Interim Resources – The Emerging Panacea

Interim leaders are also beneficial for organisations that are looking for highly skilled resources to help them navigate transition phases like transformations, divestments and acquisitions. Interim leaders are valuable for implementing 'mission impossible; and even managing an IPO. The list is ever expanding, and the need is now being felt more acutely where enterprises are inundated with the impact of innovations and disruptions. 

The concept of Interim Leadership is not alien to India. However, for some reason it has only a limited acceptance in the Indian subcontinent. There has been a directional change of late, however. Interim leadership was first tried and tested in the Netherlands and subsequently spread all over Europe and the remaining part of the globe. The good news in India is that there is an awakening now by many established enterprises that reposed their faith in the concept of interim leadership. These organisations are extending the ongoing engagements and engaging in new areas where such resources (interim leaders) can be effectively deployed.

Generally, engagement of interim leaders (apart from addressing stop-gap needs) is beneficial and effective for enterprises that have stagnated and are desperately looking to resurrect their fortunes. Interim leaders are also beneficial for organisations that are looking for highly skilled resources to help them navigate transition phases like transformations, divestments and acquisitions. Interim leaders are valuable for implementing 'mission impossible; and even managing an IPO. The list is ever expanding, and the need is now being felt more acutely where enterprises are inundated with the impact of innovations and disruptions. It is more profound in the post-pandemic era as course-correcting business goals and enhancing revenue and profitability are at the top of the agenda.

There are virtually no boundaries for engagement of interim leaders and we are experiencing this fact in different parts of the globe (more prominently in the European region). Their engagement encompasses global MNCs, private, public enterprises and even NGOs.

An interim resource is not meant to be a long-term player in the ecosystem of the enterprise. Consequently, their assignments range from six months to twenty-four months and are sometimes extended in exceptional cases to optimize the impact further.

We need to be clear that an interim resource is distinctly different from a consultant. The interim resource has a clearly defined role and will be a part of the enterprise structure to deliver specific predetermined outcomes. On the other hand, a consultant has a minimal and specific scope. They will not be a part of the organisational structure and will limit their delivery by way of advising on the task at hand.

Many enterprises make a common mistake of engaging consultants as a stop-gap arrangement against roles arising out of exits. Such engagements eventually don't work out as the need in such cases is for an interim leader, not a consultant. Interestingly, many HR leaders have reaped success for having proactively engaged in serious discussions with talent firms to validate the way forward in similar situations – they more often than not had opted for interim resources.

The advantages of engaging an interim resource (as has been experienced by enterprises) is captured herein below –

Broader base skills/knowledge – Your interim leader has a fresh set of ideas and a new way of looking at things. Perhaps their work in a related but not matching industry could be relevant to your organisation. They come with a broader base of knowledge having worked in similar roles in other places.

Quick start –The incumbent will accelerate the process right from day one. Being professional interim leaders, they are well versed in terms of adapting to your organisational culture and getting things done. If the interim resource has been hired through a six-month contract, he/she has an inner understanding in terms of completing the assignment within that period.

Without bias or baggage –The incumbent will look at things without any bias or pre-conceived state of mind. The resource will be insulated from the internal group dynamics. He/she will be independent and focused on the task and timely accomplishment.

Mission Impossible / SOS resource –When enterprises face unexpected exits of key resources or contend with complex issues that require immediate interventions they invariably cannot afford the normal search time (of three months to six months) for new talent. In such situations the best possible recourse will be to engage an interim leader with a proven track record. This will not only save time but will also negate the potential tangible and intangible losses, which we all tend to overlook in our quest to follow the normal talent search process.

One of the serious concerns that keep on emerging is that engagement of interim resources is a more costly affair than hiring someone in a full-time role. This is actually a myth as interims come for a specific period and not for lifelong employment. They come with an impeccable track record and create a lasting impact. Enterprises now have a well-established cost-efficient interim talent feed as an option rather than a lifetime engagement.

Interim resources are proving to be a unique talent feed. They come with a strong mental frame of mind and integrate with the enterprise in no time to speed up the task assigned. Another unique feature about interim leaders (that is very rare among other human resources) is the ability to either work from any part of the globe or relocate to any corner of the globe and work with unknown teams and enterprises with ease.

With the advent of interim resources, enterprises have to redraw their structure incorporating flexibility for smooth and flawless entry into the organisation. Going forward, those enterprises who have budgeted engagement of interim resources (as a contingent plan arising either out of the business plan or due to unforeseen circumstances) will be at an advantage to speed up the engagement process.

Search firms that have been accustomed to feeding full-time talents will have to re-engineer their talent bank and create a repository of best-in-class interim resources to take advantage of the shift that is taking place in the talent engagement space. Alternately it is advisable to collaborate with the established global players in this field to reduce the lead time which is the most crucial aspect of the engagement process. Established players who have invested their time and effort in the interim space with global talent feed are indeed likely to have an edge.

By: Partho Pratim Dasgupta

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