A Strategy for Interim Appointments

Justin Rush, Director from Abacus Talent Group advises paying more attention when hiring for an interim position.

Ensuring your team does not lose capacity due to a project, secondment, illness or maternity cover is something that gives many businesspeople sleepless nights. Knowing where to obtain and how to secure the appropriate levels of support for a fixed or flexible term can be very difficult.

Helping clients appoint the correct professionals in these circumstances is often the most challenging work the team at Abacus Careers undertakes. In order to help you sleep a little easier, try applying some of these tactics when recruiting:

1. Think about what you are really offering the ideal candidate

Justin does not refer to the pay point here, Accountants, Lawyers, HR, Tech professionals all know their worth. If you can’t compete on price then you are fighting a losing battle. Today’s market is providing choice and you need to think in broader terms regarding your offering. Are you providing the opportunity to manage a team? Launch a new product? Take a lead role in a project? Think how will joining your team for a fixed period of time be of benefit to the individual. Now you have something to promote.

2. Draft a specification

DO NOT use a historical document. Draft a job specification from scratch that is accurate and reflects what the person in the role will do. There are always nuances, using old job descriptions is a rookie move.

3. Add 25% to the first number you thought of

Interim appointments mainly fail because the appointed person does not get enough lead in or hand back time. If you need cover for 24 weeks then add 4 to the front and 2 to the back, your project requirement is now 30 weeks. Yes, it will cost more financially but you will make it up in efficiency gains.

4. Price in a completion bonus

You may think that the costs are now starting to stack up, well Justin did not say that it would be cheap. If you do not reach an agreement with your appointed interim on a completion bonus you are making a big mistake. The completion bonus should be clearly defined upon the delivery of key milestones for a project, or to set timescales if covering a specific role. This is not a 100% guarantee but it is likely to give you exactly what you want.

5. Agree on the terms of engagement

This does not need to be the Magna Carta, it can be an email but it needs to be clear and acknowledged by both parties. State the headline items; duration of the contract, payment amount and interval, how work is recorded, reference the specification of duties, basis for a bonus award, etc.

The demand for interim professionals in Northern Ireland is increasing and this means you must work hard to attract the best people to your offering.

Justin Rush is a career recruiter and Director at Abacus Talent Group. For further advice on this interim article please contact Justin on [email protected] | 028 9031 3157.  The team in Abacus Talent Group works across several professional and executive markets. Managing permanent, contract and temporary recruitment solutions across Belfast and Northern Ireland.