Over the last five years, companies have been using a secret weapon in their fight against uncertainty and inefficiency: on-demand leaders. The data suggests, however, identifying this powerful resource as rarely used or unknown might be a thing of the past.
Why is Interim becoming the go-to solution for critical needs?
Interim talent might be the most efficient and effective option.
Whether or not a company navigates the choppy waters of efficiency loss, staff turnover, disrupted supply chains, tariffs, etc., will largely depend on the quality of leadership talent. However, recruiting and retaining the number of leaders with the perfect blend of skills and expertise can take too long, if ever. In fact, 95% of executives doubt they can have a perfectly developed team in place just within the next three to five years1.
There are also financial benefits to paying daily, weekly or even monthly rates, particularly if companies might be unsure about long-term market conditions but need to optimize efficiencies in the short term. Keeping an on-demand individual around when the market necessitates it, but who can quickly wrap up their time when things take a step back, provides flexibility that CEOs and boards crave.
How are Interim leaders used?
Companies turn to experts who can swoop in for a few weeks to a year and address a critical need, assist with a cultural transformation or fill a leadership gap due to a vacancy.
More individuals will retire in the year 2025 than any previous year, according to the Harvard Business Review. Combine that with traditional junior-level roles either not being filled or automated by AI or robotics, there’s insufficient leadership-ready talent who can quickly step in at many manufacturers.
This is where on-demand senior leaders who can lead companies through transformations shine. They embed into companies and facilitate mergers and integrations, drive operational excellence and enhance the culture while building organizational resilience for the long term, well after they’re gone.
Who makes up Interim hires?
The profiles of these on-demand hires predominantly fall into three buckets:
1) Consultants
These are individuals who are self-employed (or work for consulting companies) who make their living serving in temporary roles across the country. Typically, they specialize in specific functional areas and industries (e.g., FP&A for multi-site manufacturers; or transformation deployment and assessment).
How to find them
There’s a consultant group for practically everything, so market research should make them easy to find. This traditionally ends up being the most expensive option as they have set rates and terms.
2) Permanent employees between jobs
These are highly qualified individuals who, for reasons not attached to performance, currently have a gap in their employment. They have the track record and experience, and would gladly entertain a short-term option anywhere in the globe for the right opportunity.
How to find them
If there’s capacity and knowledge, traditional job boards and LinkedIn searching by internal talent acquisition teams could find them. The challenge is you’ll have to sift through hundreds, if not thousands of resumes and applications to find the A-players, then have the ability to properly identify, vet and interview each of them to know if they can address your specific needs. This is where bringing on an executive search firm could be beneficial to expedite the process and access candidates not applying on job boards.
3) Recently retired
These are individuals who’ve seen and been through it all in their decades-long tenures. They likely don’t need to work, but simply love what they do and the challenge an Interim opportunity provides.
How to find them
Job boards, LinkedIn searching and market research won’t likely yield much, as many recent retirees will only consider certain opportunities and don’t mind staying retired if one doesn’t come around. Your best bet is using your internal network, or if that’s limited based on the need, roping in an executive search firm with the proper track record for finding specific talent could be beneficial.
Interim Management went from being a niche to a vital solution for companies large and small, with the demand for Interim executives having soared 310% since 2020, according to a recent report2. If you continue to parse the data, just over half (53%) of that number accounts for C-suite executives and half of that’s specifically for Interim CFOs.
While on-demand hires aren’t always the best replacements for permanent roles, they’re now more popular than ever in solving short-term needs.
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Source:
1-2: 2025 High-End Independent Talent Report