ARNHEM - Due to labour market shortages and an increasing need for flexibility, the interim management industry expects to grow further in the next two years. This is according to research by ZiPconomy and the Council for Interim Management.
Harrie Hidding, interim specialist within REP Recruitment, recognises this development. 'Besides an increasing demand for structural solutions, we see that the need for a qualified interim manager is emerging more and more often. Take, for example, a manufacturing company that has challenges managing incoming projects, simply due to a (temporary) shortage of employees. An interim project manager is then the solution: this person can step in within two weeks, is experienced in project management and therefore quickly up and running.
Haas Mondomix (a wholly owned subsidiary of the Swiss Bühler AG) is one of the companies where REP recently fulfilled an interim assignment. Margreet Vos, responsible for this interim project, says: 'There was a need to expand our staff. We tried to fill these vacancies ourselves, but these are often long-term projects before you find someone. That is why we opted for interim and then engaged REP. In addition, our identity is very important; we find it important that someone fits our company well. By hiring someone on an interim basis, we can easily see whether someone fits within our company.'
The survey also shows that a warm network is increasingly important for fulfilling the right match. The inner circle of companies focusing on interim management has grown strongly.
Hidding: 'Thanks to a carefully built and critically maintained interim network in our eighteen-year existence, we are able to meet the needs of our relations at very short notice. Because we continuously focus on interim management, we also see a nice upward inflow on the candidate side.'
Vos also sees the added value of interim: 'The advantage is that they are professionals who have already earned their spurs in the profession. They grasp the material quickly and pick it up well. This helps our colleagues faster and reduces the workload of the existing club. We are therefore very satisfied with interim.'