Increasingly, hrQ clients report growing pressure to complete objectives and meet deadlines with fewer resources and while staying below budget. HR leaders are getting creative and implementing various strategies to optimize task completion within their organizations.
Say hello to a short-term hero—the interim hire
Interim HR hires are temporary employees who come in for a period to complete a specific project, cover employee absences, or fill distinct gaps in a business. Interim hires tackle a defined scope of work, so they can be a helpful addition to a struggling HR team.
According to a recent study commissioned by Fiverr, “independent professional work continues to be an influential economic force,” with estimates that this group “earned $286 billion in revenue in 2022.” More businesses are using this highly proficient talent source to get key projects over the finish line.
Reasons to seek interim HR help
Testing a new role—interim hiring is a low-risk way for a business to test a new function while maintaining its current permanent headcount.
Scalability – interim talent can scale with the demands of the team, increasing in the busiest times to ensure deadlines are met, and decreasing when the work slows.
Trying out a specific candidate—interim hiring is a way to test a specific candidate for a short time to see if the person is a good match for the company and its values.
Budget freezes—the work doesn’t stop just because there’s a hold on permanent hiring. Many firms opt for interim talent to maintain the workload and save the expense of recruiting, hiring, and onboarding a full-time, permanent person.
Extended employee leave—business leaders are using long-term leave benefits to attract and retain their permanent employees. Whether covering for maternity/paternity or sick leave or filling in for a sabbatical, interim workers can keep the business flowing when permanent staff members are away.
Short-term project support—many times, business leaders want a skilled HR person to help with a specific project, event, or initiative that could use a little short-term help. Interim workers can take on projects such as compensation studies, technology implementations, M&As integrations, and more.
How interim HR hires can usher in business success
With a tight job market, seasoned, high-quality HR candidates are available and happy to work in interim roles so that they can gain unique experiences and build their networks and capabilities. Many qualified interim workers like the option to try out a few different businesses and learn systems and structures, and all that new learning comes with them to the next assignment, which can greatly benefit employers.
Interim hires often have the most cutting-edge skills or highly distinct backgrounds in areas that perhaps no one else in the company can claim (examples could be navigating HR compliance in a merger/acquisition or establishing a new HRIS tool).
And there’s even more…
Interim HR hires can even offer unexpected benefits to a business. They can modernize a workplace with diverse skills and bring new ideas to the company.
Most interim hires are eager to impress and want to meet the employer’s goals, so they tend to be enthusiastic and hard-working. They also aren’t likely to be involved in entrenched biases or office politics, so may be able to suggest novel ways to push projects forward.
Get a helping hand
The smartest way to get alternative hiring to work for you is to integrate it into a company-wide talent plan. Hiring an HR-specific recruiting firm to find these talented professionals will help the process move faster and a good firm will also be able to help with that overall talent strategy for the business.
Recruiters engage with professionals and clients daily, granting them insight into the prevailing trends crucial for most companies. Their primary responsibility is to familiarize themselves with the full spectrum of their candidates’ strengths. Through daily candidate screenings, they possess the expertise to match the perfect candidate with the client’s role, investing ample time in understanding the client’s company culture to ensure a seamless fit from the outset.
Need an interim hire to augment your team’s work? Set a plan in motion with hrQ today. Contact us at 866-363-5496.
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