When a CFO resigns with four weeks’ notice, when an operations manager goes on sick leave in the middle of a transformation process, or when a growth company needs leadership before a permanent hire is in place, the question quickly becomes a practical one: how does interim management work—and what is required for it to deliver business value, rather than just temporary relief?
Interim management is essentially a solution for organizations that need experienced leadership for a limited period of time. It is not about “hiring a consultant” in the general sense, but rather about appointing a qualified manager or specialist with a clear mandate, a clear assignment, and defined accountability for results. For decision-makers, it is often a way to mitigate risk in a situation where time, stability, and quality must be balanced against one another.
How does interim management work when the need is urgent?
The process almost always begins with a business-critical issue. Perhaps you need to ensure business continuity following a sudden departure. Perhaps you’re facing a reorganization, a new venture, a streamlining initiative, or a temporary gap between two leaders. The key is to first define why the role is needed right now.
In effective interim management, you don’t start by looking for a candidate. You start with the assignment. What does the person need to accomplish in the first 30, 60, and 90 days? What authority is required? Which stakeholders need to be managed? What business objectives, risks, and cultural factors influence the assignment? Without that analysis, even a highly experienced interim manager will be a poor fit.
When the assignment is clearly defined, the selection process is highly precise. Unlike traditional recruitment, where potential and long-term development are key considerations, interim management is more often about immediate results. The candidate must have experience in similar roles, be able to establish structure quickly, and function effectively in complex environments from day one.
That doesn’t mean that long-term fit isn’t important. On the contrary. An interim solution that works well must also align with the organization’s culture, decision-making processes, and level of maturity. A manager who performs well in an international corporate environment isn’t automatically the right fit for a rapidly growing, entrepreneur-driven company. Here, local market understanding and experience with regional conditions are often more crucial than many people realize.
Here's what the process looks like, from initial need to launch
In practice, interim management is a fast-paced yet structured process. First, the scope, objectives, mandate, timeframe, and reporting lines of the assignment are clarified. Next, candidates with the right experience and availability are identified and vetted. When a candidate is presented, the decision-making criteria must be clear: what has the person achieved in the past, in what environments, under what conditions, and with what kind of leadership?
Once a consultant has been selected, the next steps are contracting and onboarding. Onboarding, in particular, is often underestimated. Many people think that an interim manager “just steps in and gets to work,” but to set the right pace, they need access to facts, key personnel, decision-making authority, and a clear client. If the assignment is unclear internally, the interim leader risks becoming a firefighter rather than a change leader.
A good start, therefore, involves more than just an introductory meeting. It requires a shared understanding among the board, the CEO, and HR regarding what the assignment actually entails. Is the consultant expected to stabilize, develop, transform, or lay the groundwork for a permanent solution? Often, the answer is a combination of these, but the priorities must be clear.
What is the difference between interim management and recruitment?
The main difference is the time frame. Permanent hiring is done with a view to long-term development, succession planning, and building organizational culture. Interim management is used when the organization cannot wait, or when the need is, by definition, temporary.
There is also a difference in risk profile. When hiring a manager, you are committing to a multi-year partnership. With an interim solution, you are purchasing documented expertise for a specific assignment over a limited period. This makes interim management particularly relevant in situations where the assignment is clearly defined but the future organizational structure has not yet been decided.
At the same time, it’s not always an either/or situation. Many organizations use interim management to ensure a smooth transition before making a permanent hire. This can be a wise approach when the market is candidate-driven, when the job requirements need to be reassessed, or when the board and management want to avoid making a hasty decision regarding a key role.
When is interim management the right choice?
Interim management is often the right choice when the consequences of waiting outweigh the cost of taking action. This applies, for example, to leadership vacancies, change initiatives, turnarounds, post-acquisition integration phases, growth spurts, or temporary needs for high-level specialists.
For public sector organizations, interim management can also be a way to ensure leadership during times of transition or when filling hard-to-fill executive roles. For private companies in northern Sweden, where competition for experienced leaders is often fierce and geography affects access to candidates, interim management can be a practical way to buy time without losing momentum.
However, there are situations where an interim manager is not the best solution. If the problem is actually unclear direction, weak decision-making among management, or a lack of internal ownership, an interim manager will not solve the underlying problem. In such cases, the assignment risks carrying expectations that no external person can reasonably fulfill. Interim management works best when the organization knows what needs to be done and is prepared to grant the mandate to do it.
What should you look for in an interim manager?
Experience is a given, but experience alone isn’t enough. What makes the difference is relevant experience. Has the person led teams in similarly complex environments? Have they dealt with labor union issues, resistance to change, rapid growth, or operational stabilization in the past? Can the candidate balance speed with sound judgment?
You should also evaluate leadership style and integrity. An interim manager steps into sensitive situations. This requires the ability to build trust quickly, make well-considered decisions, and communicate clearly with both the management team and the organization. For many organizations, it is just as important that the consultant leaves behind order, structure, and knowledge transfer as it is that they deliver short-term results.
It is also wise to be clear about what you are not looking for. If you need a change leader, a manager-type profile will not be the right fit. If you need stability, a profile that is too aggressive can create unnecessary friction. The precision of the job description is therefore directly linked to the outcome.
How do you ensure that interim management is effective?
Many organizations make the same mistake here: they measure attendance instead of impact. An interim solution should be evaluated against the project’s objectives, not against the number of meetings or general perceived activity.
This means you should establish a few clear parameters early on. These might involve ensuring delivery capacity, stabilizing staff turnover, implementing a reorganization, preparing for a recruitment drive, or restoring management and reporting processes. The goals need to be realistic given the timeframe, but specific enough to foster accountability.
Equally important is the approach to follow-up. The client must take an active role. Regular check-ins reduce the risk of the project veering off course and make it possible to adjust the direction if circumstances change. This is particularly important in projects where the board, management, and operational staff have different views on what needs to be achieved.
Common misconceptions about how interim management works
A common misconception is that interim management is always more expensive than recruitment. It depends on how you look at it. If the alternative is a standstill, a bad hire, a loss of momentum, or an overburdened management team, the interim solution may be the more cost-effective choice.
Another misconception is that an interim manager is only supposed to “hold the fort.” In many assignments, the opposite is true. The organization needs someone who can both ensure continuity and drive a clear mission forward. This places higher demands on the selection process, expectations, and management.
The third misconception is that a fast process means lower quality. Reputable interim management is based on quality assurance, sound assessment, and clear communication regarding the assignment. It is possible to act quickly without being short-sighted, but this requires proven methodologies and a solid understanding of the market.
For organizations where leadership issues are business-critical, it is therefore essential to view interim management as a strategic solution, not as a stopgap measure. Used correctly, it can create room for maneuver, reduce risk, and give management time to make better long-term decisions.
Would you like to discuss how this affects your organization? Besi offers confidential consultations for boards, CEOs, and HR directors who are facing critical interim solutions or need to assess whether a temporary leader is the right approach.
The most effective interim solution rarely starts with the question of who is available. It starts with a more business-critical question: What needs to be true in six months for you to be able to say that the leadership held up throughout?