In growing companies, the need for HR often becomes visible all at once. Headcount rises, hiring speeds up, questions about pay and performance multiply and senior management's agenda fills with people issues. At that point the company has two options: find an experienced, full-time HR director, or access that experience through an interim model.
What is interim HR consulting?
Interim HR consulting covers the design, planning and management of an HR transformation project for at least a year. Semi-corporate companies, family businesses and start-ups use it when they are working on growth and sustainability. In recent years it has also been called "fractional leadership". An experienced HR leader joins the company on a schedule set around its needs and manages the transformation from the inside.
When is it the right choice?
The interim model works especially well when:
- The company is growing, but it is still too early for a full-time HR director.
- HR processes are scattered and unwritten, and the company needs a place to start.
- There is a professionalisation or restructuring project and someone needs to manage it from the inside.
- Senior management's agenda is full of HR issues, so there is no time for strategic work.
- There is a young HR team that needs guidance from an experienced leader.
What does an interim HR leader do?
The scope of the work is set for each company. In our model, these are the main areas:
- Visiting the company one day a week in an interim CHRO role, communicating with employees and managing change on critical issues
- Management consulting to senior management or the board
- Where needed, building, developing and supervising a junior HR team
- Writing down HR policies and processes, communicating them and following them up (HR governance)
How it differs from a full-time HR director
An interim HR leader joins the company with a specific transformation goal. The work is mainly to help the company build its own HR structure and make it sustainable, not to fill a permanent position. That is why, at the end of the work, the company has written policies, working processes, a stronger team and measurable HR indicators.
What results to expect
In a well-designed interim engagement, these are the changes we aim for:
- Senior management's HR agenda becomes lighter.
- Hiring processes become shorter and better.
- Middle managers' management skills grow stronger.
- HR metrics are defined and measured regularly.
- A shared management language and culture take shape.
How to start
In the first meeting we assess the company's current situation, priorities and expectations together. We then agree the scope of the work, the visiting schedule and the goals for the first period. You can find more about our interim work on the Interim HR Consulting page or book a call with us.
Frequently asked questions
What is interim HR consulting?
Instead of a full-time HR manager, we are in your company one set day a week in the role of interim CHRO. We run the transformation project, advise senior management and, where needed, build and develop your HR team. In the international literature, this is also known as fractional leadership.
How long does interim HR consulting last?
We plan interim work for at least a year. That covers the time needed to design the HR transformation project, put it into practice and hand it over to the company. The scope and visiting schedule are set in the first meeting, around the company's needs.
