The number of permanent hires in the UK has been falling over the past few months, a trend that was earlier attributed to the uncertainty around Brexit, and more recently to the uncertainty around the impact of coronavirus.
It’s a pattern we’ve observed in Wales too, and it’s not just down to less jobs being available; candidates reluctant to give up the security of their current roles are less available too. Data from WaveTrackr found there was a 19% reduction in applications in January 2020 compared with January 2019, and a massive 47% drop in February compared with February 2019.
Recruiting interim is a common solution for many organisations who are urgently in need of certain expertise and cost-saving solutions but are unable to recruit someone permanent during these uncertain times.
An interim finance specialist, for example, can be a huge asset to a business looking to manage their overheads and finances in response to a decrease in demand for a product or service, or conversely, they can advise on where to invest when demand increases.
Such appointments are a strategic move which can support a period of uncertainty or transformation or plug a specialised skills gap, as well as cover long-term illness or maternity cover. Even if a permanent appointment is your long-term plan, it may take you several months to find the right person. In the meantime, a temporary recruit can play a vital role.
Many professionals who take on interim roles have made a conscious decision to only work in temporary jobs; it’s the type of career that allows them flexibility and to work for a number of organisations or industries, often at a senior level, gaining broad experience in challenging situations.
Good interim staff are typically highly experienced in their field and can work autonomously, and therefore are not a drain on your time. They are used to being judged on results, so you can be confident they’ll deliver. They can look at your challenges objectively and bring the benefits of their experience to find effective solutions. What’s more, they can usually start within a week of being appointed.
Some interim candidates will have their end sights on a permanent role and losing them halfway through the average three to nine-month tenure is a risk. As interim recruiters, we are always upfront with clients in these circumstances and encourage candidates to be too. Although, as we’ve outlined, options are fewer and further between right now.
If you are looking to recruit a permanent employee eventually, the interim may be an excellent candidate to trial. Either way, the skills and knowledge that an interim brings could have a lasting positive impact on your organisation.
However, being able to recruit a strong interim candidate is harder than being convinced that interim is a good option for your organisation. The pool of interim candidates is usually around 1% of the permanent market and the best ones aren’t available for long. It can often be challenging for organisations to reach them in time.
We were pleased to help Techniquest, a leading science-discovery centre, appoint an interim Finance Director while they recruited for the permanent post. Linda Burbage, Business Services Director, explains:
“Once we’d met them, we knew we could trust Sitka Recruitment to secure the right person. They found us some really good candidates and the successful one was perfect for what we needed; he hit the ground running and was a real help to us.”
As experienced recruiters, we have and continue to build relationships with several interim candidates; as such we know a few of those who are available for an immediate start. We check their references, make sure they are compliant, and process all their payments. We take the hard work out of interim recruitment so our clients can keep their focus on their business – a focus that’s more important than ever right now.
If you’re unsure what steps you should be taking to recruit right now, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to chat through your options over a virtual cuppa.
I felt Ita really understood my skills and experience and the service I received was great. I felt that Ita was invested in my future career and did everything she could to help me land my new role.
I’d have no problem recommending Ita and the Sitka team to anyone entering the job market. They made the whole process much easier for me.
Ita took the time to understand my objectives and needs as a candidate also – something unusual for a recruitment agency.
Information was provided quickly, in full and was very clear. Ita also took the time to follow-up post interviews to understand how things went and confirm next steps/timeframes. She has also gone the extra mile of checking in with me since starting in my new role.
Ita approached every stage of the recruitment process in a professional, honest and open manner. It was clear she was committed to finding the right candidate for her client
We were recommended to Sitka by one of our customers and we needed a lot of support on creating a job spec, salary level, interview techniques etc. We met Ita and immediately felt in safe hands and were presented with 3 excellent candidates in a short space of time. I would highly recommend Sitka, especially for those that need extra help and guidance finding that perfect employee.
Sitka was honest all the way through and went above and beyond to make me feel prepared and ready for the interview. Everything went really smoothly and I had regular communication from Ita who made sure I knew everything I needed to along the way. I felt equally as important to the agency as the client and knew I could trust Sitka to represent me as a candidate.
I just want to say a big thank you to Ita for believing in me and being so supportive from the first LinkedIn message until I started my first week!
The whole recruitment process, led by Karen, was a really engaging and positive experience. I can honestly say it was the best interview I have ever had!
We liked Karen’s personal approach to finding the best candidate. She spoke to them in depth, matching the person to the business and vice versa, rather than just advertising the role to an existing database of job seekers. The process was very efficient and well-communicated from start to finish.