Executive Search

Interim management and executive search: how the interplay of both disciplines creates lasting value.

Companies bring in interim managers for a variety of reasons: to bridge a vacancy, to stabilise a business in a period of upheaval or to implement a strategic initiative or project. It is not unusual for it to become clear during the assignment that the position will need to be filled permanently. Those who interlink interim management and executive search gain more than time: the experience gained from the transitional leadership flows directly into the selection of the successor.

From my work as an executive search consultant and my long-standing cooperation with one of Germany’s leading interim management firms, I know how valuable close interplay between the two advisory services can be. Especially when key positions are filled, clients, interim managers and the candidates for the permanent appointment all benefit.

The right interim leadership

The foundation is laid earlier than many assume: when the interim manager is selected. This choice calls for the same care as a permanent appointment. It is not only about professional skills, change management expertise and leadership experience, but also about understanding the client’s culture. The interim manager has a specific assignment to complete within a set period – and often also the obligation to ensure a suitable successor, so that changes are carried forward and secured for the long term.

Knowledge from the inside

Anyone who has held a position for a few months knows it from the inside: the strategic questions, the processes, how the management team works together, the company’s culture and the expectations of its employees. Professional qualifications can be read from a CV. Leadership style and fit with the organisation only become clear in conversation with someone who knows the organisation first-hand.

The result is a search profile for the successor that describes the actual requirements. The search becomes more targeted, and the risk of a mismatch falls. In addition, the search consultant gains an important sparring partner in selecting candidates, which increases the quality and precision of the selection.

A start with a handover

The new executive benefits as well. They find a clearly defined role and transparent expectations, and receive an orderly handover: ongoing projects, open questions, the particularities of the company. Settling in is easier, and leadership takes effect sooner.

An example from practice

A company in the surface finishing industry had initially filled its head of sales position on an interim basis. In parallel, I set up the search for a permanent successor and conducted it in close coordination with the interim manager. Selection, presentation and onboarding of the new head of sales went smoothly.

The company later also entrusted me with filling a position in quality management that had likewise been led on an interim basis. I have taken a similar approach in appointments in general management, HR leadership and finance leadership.

Closing thought

Interim management and executive search work towards different time horizons, but towards the same goal: a solution that lasts. Interim leadership stabilises the present, the search secures the future. When the two are interlinked, the interim solution becomes the first step towards the right permanent appointment.

Companies thereby not only gain time and certainty of action, but also improve the conditions for filling their key positions in a well-matched and sustainable way.