Interim Management

Unfortunately, this has happened to me many times. Everyone knows this: an important manager is unavailable. An illness, a termination or even a necessary leave of absence. Every missing leader leaves a gap. Even if you are released from work, an adequate successor is not possible immediately. But surely that should be better planned? Correct. It should!

• 1st. month:

The first few days and usually the first month are spent realizing this fact. Efforts are being made to retain good, experienced managers. HR undertakes the standard procedures: personal discussions, reasons eroded. As a rule, you won‘t be able to change the person‘s mind, but you don‘t want to leave anything unturned.

• 2nd. month:

Internal search for suitable applicants. Good companies have an HR department that pulls a backup out of the drawer for every key function. You approach the backup. This person is now confronted with the (previously only theoretical) fact that they made themselves available some time ago (often years ago). However, it is not uncommon for life circumstances to have changed and the work-life balance swings more towards “life” than “work”. And now that things are getting serious, committing to your career suddenly doesn‘t feel right. Do you really want all the stress and hassle that your boss has every day? You usually experience this first hand. The result is often a rejection of an internal promotion, so no amount of complimenting can help.

• 3rd. month:

You have to face the truth and accept that you need a replacement. You contact the headhunter you trust, who did not take action in months 1-2 due to a lack of mandate. The exact specification of the profile of the new manager also takes time; the candidate should be able to do much more than the previous, renegade manager. Maybe this is even an opportunity to finally implement the organizational change, now that this manager has cleared the way for these ideas? After many coordination discussions, everything is finally specified and all areas agree with the specification of the employee profile.

• 4th. month:

The headhunter starts to work. Unfortunately, he doesn‘t have a suitable candidate in his portfolio that he can contact immediately. Depending on the reputation of the company where the vacancy is to be filled, the search process is not an easy task. When a company emerges from bankruptcy, filling a new position is usually impossible. And yet the headhunter selects 3-4 “useful candidates”

• 5th. month:

It is difficult to find appointments that suit the candidate and the supervisor. The schedules are simply too full. At the end of the 5th month, the first team interviews will be held and you would like to have personal interviews with 2 candidates.

• 6th. month (1st month vacancy):

The position is already vacant. The outgoing manager insists on taking the vacation he is entitled to. You don’t want to be rushed, but if possible, you want to start new companies well rested and “with full batteries”. Personal discussions take place with the successors and an agreement is reached on a person who meets the increased requirements. HR should negotiate the details.

• 7th. month (2nd month vacancy):

The selected successor offers the current employer his/her wish to terminate the contract. I have experienced a few times that very lucrative counter-offers are made, especially with high flyers (which we are looking for), and the process is either set back by 5 months or you accept the salary increase because it is usually only about money. Or you take the second best candidate. If all of this works, then the notice period begins, which is usually 6 months. It is rarely possible to get out of the contract earlier, as the previous employer also has to fill the position again and goes through months 1-6.

• 8th month – 13th month (3rd – 8th month vacancy):

Up to 8 months vacancy. This is not possible. Only the large corporations may be able to bridge this internally, but that usually doesn‘t work either.

Who can bridge this time as interim manager for the management, the plant manager, the head of operations, the head of manufacturing engineering?