When do you opt for an interim HR professional and when for a permanent employee?

Are you about to expand your team for a new project and in doubt between a permanent employee or an interim professional? For HR and recruitment teams, this choice can be decisive.

Sometimes you face a temporary capacity challenge, need for specific expertise, or an important role that needs to be filled quickly.

An interim professional may be exactly the solution in those cases. But how do you determine when it's smarter to hire temporarily rather than permanently?

We'll take you through five scenarios in which an interim professional can be the key to success.

1. Scale up immediately at growth and peak times.

Is your team or project suddenly growing like cabbage? Then an interim professional can serve as a shock absorber.

Where a permanent employee often needs time to get up to speed, an experienced interim professional can make an immediate impact - without a long break-in period.

Advantages

• Instantly deployable: No loss of time, immediately up and running
• Experience with similar challenges: The interim professional has already seen similar projects
• No long break-in time: Instant value from day one

People& Experience: Our interim experts at People& are ready for you both operationally and strategically in no time. This keeps you focused on the long term, while we provide the extra support you need right now.

Ask yourself: How much peace of mind does it give to just have an expert ready for you immediately at a peak?

2. Specialist knowledge, on-demand

Sometimes you temporarily need additional specialized knowledge - for example, in the area of diversity and inclusion (DEI), digitalization, or complex labor law issues.

An interim specialist with a proven track record can add immediate value and do exactly what is needed without you having to make a long-term commitment.

Advantages

• Instant access to expertise: Fast results, exactly when you need them
• Flexibility in duration: As long or short as needed
• Results-oriented: Focused on the end goals, without long-term commitments

People& Experience: For HSO, we provided an interim recruiter who knows the market like no other. This led to more efficient recruitment and better matches - recruiter Wout knew exactly where to look and was able to enthuse candidates.

Ask yourself: How much faster can you act if you have someone with the right expertise in house right away?

3. Cost-effective in project-based support

Need a temporary boost for a specific project, such as a merger, campaign, or digital transformation?

An interim professional offers flexibility and prevents you from being stuck with long-term contracts while making the best use of your budget.

Advantages

• Deployable as long as needed: No long-term commitments
• Flexibility without long-term commitments: Exactly what you need, when you need it
• Budget-conscious working: Pay only for the time and expertise you actually use

People& Experience: During a merger at a client in the insurance industry, our interim professionals not only ensured a smooth transition, but also made process improvements. This allowed our client to save both time and resources so that the focus could quickly return to the new structure.

Ask yourself: How much more value are you getting out of your budget with the flexibility of an interim professional?

4. Guarantee continuity in times of change

When a regular employee leaves unexpectedly or is absent for an extended period of time, it can really shake up your team.

An interim professional brings calm, temporarily fills the gap, and ensures that everything continues as usual. Especially in key positions, this stability is essential.

Advantages

• No interruption of business operations: Everything runs as usual
• Direct connection to requested skills: No time wasted on familiarization
• Temporary filling without loss of quality: Stability, without permanent appointment

People& Experience: Our interim HR and Recruitment managers know how to settle into your team quickly. Not only do they take over tasks, but they also adapt to your culture and way of working, maintaining productivity without unnecessary adjustments for your team.

Ask yourself: What is it worth to you to maintain team productivity and stability, even in turbulent times?

5. Just the link you need in limited deployments

Not every project requires a full-time professional. Sometimes a few days a week is enough to get the job done.

An interim professional then provides the flexibility you need and avoids overloading your current team - you bring in exactly the support you need, without extra ballast.

Advantages

• Deployable as needed: No commitment to a full-time role
• Flexible hours without long-term commitment: As much or as little as needed
• Focused on your specific challenges: Fully tailored to the requirements of your project

People& Experience: For the BAM Group, People& provided an interim recruiter who worked part-time, but met all the requirements exactly for the project. Our client was especially pleased with the flexibility and impact this professional delivered, without the obligations of a permanent role.

Ask yourself: How would a flexible, focused professional support your team without additional overhead?

Conclusion: When to choose an interim professional?

By choosing an interim professional, you get not only the right knowledge and skills, but also the speed and precision needed to make a difference at the right time.

Whether it's for peak times, specific knowledge, project-based support, or ensuring continuity - People& has the right interim professionals who understand what you're looking for and deliver the value you need.

Thinking about the right choice? Take the test:

1. Need temporary capacity during busy times?
2. Is specialized knowledge essential, but not for the long term?
3. Looking for a project-based, cost-effective solution?

Are you in the middle of a project and would some extra hands and expertise make all the difference? Or would you like to spar about your staff planning? Feel free to contact us for an informal talk. We are happy to help you find the best solution for your organization.

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