But for canny HR and resourcing directors, these terms are simplistic: those who have learned to make the right decisions on interim managers find good ones can be key to steering an operation through choppy waters, driving a successful business to even greater heights, or turning a struggling one around.
Interim managers' assignments vary. They are often brought in to fill a position on a temporary basis - to cover maternity or sick leave, for example - or to manage a division the company plans to sell. They might be hired to identify and oversee a specific project, as a troubleshooter for an acute problem, or to add support during a significant period of change and growth.
Most often, they are there to advise on and/or implement change - redundancies, perhaps, integration, a recruitment drive or the launch of a fresh initiative. Interim specialists agree about 90% of assignments involve change management in some form.
Jason Atkinson, managing director (private sector) at interim provider, Russam GMS, and chairman of the Interim Management Association (IMA), says there can also be even more strategic reasons for going down the interim route: "When a company wants to do something new and knows a competitor has done it and done it well, they might come to us to find someone who has worked for that competitor."
An interim manager's most obvious advantage is expertise. Often, they are considerably over-qualified for the position and have solved the same problem or dealt with the same situation many times before. It is a level of experience and knowledge a company might not be able to afford on a permanent basis, but a properly structured assignment can deliver many of the same benefits.
But they also offer other plus points, including speed - they can be in situ within days - and objectivity. Not being part of company politics and with no axe to grind, they can offer an alternative perspective.
They also bring energy. A good interim can energise an existing team just by being a dynamic presence with fresh ideas. "They have had successful projects and they come in with a real desire to have a positive impact," says Nathan Myatt, head of interim at recruitment consultancy Fresh Minds. "That brings in a lot of energy, which can help bring people along."
So what could make an HR director baulk at bringing in such an asset? Money is usually the main issue. Daily rates average just over £600, depending on the sector, but they can go as high as £1,200 for someone operating at the highest level on a global scale.
"The client might think: 'Crikey - that's a lot multiplied by 365', but it doesn't work like that," explains Charles Russam, chairman of Russam GMS, founder of the company in 1982. "Someone in a permanent position might cost the company £80k in salary, but company car, pension, holidays, medical benefits etc might bring that up to £130k or £140k. If you divide 200 - the average number of days worked a year - into that, you get about £700 a day. So the real cost is low."
Stephanie Campbell, director of interim management provider Veredus, suggests cost isn't the major factor here, anyway. "Rather than cost, you should look at value," she says. "A good interim adds value from day one. They're not working to the clock or getting involved in office politics and there's no training needed and no honeymoon period. They are just focused on completing the task in hand: they bring the expertise, because they have done it before and done it in spades."
Being an interim is not for the faint-hearted. There is no guarantee of continuous employment, the hours are long and they may be working far from home. And there's the uncertainty - how long the job will last? Will it be extended? Where's the next one coming from? And there's a lot asked of interims. They have to be able hit the ground running, work flat out and deliver quick wins. They can be professionally isolated and often face resistance.
This working life does not suit everyone - even those with the necessary knowledge and experience - and just about everyone involved in the industry is keen to stress interim work is different from doing the same role as a permanent employee. The mindset is different too. "Someone who is only doing a contract between permanent jobs has an eye continuously on the full-time opportunities," says Kevin Bishop, director of talent, development and resourcing at mining giant, Anglo American. "I want someone who is a professional interim and doesn't need others to run round after them."
Nevertheless, the latest recession has meant the leading providers being swamped with CVs, although only about 10% will be deemed suitable. "The test is to get them to set up their own limited company and complete two assignments using their own network," says Veredus's Campbell. "Then we know they're serious - and they know if they can make it as an interim manager."
Those who do make it relish the constant challenge and the variety and want more control over working lives - not just flexibility over work, but also what work, with whom and at what pace - and these attractions mean the demographics have shifted. Where the profile of the typical interim was once a man in his late 50s who had final salary pension schemes, the average age has fallen considerably and many more women are now opting for interim work.
So what makes a good interim? "The real advantages of interims are adaptability and high emotional intelligence," says Campbell. "Technical knowledge is important, but you have to have people skills and sensitivity to the organisational culture."
With this high level of emotional intelligence, a good interim manager can assess a situation quickly and negotiate the potential minefield of employee resistance with diplomacy. John Parr, an interim HR specialist for 12 years, says employee uncertainty is a given in most assignments, but rarely a problem: "People are expecting change and they know you're there for a purpose, so they are part of the way there. They know you are not there to manage the status quo."
Interim managers are generally more hands-on than consultants and implement strategic decisions. They also leave legacies, transferring and infusing skills and knowledge to incumbent teams, even helping to hire and embed some permanent employees.
Kate Mansfield, manager of the HR practice of Alium Partners, which focuses exclusively on senior-level interims, believes the best interims are emotionally independent: "They are exceptional at managing stakeholders, but are thinking about their exit strategy from day one," she says.
So, how does an HR director formulate an effective strategy and how do they make each assignment work at optimum level? Not surprisingly, there is general consensus that planning, preparation and communication are key.
"The assignment has to start with a careful written brief and with frequent reviews, so both parties can take stock," says Russam. "Have regular formal meetings. The important thing is to make sure there's complete alignment and for the interim to check, 'am I delivering?'"
Fresh Minds' Myatt believes HR directors have to be clear about what they want - and seek input from other stakeholders. "They need first to define the end result," he says. "They need to be clear about what they want to achieve and they must also get buy-in from different management teams."
Raj Tulsiani, CEO of Green Park Interim and Executive Search, recommends devoting at least the final two days to a detailed handover - and planning this from the start. "The interim should be able to provide each incumbent in the relevant team with a blueprint for the next six months," he says.
Even when the assignment is clearly defined, finding the right person is absolutely crucial - and that is where many companies call in a specialist interim provider. These are not just about recruiting the interim managers, but also about providing support.
"That doesn't get mentioned enough," says Russam. "Some clients are sceptical when they learn the cost of the recruitment part of the deal, but they don't see the discussions with the interim on a Sunday. We offer a useful sounding-board. Most jobs will have difficult phases and we let them talk about issues." IMA's Atkinson adds: "There has to be a high rate of cultural fit, which comes down to really knowing the organisation and the interims.
"The acid test is that the interim should be part of the team within a week - bolted in, not on."
BIE, an interim provider that operates exclusively at senior levels, is offering a different approach to some clients to develop pre-screened 'talent pools' to resource the ebb and flow of an organisation's needs. This means that, while the interim provider cannot guarantee specific people will be available - no good interim is going to sit around and wait on the off-chance - they can guarantee the skill-set and type of person.
"You are not starting from scratch," says BIE marketing manager, Andy Turner. "The approach works best in sectors undergoing a lot of change and real complexity [such as financial services]. One thing we are not able to do with any great certainty is to predict demand and, with this way of working, we know client X is going to need Y over the next two years."
Atkinson believes HR directors can get even more from clever use of interims and predicts a shift in approach in the future. "We challenge firms now, telling them they should have at least one interim on each management team; someone who can shake things up," he says. "Many management teams have been together for a long time.
"It is not just about tackling a crisis or a problem, it's also about thinking more strategically - how can we tap into their knowledge and knowhow for a short space of time? How can we use it to think a bit differently about it?"
The stopgap can be fruitful.
Case Study: Anglo American
Kevin Bishop has been using interims successfully for 10 years, four of these in his current role as director of talent and resourcing at mining giant, Anglo American.
The company, which employs 200,000 people around the world, uses interims for short- and medium-term capability, to backfill temporarily and for discrete projects: "Basically, it is for whenever we need instantaneous brains on projects that have a clear start and stop and for which we don't have the internal resources," explains Bishop.
He highlights two examples of successful interim-managed projects - the relocation of a business from South Africa to Brazil and the integration of a graduate programme. "When looking at how workforce planning for the next four or five years has had an impact on graduate numbers, we realised we had multiple entry points and ought to take stock - and needed an outsider to fly around the world talking to everyone," he says.
Bishop approached a specialist interim provider and met two possible interims. "The one we went for joined immediately, spent three months on the work and delivered a really good project, one that we still use now," he says.
Bishop says the key is being clear about what it is you want - and being prepared to pay for experience. He is blunt about the consequences of not doing this: "If you don't, if you see it as some sort of cost-saving exercise, you won't get what you need."
From the interim horse's mouth
Tony Morgan is a professional interim finance director, with 10 years and 23 assignments under his belt. He has worked predominantly with standalone SMEs, mostly with severe cashflow or other issues, and is generally brought in by the owner or the board. He has also experienced being imposed upon a reluctant company by venture capitalists.
"There is never an interim situation that isn't difficult," he says. "It is why our rates are high. I have to grasp the financial position quickly and get the confidence of the owner or board or directors - they have to believe I can help them. And the SMEs I work in have often been built up by entrepreneurs from scratch, so they're not ordinary people."
His recommendations for clients approaching interim hires are equally valid for HR directors - know what you want and get the right person. However, he highlights the importance of getting references. "These should be from people who they have done interim work for," he says. "Don't base it on full-time references - interim management is a totally different thing.
"Make sure they are true interims, not just someone who has been made redundant and is looking for a full-time opportunity. Don't advertise for an interim yourself. Go to specialist agencies. You have to pay the extra, but if you get the wrong person it costs you a lot more."
