Is It Time to Bring in an Interim Executive?

What do you do when one of your C-level employees retires, passes away, or leaves the company? Do you promote an employee from within and hope they have the know-how to serve in the role effectively? Or scramble to hire someone new as quickly as possible?

What if, instead, you call on an experienced professional who can perform all the duties of the vacated position while actively working to find the right person to permanently take over? Some may call them a life-saver, but in the business world we call these individuals interim executives.

Offering a helping hand

Interim executives serve three essential functions:

• Stepping into a temporary role or position that a business needs to fill immediately.
• Assisting the business with the hiring process until a permanent replacement can be found.
• Identifying internal process or operations flaws and implementing changes accordingly.

Benefiting from outside experience

So why should you turn to an outside interim executive rather than working with someone who is already familiar with your company? An outsourced interim executive offers the following benefits that you may not gain by working with someone you hire internally:

• Perspective — Those who work within the company may not be able to spot areas for improvement or may think, “that’s how it’s always been” when it comes to business processes. An interim executive can objectively identify the areas that need work.

• A range of experience — These professionals have worked with many businesses across numerous industries. They can offer ideas and solutions that you’ve never thought of before. Accessing this knowledge can also better train the C-level execs you do have.

• Objectivity — Interim executives don’t have personal agendas that might negatively affect their role. People who have worked with the company for a long time may be greatly influenced by the opinions of their colleagues — for better or for worse. Interim executives can carry out the hard but necessary decisions that must be made.

• Handles the recruitment process — Part of the role of the interim executive is to find you a new executive — so you can focus on your business. These professionals know the traits and qualities that will be important for the position and have access to a pool of resources to find eligible applicants.

Bringing an outsider into your business — especially during a time of great change — can be very intimidating. But the benefits they bring far outweigh any apprehension businesses may have.

If you’re struggling to fill a C-level executive position, Cloud9b2b can provide you with an interim executive who can get your business back on track during times of struggle.

Aim for a better business with a little help from the outside!