Interim Manager or a Consultant?

Many executives who initially think they need a management consultant ultimately decide to deploy an interim manager. An independant survey of 100 senior directors in UK companies showed that 78% felt interim managers offered clear advantages over management consultants.

Why Do Businesses Hire Interim Managers Over Consultants?

Typically for temporary senior hires, an interim manager is favoured over a management consultant as they have similar levels of expertise and experience, are able to contribute strategically but are also prepared to roll their sleaves up and get hands on.

Like consultants, interim managers also provide:

• The latest thinking
• Short-term access to top management talent
• Strategic capability
• An independent eye
• The ability to fast-track a critical project

However unlike consultants, interim managers are:

• Implementers as well as being strategists, analysts and planners
• Loyal to your business objectives – not their consultancy's objectives
• Flexible to do what you need – not restricted to doing things the way their consultancy prescribes
• Focused on your profitability – not their consultancy's profitability. They are not incentivised to sell in additional services you don't need
• They are strategists as well as hands-on – they are on your team to deliver your strategy
• More cost-effective
   

For a more thorough discussion of interim managers as an alternative to consultants, download our Interim Report on the UK market for interim management and other fast-track executive resourcing.

To see whether your requirement is best matched to an interim manager or a consultant, take our free online test. This will guide you through a series of 19 questions designed to help establish where your project or role sits on the spectrum of distinct skills and attributes that distinguish interims and consultants.