Interim management has become one of the fastest growing areas of HR and a new study of over 250 interim executives has provided an insight into who's taking these roles in Australia. The survey, by Interim Management, revealed a workforce dominated by the 'Baby Boomer' generation, who see the flexible nature of interim roles as attractive.

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The most popular reasons for new assignments were the provision of 'specialist skills' and 'change management', not simply the gap or interim line management which has traditionally been associated with short-term staffing in Australia. "Perhaps surprisingly, using interim to find or audition for a permanent job ranked very low in priority compared to working as an interim for the variety of tasks, businesses and to have a more flexible working pattern," said Danny Hodgson, partner at Interim Management "Practically everyone surveyed felt that clients were either open to the concept of interim, have some experience of it or were existing users with only a tiny group of people believing they remain to be convinced and the overwhelming sentiment was of a market set for steady growth over the next twelve months," he said.

David Burrell, founder of LDKS Consulting, recently completed an interim role as CEO for a not-for-profit organisation that lasted four months. He told Human Capital that interim roles would continue to grow. "I don't think this is a fad. I think it will become more commonplace. You only have to go onto Seek to see how many roles are available for an interim period, particularly to cover parental leave," he said.

Burrell said interim roles aren't necessarily dominated by baby boomers, but that the appeal is much broader. "I think it relates to a wider demographic who enjoy variety and see these roles as a way of testing themselves in certain kinds of roles without necessarily committing to a career," he said. "But it also appeals to organisations, in terms of someone senior going to be absent, on parental leave or undertaking a special project that requires them to be off the job. The organisation might not have anybody that can transition into that role. I think interim management is a part of the mix of how to organise your workforce that organisations probably need to look at a little more closely."

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