Is Interim & Contract Support Right for Your Team?
When budgets are tight, putting a hold on headcount or implementing a hiring freeze is often one of the first things that an organisation will action. This year has seen plenty of budgets tightening, in response to the volatile social, political and economic environment. And when times are particularly tough, we see the rise of restructures and redundancies.
During these times, one thing is clear, there is still a huge amount of work to be done by communications, marketing, digital and change teams yet organisations still expect as much output despite a hold on headcount.
With this in mind, it may be worth considering interim or contract recruitment, as this provides immediate resource without contributing to permanent headcount. Interim managers are experts in their field and have many years’ experience, hitting the ground running and making an immediate impact. Whether temporarily backfilling a permanent role, supporting with a change programme or even upskilling inexperienced team members, interim and contract managers can offer the support you need!
As the interim and contract market tends to be more network-orientated, many organisations may struggle to find interim and contract professionals via direct advertisements. VMA GROUP can provide a high-calibre shortlist of candidates across all sectors in the communications, marketing, digital and change specialisms to support your team at short notice.
So, what are the benefits of hiring an interim or contractor?
Highly Skilled Professionals
Training a new permanent employee may not always be an option when a team is already understaffed or in need of assistance for a specific project. Interim and contract professionals already have an abundance of skills and experience that can be brought in to quickly help in times of need.
Not only can they bring a fresh perspective to your team and suggest new approaches and solutions, but they can also help to upskill the wider team in a way that may not have been achieved before.
VMA GROUP has been placing communications and marketing interim and contract professionals for 45 years. You can have confidence that we will provide the highest-quality talent from our extensive, experienced network.
Speed To Market
The very nature of interim and contract support means that candidates are either immediately available or have a short notice period. While hiring a permanent employee can sometimes take months, when you need support for your team quickly, interims and contractors may be the most appropriate resource.
VMA GROUP has a network of communications, marketing, digital and change interim and contract professionals ready to start work immediately, so can provide you with the talent that best fits your brief and organisation’s needs, at short notice.
More Cost Effective
Unlike permanent employees, there are no additional employment costs associated with hiring a day-rate interim or contractor. Employer’s NI, training costs, holiday pay, sickness leave, bonuses etc are all avoided, meaning your organisation’s needs can be met without such a financial burden.
If you’re unsure about how day rates compare against salaries, use VMA GROUP’s Day Rate Calculator to help you determine costs.
Low Risk/Flexibility
You can engage with an interim or contractor based on your precise needs. Whether the contract is short or long-term, part or full time and likely to extend or not, there’s flexibility in the contract you design.
As interims and contractors aren’t employees of an organisation, there’s flexibility on both sides to end an agreement at short notice for whatever reason. This ensures the contract is less burdensome for an organisation if a project is stalled or cancelled.
If you think interim or contract support may be the best option for your team in the current climate, VMA GROUP can help you find the best talent for your organisation. We have an extensive network of experienced interim and contract professionals who are ready to start work swiftly. Within 48-hours of receiving a brief, we can share a candidate shortlist, whether that be in the communications, marketing, digital or change field.
Written by: Genevieve Schofield, Marketing Assistant
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VMA GROUP is a leading international interim, contract, temporary and permanent recruitment and executive search specialist. We are specifically focused on providing support to the communications, marketing, digital and change communities.
Our specialist practice areas cover: communications, corporate communications, internal communications, change communications, PR, media relations, financial communications, CSR, public affairs, investor relations, marketing, brand, digital marketing and agency services.
We have a reputation for providing expert consultancy services and advice, supported by in-depth knowledge of the professions we recruit for. Our thought leadership and benchmarking studies have become go-to resources for the communications, marketing, digital and change industries, supporting planning and decision-making for organisations of all shapes and sizes.
In the UK, VMA GROUP has offices in London, Bristol and Manchester and in Europe, VMA GROUP has offices in Amsterdam and Brussels, but we work with organisations and individuals on a global basis.
VMA GROUP is committed to equal opportunities and is an Inclusive+ Recruiter.
