The Increased Flexibility of the Interim Workforce

The last six months have seen the business landscape change at an unprecedented pace and likely a first for many of us in our working lives to date. Whilst there have unfortunately been some sectors who have been significantly affected and will be for some time to come there are  still opportunities out there in existing and emerging sectors such as FMCG and Tech/Medical which have continued to recruit during these difficult months.

A key trend that we have seen at Rutherford Cross is how businesses have very much opened up their candidate pool by being able to consider contractors from locations much further afield due to the vast majority of interim finance roles being able to be carried out virtually and at home. The rise in flexible working has been gaining momentum over the last few years and in particular the interim finance market has seen a  surge in candidates moving from permanent roles to become career contractors due to higher levels of flexibility creating a better work/life balance.

The impact of the pandemic, having forced a large proportion of people to work from home, has demonstrated to a lot of employers that it is possible to have your workforce operating effectively remotely. We have also heard numerous examples over the last few months where productivity has increased as a result of remote working.

Whereas previously employers and candidates would have had to consider an organisations’ location, length of commute and parking facilities, in many instances these barriers have now been removed.  This has resulted in employers having a wider choice in the candidate pool, and interims being able to secure roles further afield and in sometimes more remote locations due to there being no requirement to be in the office. A recent example includes an Interim Finance Director based in the North of England who was able to take a role with a Glasgow based business due to the role being carried out from home.

While these current restrictions on time spent in the office will of course not last forever, it seems likely that most businesses are going to adopt a more flexible approach going forwards. This is particularly likely with contracting roles where contractors manage a particular project or piece of work away from BAU, resulting in less of a requirement for time being spent in the office.

In addition, if you are an employer with a particularly specific requirement the widening of the talent pool should make it slightly easier to find those niche skills, be it particular ERP system or Technical FRS. Candidates should also be able to focus their search on a wider geography than before.

While the last few months have been a hugely trying time for businesses and individuals, the rate at which people have adapted to the ‘new normal’ has been a clear indicator of how technology has progressed to allow us to work wherever we need to.

For a discussion on the interim market please contact [email protected] or [email protected]