In this case, the interim manager became the permanent manager

The need for a quick solution

When the CFO of a small business stops, there is not someone who can take over the post immediately. And although engineering company Søren Jensen’s CFO resigned well in advance, there was still little time to find a permanent replacement. Since HR manager Pia Metzlaff previously have had a great deal of success with an interim manager in her previous job, she knew that this was the solution she wanted to go with in this case as well.

”From previous experience, I knew that Nextt Management would be able to solve this task. And so they did. It was so successful that we even ended up hiring the interim manager as our permanent CFO. The interim manager that Nextt provided for us, was so thoroughly picked out that he proved to be the right one for the job. He therefore, became permanently employed once the interim period had terminated

She admits that she initially went to a recruitment firm to find a match for the vacancy as chief financial officer. But the agency failed. Among other things, the reason why it failed was because they focused more on what tasks the temporary worker should solve, rather than finding the right person for the job – which she considers to be a general challenge in that industry.

”What was important to me, in the situation we were in, was to find someone who was qualified, but who also had the experience and personality to fill the job from day one and fit into the organization..

Pia Metzlaff would therefore always recommend going one step further and contacting a company that specializes in interim managers. For example, Nextt Management, where she has received great help – now for the second time.

”They have a very professional recruitment process and resemble a real executive search. Christian Hvashøj was incredibly thorough in his selection and had the ability to identify and understanding our precise needs – taking it to another level compared to a regular headhunting process. The fact that he works hastily is an added plus, since in situations like these, it is precisely what you need,” she says.

Urgent needs require quick actions

When Søren Jensen had an empty chair standing in the CFO’s office, several options were considered. They considered either hiring a temporary person who could only be there for 3-6 months or invest in an interim manager who could develop into becoming the permanent solution.

Pia Metzlaff points out “We decided to go with the latter. Primarily, because we wanted to avoid having to train the temporary manager and afterwards the permanent CFO.”

The reason why the engineering firm did not seek a permanent solution from the start was first and foremost because they needed someone urgently and could not wait for a person who had a longer notice period.

At the same time, you were well aware that with a temporary manager you run the risk of not necessarily getting the quality desired. When you need to act fast, the supply of candidates is limited – which the HR manager sees as another good reason to choose Nextt, as they have the required resources to draw from.

Typically higher expectation

If someone refrains from going for the temporary solution, it may have something to do with the distrust that generally clings a little to people who are unemployed.A distrust of which she does not see herself completely free of.

”You will probably always think about the reasons behind the persons unemployment. After all, it is the few really capable managers who choose to go the unsafe way of taking the interim route,” she thinks, hastening to add that this is of course a deeply unfair thought.

In the case of Søren Jensen, there was no reason at all to distrust the interim manager. Thus, at no time did Pia Metzlaff experience having to compromise on his professional qualifications.

”In reality, it is expected that he can take over and fill the job from day one, while there is not as much focus on onboarding and training when the boss is temporary. So all in all, you probably have slightly higher expectations for an interim,” she says.

At Søren Jensen however, the candidate lived up to all expectations- and a little bit more. She concludes that if others find themselves in a similar situation, then she has just one piece of advice: Call Christian!

Facts about Søren Jensen

Søren Jensen Rådgivende Ingeniørfirma A/S is one of Denmark’s leaders in its field. The company covers all specialties in the fields of construction, installation, electricity and ICT, and has extensive experience and knowledge in the execution of construction projects – from idea phase and planning to execution and continuous optimization. The company was founded in 1945 by engineer Søren Jensen and is today a family owned limited company with head office in Aarhus and a branch in Copenhagen. The company is continued today by 3rd generation Jensen – Søren Jensen’s grandson Frank Jensen.