Most businesses that lose a senior executive face two different problems at once. Who will steer the ship in the meantime, and who will lead it from here on? The first calls for an interim leader who can step in immediately. The second calls for a thorough executive search process that takes time. All too often, the two are handled by different providers who do not talk to each other – and the business pays the price in lost momentum and broken transitions.
It is precisely this divide that we believe is unnecessary.
What is the difference between interim management and executive search?
Interim management is about putting an experienced C-level leader – CEO, CFO, COO, CTO or CHRO – in place for a limited period. Typical situations include a sudden departure, illness, transformation, an acquisition or a crisis that calls for decisive action here and now. The leader is in place within days, not months.
Executive search is the thorough search for the permanent senior executive or board candidate. It involves mapping the market, approaching candidates who are not actively looking for a job discreetly, and a structured assessment that ensures the right person is in the chair for many years to come.
Both are demanding disciplines. But they are closely linked – and that is where many businesses miss an opportunity.
Why the combination is crucial
When interim and search sit with the same specialist team, the business gets a seamless leadership transition instead of two disconnected processes:
- Continuity from day one to the permanent appointment. The interim manager keeps operations stable while the search for the permanent leader is under way – without anything falling between two stools.
- A better role specification. The time with an interim leader reveals what the role actually requires. That insight makes the subsequent search far more precise.
- Faster decisions. A single specialist team that knows both the situation and the candidate market cuts out waiting time and misunderstandings.
- Lower risk of a bad hire. Appointing the wrong senior executive is one of the most expensive mistakes a business can make. A joined-up process reduces that risk.
A leading Norwegian specialist at C-level
Agile Gruppen is one of Norway’s leading specialist firms combining interim management and executive search exclusively at senior executive level. Through Agile Interim and Agile Executive Search, we cover the full spectrum – from the urgent leader who has to be in place tomorrow to the permanent senior executive or board candidate who will lead the business in the years ahead.
Few players in the Norwegian market offer both services in full, under the same roof, at C-level. For clients, this means one partner throughout the leadership transition – not a baton handover in the middle of a vulnerable phase.
When should you get in touch?
Are you considering whether the business needs an interim senior executive, or are you about to recruit for a C-level role or a board position? Then it is rarely too early for a no-obligation chat. The best leadership transitions are planned before the crisis hits.
Agile Gruppen – interim management and executive search for senior executives and boards in Norway.
Hilde Lekven CEO, Agile Gruppen
