VACANCIES, PROJECTS, EXPERTISE: When legal interim managers are worthwhile

Another driver failed to give way, and now the head of the legal department is in hospital. Rehabilitation will follow. It will therefore be months before the department head returns. Nobody wants a department without leadership, but how can this period be bridged? With legal interim managers.

Legal interim managers ensure that the absence of an executive does not leave a gap. This applies not only after accidents, but also when managers take a sabbatical or temporarily go on parental leave. The crucial word is “temporarily”. Legal interim managers step in for a defined period, usually between three and 18 months, and take responsibility in leadership positions.

By using legal interim managers, companies avoid various problems:

• They save themselves the difficult and lengthy process of finding a suitable person for this leadership role in the legal department in an already challenging labour market.
• This search is made more difficult by the fact that the employment contract will be fixed-term — which tends to be perceived as unattractive.
• Executives who are in hospital, on sabbatical or on parental leave feel valued. The message is: “Your position will be waiting for you when you return.”

In the meantime, the position is filled by a professional with leadership experience. Legal interim managers focus on leading. They do not need to be as deeply versed in the particular area of law or operational legal matters as the employees in their legal department — especially as various forms of micromanagement are increasingly perceived as intrusive.

Companies that appoint legal interim managers as temporary leaders in their legal departments benefit from

• a professional being available at short notice
• leadership experience and industry expertise
• transparent fees instead of fixed salary costs
• a clearly defined end date for the engagement
• a tailored solution — including in terms of the scope of the engagement.

Legal interim managers are problem-solvers who can be deployed effectively without lengthy familiarisation.

Give legal interim managers at least three months

For appointing a legal interim manager to be worthwhile, the period to be bridged should be at least three months. Naturally, nobody can perform at full capacity on their very first day. That first day should therefore be devoted to the most comprehensive onboarding possible. The better interim managers understand the processes, the sooner they can put their expertise to use. Ideally, they reach 100 per cent in the first week. At larger companies, it may take one or two weeks longer.

However, the familiarisation period depends not only on the size of the company, but also on the tasks involved. If it is “only” a matter of keeping a functioning department running, everything settles into place after a few days and shorter interim assignments can also benefit all sides. The situation is different if troublesome issues need to be addressed or particular projects initiated and implemented.

Project duration = interim management duration

Speaking of “projects”: the absence of an executive is not the only compelling reason to appoint a legal interim manager. The same applies when a specific project, for example a legal one, needs to be implemented but the relevant expertise is not available in-house. In that case, it is sensible to “bring in” a legal interim manager with the appropriate knowledge for the project — someone who will also know external colleagues who can provide specialist support if required.

If such a project is planned to run for 18 months, the interim management should also be arranged for 18 months. Experience shows that handing over projects while they are in progress regularly causes avoidable delays and other difficulties. If the project is designed to run longer than the interim leadership assignment, appropriate milestones must be set in advance: what should be achieved in six or twelve months? Realistic targets lead to success.

Choose Clarius for interim management

Temporary managers usually leave the company again once a project has been completed or the original executive returns. However, the expertise they have brought into the company continues to have an impact beyond their assignment.

Make use of the leadership experience of the lawyers at Clarius.Legal as legal interim managers. Whether vacancies need to be filled or demanding legal projects initiated and implemented, benefit from our expertise.