Demand for ‘disaster’ enterprise consultants surged by 103% throughout pandemic
As companies froze their workforce, took vacations and laid offs, the number of professional advisors skyrocketed to sign a fixed-term contract and assist with recovery and transition during the pandemic.
According to a new report from leading recruiter Robert Walters and data provider Vacancysoft – Interim Management: Central to Business Survival – a third of board-level consulting projects last year dealt with organizational reorganization and crisis management.
In the past year, more than 16,000 senior consultants (or interim experts) were hired on fixed-term contracts. Some charge up to £ 2,000 a day for their business conversion expertise.
Top 5 most expensive interim managers in the UK
Internal Audit Director
£ 2,000 p / d
Chief Information Security Officer
£ 1,725 p / d
Transformation and Change Director
£ 1,600 p / d
General Counsel
£ 1,200 p / d
CFO
£ 1,110 p / d
BOOMERANG RECOVERY
An initial slump in recruitment in the first half of 2020 was short-lived as interim management vacancies reached a record level in October 2020 – by + 103% in the third quarter of 2020 and by a further + 30% in the fourth quarter of 2020.
The increase in demand – from October 2020 – signals the greatest increase in vacancies for both temporary and contract periods since 2018.
When looking at the level in 2021, the hiring of interim specialists has increased by 50% compared to the same period last year. According to the report, 59% of advisors expect to find their next interim assignment within three months – twice as fast as they would normally before a pandemic.
