If your business requires outside assistance from skilled experts, you may be wondering whether consulting or interim talent is right for you. While both concepts may seem similar, there are some key differences between them that you must keep in mind. To give you a better understanding of the differences between interim talent vs. consulting, the following is a breakdown of both, along with how you can determine which type of professional is best to work with on your next project.
Consultants are professionals who are highly knowledgeable in their line of work. Unlike interim managers, these experts strictly offer advice regarding a complex business situation. Although this advice can be invaluable, it will often be up to the organization to follow through with this advice and implement the suggested solution.
Interim talent is what the work suggests—shorter-term and not permanent. You can benefit from interim talent whether you need them for weeks or over a period of many months. If needed, you can hire interim talent on a full-time basis to serve as long-term partners that offer advice and more. Generally, interim talent benefits are potentially greater than what you would find with consultants.
According to a recent Forbes article, “Interim management is poised to continue its growth hike.” The article went on to say, “Interim managers tend to have deep experience as temporary leaders.”
While consultants and interim talent are somewhat similar, they have some significant differences that make it important to select the right one depending on your project.
Consultants are often perceived as experts within a particular field or industry. As such, they can enlighten your management teams regarding different ways to enhance the company's operations. Businesses spend money on the amount of time the consultant spends advising and guiding the organization. As a result, they often seek to sell you more consulting and generally focus on what to do, as opposed to actually getting it done during their engagement.
This is where consultants are considerably different from interim talent. While consultants offer helpful advice on what you need to get done, interim talent goes beyond merely offering advice. In addition to offering guidance, interim talent goes the extra mile by getting their hands dirty and getting things done themselves.
Interim talent professionals like MetaExperts™ focus on getting results every day they work with you, just as you would expect from your key employees. Interim managers serve as doers who get directly involved in your business problems and offer rapid solutions based on your individual needs. They'll be able to quickly implement the correct solutions without being bound to a branded methodology or consulting statement of work. This means that they work more specifically for you to meet your organization's unique requirements.
In short, consultants are ideal for advice and guidance, but interim talent is ideal if you want hands-on help from experts who essentially serve as extensions of your team. At the same time, you don't have to undergo the time-consuming process of hiring and onboarding new employees, which facilitates even faster solutions to the problems your business faces.
There are myriad differences between interim talent and consulting, but the fact is that interim talent hires are doers rather than sellers, unlike consultants. If you require more than advice and guidance, interim talent can work with you to get the job done and ensure it's done right, all without the commitment of hiring new full-time employees. Professionals like MetaExperts™ offer unparalleled expertise and will understand your company's specific needs to provide the best available solution.
To get started on hiring interim talent and gear your business for success, contact MetaExperts™ today.
With one phone call, email, or clicking a link schedule a time to speak with the MetaExperts™ sourcing expert. You are just minutes away from getting your improvement initiative started or re-energized.
©2021 All rights reserved, MetaOps, Inc.
