Interim leadership in healthcare is valuable in many ways. It can provide stability during a time of transition and give administrators more time to find the right permanent candidate for a job.

But interim leaders also bring plenty of expertise to the table. They can do more than just fill a position temporarily. They also can provide guidance on important organizational projects.

That’s one of the reasons Samstaff focuses on this position as one of the areas where they match job candidate with potential employers. And there are more potential candidates than ever for healthcare operations to consider.

An increasing number of older healthcare workers are ready to leave their current positions and take up “full-time temporary” leadership positions. They have the drive to share the knowledge they have accumulated over many years in healthcare, as well as experience new challenges.

Medical operations get the benefit of that experience – even in the critical area of projects.

The Issue With Projects

Large healthcare operations often deal with big projects that are time-consuming, complicated and must be finished within tight timeframes.

Companies in the past have often turned to outside management consultants to finish big projects. While that often has proven successful, it also is expensive.

Interim leadership is increasingly a better answer. One of the key changes is the sheer number of people available and open positions for leadership.  Most healthcare operations bring in interim leadership to either hold a position until it is filled or go through a “trial phase” before getting the job permanently. But others see the value in unleashing the expertise of interim leaders on important projects.

Types of Projects

A medical operation could bring in interim leadership for any number of projects. Some examples might include:

  • Overseeing implementation of a new electronic healthcare records computer system or related software networks
  • Working in human resources to create a new classification and benefits schedule for employees
  • Overseeing the integration of a new set of physician clinics into an existing operation
  • Construction of anything new – surgical rooms or a new wing of a hospital, for example

Whatever the case, bringing in someone who has expertise in a particular area to serve as an interim director can provide steady guidance for a project. It also frees up permanent executives to focus on the demands of ongoing operations.

Interim leadership also work well with less-tangible but still-important quality improvement projects. These typically involve improving the efficiency of almost any department.

Benefits of Interim Leadership

Interim leaders bring many advantages to a project, according to Salary.com. They include:

  • An expertise in a certain area that allows them to work swiftly to finish a project
  • The fact they are not consultants, but real leaders who will take a hands-on management approach until a project is completed
  • Interim directors can teach team members a lot – and even though they eventually leave, that knowledge stays with the team

Ultimately, hiring an interim leader to oversee a project is a great move for everyone involved. The leaders get a chance to share their knowledge and work in a new environment. Both leadership and employees get the benefit of that expertise.

It’s yet another reason hospitals and other healthcare operations should look to a recruiter to connect them with quality interim leadership candidates. And also a reason for those willing to work in interim leadership to partner with a recruiter in finding the best possible fit for their talents.