Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Latest NewsInterim managementRecruitment & retention

£1million a day

by Michael Millar 19 Apr 2005
by Michael Millar 19 Apr 2005

The public sector is spending up to a million pounds a day on freelance managers, as it struggles to keep up with tough government targets.

Hundreds of interim managers are being parachuted in to fill skills gaps and deliver massive change programmes.

Research by the Praxis interim management agency shows that the public sector used twice as many interim managers as any other, with 35% of those on interim projects working in the sector.

Interim managers can command up to £2,000 a day, but Sara Stilliard, marketing director at Praxis, said the average salaries in the public sector ranges from £500 to £750. With about 1,400 interim managers presently working in the public sector, the bill for the taxpayer could run up to £1,050,000 a day.

The Home Office said it was unable to comment on the numbers because of the upcoming election.

But Nick Robeson, chairman of the Interim Managers Association said some interim agencies were reporting 30% to 40% more public sector business in the last year.

Nick-Robeson19-04-05-85x136.jpgHe said the pressure from Chancellor Gordon Brown to deliver on targets set by the government, as well as from the Office of Government Commerce, meant significant change agendas had to be delivered quickly.

“They don’t have the skillsets in the public sector to deliver these change management programmes,” he said. “Many of them have always just walked the same corridors, never challenging what they do by using outside skills and techniques.”

Jan Parkinson, president of the Society of Personnel Officers in Local Government (Socpo), said there were issues around the amount the public sector was being asked to do, which was resulting in skills shortages.

However, she said using interim managers was not cost effective in the longer term, and advised councils that were struggling to consider linking up with others to bridge capacity gaps.

Robeson defended the cost of employing interim managers, saying they added ‘enormous value’. “In real terms it is cheap. The skills transfer is enormous.”

The survey found the length of time interim managers are staying in their posts is growing, with the average length of assignment standing at eight months in 2004, compared to six months in 2003, with one in 10 on HR-related projects.

[email protected]

 

 

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

 

 

Michael Millar

previous post
Bectu wins 100% vote from ITV’s Manchester catering staff
next post
The dangers of being over zealous in creating a diverse workforce

You may also like

Company director wins £15k after being told to...

4 Jul 2025

Skills shortfall in construction threatens housing target

4 Jul 2025

MPs demand Home Office tightens visas to protect...

4 Jul 2025

It’s all about the Monet: how art transforms...

3 Jul 2025

Stop chasing quick fixes: return to the office...

3 Jul 2025

Asda hails major upgrade in employees’ benefits

3 Jul 2025

100% success for latest large-scale four-day week trial

3 Jul 2025

NHS 10-year Health Plan sets out vision for...

3 Jul 2025

Microsoft to cut 9,000 jobs globally as role...

3 Jul 2025

Decline in workplace deaths: falls from height remain...

3 Jul 2025

  • Empowering working parents and productivity during the summer holidays SPONSORED | Businesses play a...Read more
  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+