The full-time interim managers who have dominated the contract and temporary market in recent years are in danger of being ousted by a growing wave of redundant professionals, according to a new study.

A market analysis by Ochre House, the pan-European talent management consultancy, found that over 70% of organisations recruiting senior personnel on a fixed or short-term basis would prefer someone coming from a permanent role rather than a career interim.

“There’s a definite perception amongst employers that someone who has come into the market because of redundancy is going to be more committed because they’ll be looking at the experience as a way of proving themselves in a working interview,” says Ochre House director, Martin Smith. “In our experience, this is an unfortunate generalisation as most career interim managers are highly professional in their approach to projects but it seems the ‘nine to five’ mentality of a small minority may be jeopardising the prospects of the rest.”

He adds: “Organisations want interims who can think in a strategic context but what really counts is the ability to turn a project round effectively on time and to budget.”