Loading...
Loading...
Hire an Interim CHRO for full-time temporary HR leadership. Expert HR executives for restructuring, culture transformation, M&A integration, and leadership gaps.
An Interim CHRO (Chief Human Resources Officer) is a full-time, temporary HR executive who steps into your organisation for 3-12 months to provide senior people leadership during critical periods—covering a CHRO vacancy, leading organisational restructuring, managing culture transformation, or navigating complex people challenges.
Unlike HR consultants who advise from the sidelines, an interim CHRO takes full operational responsibility. They join your leadership team, own people strategy, manage your HR function, and deliver results—then transition out when the challenge is resolved or a permanent CHRO is hired.
"When you need senior HR leadership immediately—for a restructure, crisis, or leadership gap—an interim CHRO provides proven expertise without a permanent commitment."
Interim CHROs are battle-tested executives who've led HR functions through transformations, restructures, M&A integrations, and crisis situations across multiple organisations. They bring immediate credibility, proven processes, and the ability to drive change quickly—then hand over to a permanent CHRO or transition the organisation to the next phase.
Core responsibilities during a 3-12 month interim engagement
Step in as acting CHRO during vacancy or leave. Provide continuity of HR leadership, maintain momentum on people initiatives, and ensure business as usual.
Lead redundancy programmes, reorganisations, and workforce planning. Navigate employment law, consultation processes, and change management.
Drive culture change initiatives during mergers, post-crisis recovery, or strategic shifts. Rebuild trust, redefine values, and align people with new direction.
Integrate HR functions, harmonise cultures, align policies, and manage redundancy/retention during mergers and acquisitions.
Prepare for and manage employment tribunal cases. Review processes, improve documentation, implement corrective actions, and provide expert witness support.
Build HR infrastructure during hypergrowth. Design hiring processes, develop managers, implement systems, and maintain culture during rapid expansion.
Manage people crises—whistleblowing, senior departures, cultural breakdowns. Stabilise the situation, rebuild confidence, and implement corrective measures.
Build or professionalise the HR function. Implement HRIS, design policies, establish governance, and transition to permanent CHRO.
Advise CEO and board on complex people matters. Provide strategic counsel during transformation, change, or crisis situations.
Deploy a battle-tested CHRO within days, not months. Skip the 6-12 month permanent hire process and get senior HR leadership when you need it most.
Interims specialise in high-stakes situations—restructuring, M&A, tribunals, crisis management. They've solved your problem before, multiple times.
Engage for exactly as long as needed—3 months for crisis management, 6-12 months for transformation. No permanent salary, pension, or redundancy liability.
Interims bring fresh eyes, proven processes from other organisations, and no internal politics. They can make tough decisions without career concerns.
Interim CHROs are built for handover. They stabilise, transform, document everything, and transition seamlessly to permanent leadership or next phase.
Common situations requiring full-time temporary HR leadership
Your CHRO has resigned, is on extended leave, or you're searching for a permanent replacement. You need continuity of leadership while recruiting.
Leading a redundancy programme, reorganisation, or major workforce change. Requires deep employment law expertise and change management.
Post-crisis culture rebuild, merger culture integration, or fundamental values shift. Need experienced leadership to drive authentic change.
Merging two organisations or integrating an acquisition. Harmonising cultures, policies, teams, and managing redundancy or retention.
Facing employment tribunal, grievance escalation, or complex employee relations matter. Need expert preparation and process review.
Hypergrowth phase requiring immediate HR infrastructure build. Need to hire 50-200+ people while maintaining culture and compliance.
Whistleblowing, senior departures, cultural breakdown, or reputational people issues. Need immediate stabilisation and corrective action.
Private equity or VC-backed companies needing professionalised HR, pre-exit people due diligence, or post-acquisition integration.
Typical day rates and engagement costs
Understanding the different types of HR leadership
| Factor | Interim CHRO | Fractional CHRO | Permanent CHRO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time Commitment | Full-time (5 days/week) | Part-time (1-3 days/week) | Full-time (5 days/week) |
| Duration | 3-12 months (temporary) | Ongoing (long-term) | Permanent |
| Cost | £1,000-£1,800/day | £650-£1,200/day | £150k-£250k salary + benefits |
| Best For | Vacancy, restructuring, crisis, M&A, transformation | Ongoing strategic guidance, scale-ups, cost-efficiency | Large organisations, complex operations, full ownership |
| Notice Period | 1 month (contractual) | 1 month (contractual) | 3-6 months |
| Flexibility | High (defined end date) | High (scale up/down) | Low (long-term commitment) |
| Expertise | Crisis/transformation specialist | Strategic generalist | Company-specific deep expertise |
From brief to deployment in under 2 weeks
Clarify the challenge: CHRO coverage, restructuring, M&A integration, crisis management. Define duration, start date, and key deliverables.
We match you with 2-4 interim CHROs who have solved your specific challenge before. Review profiles, experience, and day rates.
Interview shortlisted candidates (in-person or video). Assess expertise, culture fit, and approach. Check references from previous interim engagements.
Finalise day rate, contract length, notice period, and deliverables. Typically 3-12 month contracts with 1-month notice periods.
Interim CHRO starts (subject to notice period). Week 1: deep-dive on situation, meet team, review documentation. Quick onboarding, immediate impact.
For crisis situations or immediate CHRO coverage needs, we can compress this to 3-5 days with pre-vetted candidates on standby. Premium rates may apply for immediate starts.
Tell us about your situation—CHRO vacancy, restructuring, M&A, crisis—and we'll match you with battle-tested interim CHROs who specialise in your exact challenge.