As Senior Vice President of Human Resources at the construction company Oras AS, Sigurd Gangnæs is responsible for 900 employees in Norway. In an industry characterised by time pressure there is added security in having interim management as one of the options in the HR toolbox.
Oras AS is a multidisciplinary technical contractor providing services within the area of pipes and ventilation. Responsible for human resources and staffing, Sigurd Gangnæs is frequently on the lookout for tradesmen and project managers and is of the opinion that there is a shortfall in these groups in Norway. Oras is therefore investing heavily in making itself as attractive as possible to employees, through development and training whilst simultaneously working to bring in an external workforce.
Quick access to expertise and increased capacity
Even if the majority of staff are employed on a permanent basis there will occasionally be a need for rapid recruitment at project management level.
"It has been a major strength to us to be able to hire interim managers for project management assignments. Particularly in critical situations in which time has been at a premium and we have been able to rapidly increase both our expertise and our capacity. It normally takes around 3-5 months to recruit at this level, but InterimLeder AS gives us access to highly skilled individuals who are able to start at short notice," Gangnæs says.
Strengthens administrative management for major projects
Interim managers often take on a role of project management assistant for new major projects. With extensive experience in project management they can quickly familiarise themselves with internal systems and procedures and will be a great resource for the project manager.
"For the major projects we work on, ranging from NOK 100 million upwards, the project manager will have so many tasks that it becomes impossible to manage it all alone. Interim management has allowed us to quickly strengthen administration within project management, often as soon as within two weeks," Gangnæs explains.
An ideal management tool for the industry
Gangnæs also believes that interim management is an ideal management tool for his industry, which is characterised by surges in project availability:
"It is never a good idea to employ staff for maximum capacity as you will then have too many staff when project availability slows down. Being able to hire interim managers instead of permanent employees gives us flexibility whilst also ensuring that we have quick access to experienced project managers with excellent expertise", Gangnæs concludes.
