As district manager of Eltel Networks, Lars Andre Hjellødegård contributes to people in Eastern Norway having access to critical infrastructures such as fiber and mobile coverage. When he needed a new department head, interim management was his first choice.
When one of the department heads in region east resigned due to moving to another place in Norway, Eltel Networks had to get a replacement in a short time:
– A permanent recruitment process usually takes at least six months, so we needed an intermediate solution. We spent some time describing the type of manager we needed and contacted Interimleder AS, which we had been recommended, says Hjellødegård.
Things went fast!
Interim manager Lene Holstad was in place at the beginning of March 2020, with a contract until October. Hjellødegård says that the process went quickly:
– It only took four to five days from the time we received the candidate list until we had done the interviews and chosen our candidate. We had our first meeting with Lene on a Friday, and she started on Tuesday the following week.
Delivered from day one
– Lene has delivered as expected. With an interim manager in place, we have been given respite to carry out a solid recruitment process, without having to rush, Hjellødegård says.
He says that the new department manager will start in the position on 1 October. The interim manager will be in the company until 1 November, providing an overlap period.
Will probably use interim management again
– There is a high probability that we will use interim management again. It is a good solution when you need management skills for 6-10 months. We are satisfied with the follow-up from Interimleder AS, who conducted monthly conversations with us and gave us good advice and input in the initial phases.
