When filling a marketing position, companies face an important choice: do they choose a flexible interim marketing manager or go for the security of a permanent position? Both options have their own characteristics and benefits to suit different business situations. The best choice depends on your specific challenges, timelines, budget and long-term goals. In this article, we discuss key considerations that will help you make the right decision.

What is the difference between an interim marketing manager and a permanent position?

An interim marketing manager is an independent professional hired for a specified period of time to achieve specific marketing objectives. These professionals work on a project basis, often with a clearly defined assignment and result expectation. They bring specialized knowledge and work relatively autonomously within the organization.

Permanent employment, on the other hand, means that you are hiring a marketer, with all the associated employment protection and benefits. This professional becomes part of your team, with a focus on continuity and long-term goals within the organization.

The contractual differences are significant. With an interim manager, you enter into a contract of assignment rather than an employment contract. Here it is important that it is clear both on paper and in practice that there is no employment. From January 2025, this will be actively enforced with the end of the enforcement moratorium around the DBA Act.

The organizational impact also differs. An interim manager deliberately stays out of the daily business culture and processes, while a permanent marketer is fully integrated into the organization and helps build institutional knowledge.

What are the benefits of an interim marketing manager?

The flexibility of an interim marketing manager is one of the biggest advantages. You can scale up quickly when additional expertise is needed, such as for product launches or seasonal campaigns, and scale down again after the project is completed without long-term commitments.

Interim managers often bring specialized knowledge that is lacking in your organization. They have worked at a variety of companies and can implement proven strategies and best practices. This broad experience provides a valuable external perspective that can be refreshing within entrenched business processes.

Quick availability is another key advantage. While recruiting a permanent marketing professional can take 2-3 months on average, an interim manager can often start within weeks. This is crucial for urgent projects or when a key position becomes unexpectedly vacant.

The cost-benefit ratio can also be beneficial. Although the hourly rate of an interim professional is higher than a salaried salary, you only pay for the actual hours worked and avoid costs for fringe benefits, training, and continued payments for illness or leave.

When is a permanent marketer the better choice?

For long-term projects and ongoing marketing activities, a permanent marketer is often the better choice. When you are looking for continuity in your marketing policy, a professional who stays with your organization for the long term is valuable for building and monitoring your brand strategy.

A permanent marketer builds in-depth brand knowledge that is hard to match by temps. They get to know your products, services, customers and company culture thoroughly, resulting in marketing that is seamlessly aligned with your brand identity.

Team continuity is another key benefit. Permanent employees build relationships with colleagues and stakeholders, which improves collaboration. They are fully embedded in the organizational culture and processes, leading to more efficient communication and decision-making.

In the long run, the cost benefits of permanent employment can be significant. Although the initial investment in recruiting and training can be high, you will benefit from this investment for longer. For positions that require continuous staffing, permanent employment is often more cost-effective than hiring interim professionals for years.

How do you decide which option is best for your business?

Your company size is an important consideration in this decision. Smaller organizations often don’t have enough marketing work for a full-time position, so an interim solution may be more effective. Larger companies may benefit from a mix of permanent marketing staff and specialized interim professionals for specific projects.

The duration and nature of the project play a crucial role. For short-term projects (3-9 months) or specific challenges such as market launches or rebrandings, an interim manager is often ideal. For ongoing activities, a permanent position makes more sense.

Your available budget is also decisive, of course. Analyze the total cost of both options over the expected project duration. Consider salary costs versus rates, as well as recruitment costs, training budget, employer expenses and any transition fees.

The specific marketing challenge you want to address helps determine the profile you need. For a complex technical challenge, a specialized interim manager with relevant experience can add immediate value, while general marketing activities can often be handled well by a permanent marketer.

Finally, the growth stage of your company is relevant. Startups and scale-ups in a dynamic phase often opt for flexibility, while established companies with stable growth projections benefit more from continuity in the marketing team.

Making the right choice for your marketing team

Choosing between an interim marketing manager and a permanent hire need not be a black-and-white decision. Many organizations take a hybrid approach: a core team of permanent marketers supplemented by interim professionals for specific projects or expertise.

It is important to choose the right working relationship for the situation. If you choose an interim professional, make sure that both the contract and the working relationship in practice meet the conditions for self-employment. Formulate clear project objectives with a starting and ending point, and give autonomy over the execution.

When you decide to hire a permanent marketing professional, invest in a thorough hiring process to find the right match. The cost and time involved will pay off in long-term value to your organization.

At WerfSelect, we understand better than anyone that every organization has unique marketing needs. On a daily basis, we help companies find both interim marketing managers and permanent marketing professionals that perfectly fit their specific situation. With our knowledge of the labor market, we can advise you on the most appropriate solution for your marketing challenges, whether it is a temporary specialist or a long-term marketer.