An interim manager is chosen in three steps: first, a written brief with measurable deliverables is prepared; then candidates are assessed through competency-based interviews on whether they have done a similar assignment before; finally, references are taken directly from the employers of their previous interim assignments. The contract contains five clauses: scope and deliverables, duration and working pattern, authority and reporting, confidentiality and conflicts of interest, and termination and handover. Interim management is a management assignment whose length and goal are clear from the start; for the concept, see What is interim management, and how does it differ from consulting?.
These five clauses come from the code of professional conduct that binds members of the Institute of Interim Management (IIM), the professional body in the United Kingdom. Under the IIM code, the scope, deliverables, place of work and other terms are formally agreed with the client before work begins, and the terms of termination and the handover period are also written down at the outset. The contract matters because of duration: according to the IIM's 2026 survey, the average interim assignment lasts 10.0 months. In a ten-month assignment, a vague clause means renegotiating halfway through.
In brief:
- Selection: a written brief, experience of similar assignments, references from previous employers, at least three candidates (HRZone 2003; Personnel Today 2009).
- Contract: scope, duration, authority, confidentiality, termination and handover (IIM code of conduct).
- Türkiye: the legal nature of the contract and its termination terms are clarified with a lawyer (Turkish Code of Obligations).
What is prepared before the search for an interim manager begins?
A written, measurable brief. According to an HR article published on HRZone in 2003, the main source of disappointment in interim assignments is a woolly brief, which creates differing expectations and friction during the assignment. According to the same article, objectives, responsibilities and measurable deliverables are written down, and all relevant internal stakeholders agree on those deliverables before going to market.
Personnel Today's 2009 article suggests a practical test for the brief: imagine the exit interview at the end of the assignment and fill in the blanks of the thank-you sentence. If you can write what was delivered, how it was done and what changed, the assignment is defined. The brief also answers the question of when one is needed; for the signs, see When do you need an interim manager? 5 signs.
Which criteria are candidates assessed on?
Four criteria. The first is experience of similar assignments: according to the 2003 HRZone article, with an interim manager you buy proven experience of the same job, not potential. The second is a competency-based interview, with questions focused on the candidate's past achievements and the company's needs. The third is fit: HRZone's 2013 article recommends that the candidate meets the teams they will work with during the interview process. The fourth is the process itself; according to the same article, an interim manager is selected with the same rigour as any permanent senior hire.
The Personnel Today article adds two warnings. The company keeps the hiring process in its own hands and sets aside enough time to meet three good candidates. A "friend of a friend" is not hired, because they risk leaving the assignment midway once they find a permanent job.
How are references verified?
By asking the employer of the previous interim assignment directly. The 2003 HRZone article recommends not leaving references to the recruitment consultant but speaking with the previous employer directly. The Personnel Today article recommends taking informal references as well as formal ones, because referees put forward by candidates usually speak favourably.
The second subject of the reference check is conflict of interest. Under the IIM code, a member discloses at the earliest opportunity any relationship that could affect their independent judgement: a directorship or controlling interest in a competitor, a financial interest in goods or services they recommend, a personal relationship with a client employee, and a current sensitive engagement for a competing client. This declaration is requested in writing at the selection stage.
What are the 5 clauses a contract must contain?
- Scope, goal and deliverables. Under the IIM code, the scope, nature and deliverables of the service, the basis of remuneration and the place of work are agreed before work begins; any later revision is discussed and agreed in advance. Deliverables are written in measurable form, because performance is assessed against them at the end of the assignment.
- Duration and working pattern. The start and end dates, the extension terms and the working pattern are written down. According to the IIM 2026 survey, the average assignment lasts 10.0 months, and nearly a quarter of last assignments were delivered fractionally rather than full time. How many days a week and where the work is done belong in this clause.
- Authority and reporting. According to the 2013 HRZone article, an interim manager is not given carte blanche on decisions that affect the company's direction without ratification; they are given the responsibility to do their job without encumbrance, and a responsible director (or equivalent) is appointed to oversee and approve their activities. The 2003 HRZone article calls this person a "corporate sponsor" and recommends regular meetings at key milestones. The clause sets out signing and spending limits, who the manager reports to and how often.
- Confidentiality, conflicts of interest and rights. Under the IIM code, the parties agree how long confidentiality lasts after the assignment ends and whether the client's name and assignment details may appear in the manager's CV. Under the same code, unless otherwise agreed in writing before the start, everything developed during the assignment belongs to the client. Notification of any conflict of interest that arises during the assignment also falls under this clause.
- Termination and handover. The IIM code lists four elements for the termination clause: a handover period to new or existing employees, terms for summary termination for non-performance or unprofessional conduct, the documents to be provided for business continuity, and contact details after the assignment. The code also calls for an exit review at the end, comparing objectives with the results delivered.
Which rules govern an interim contract in Türkiye?
The answer depends on how the contract is structured and requires legal advice. The Turkish Code of Obligations No. 6098 defines two separate contract types: under Article 393, in a service (employment) contract the employee works in dependence on the employer; under Article 502, in a mandate contract the agent undertakes to carry out a task for the principal. The termination rules also differ: under Article 512, either party to a mandate contract may end it unilaterally at any time, but a party that ends it at an inopportune time compensates the other's resulting loss.
Which type an interim assignment falls under depends on how dependence, the working pattern and authority are set up. How the termination and handover clause works depends on that classification. The contract is therefore reviewed by a lawyer before signing; this article gives general information, not a legal opinion.
What is the final check before signing?
Written answers to five questions. Are the deliverables measurable? Are the duration, extension terms and weekly working pattern in writing? Are the limit of authority and the person to report to clear? Have the confidentiality period and CV use been agreed? Are the handover period, the successor and the termination terms in writing? If all five answers are in the contract, the assignment starts on plan from day one; for how to build the first 90 days, see The first 90 days: an interim manager's plan. Orient Global's Interim Management service starts with scope and goal, continues with a 90-day plan, runs with monthly reporting and ends with handover to the permanent team: Interim Management page.
This article is for general information only and does not replace legal or financial advice. Contracts should be reviewed by a lawyer before signing.
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