46% see cultural fit as the biggest challenge in hiring an interim manager

Recent research by recruitment specialist Robert Walters shows that 46% of organisations consider cultural fit to be the biggest challenge when engaging an interim manager.

This figure is striking but not entirely surprising, says Eveline Mannaerts, senior consultant at Robert Walters: “Interim managers are often brought in to address a specific need, such as temporary replacement, restructuring, a digitalisation project, or preparing for an acquisition. In such situations, the focus is often initially on technical skills and experience. However, time and again it becomes clear that cultural alignment is just as important for the success of the assignment.”

Why cultural fit is crucial

An interim manager enters an organisation with a clear mandate and a limited timeframe to deliver results. There is little room for a lengthy onboarding period. To be effective, the manager must not only bring expertise but also quickly align with the existing company culture and teams.

When this alignment is lacking, tensions often arise:

• Employees perceive the interim manager as an “outsider” and are less likely to follow their recommendations.

• Management does not achieve the desired impact or speed in change processes.

• The assignment risks delays or even premature termination.

Eveline confirms this: “In practice, we see that technical expertise is rarely the issue. The real challenge lies in how quickly an interim manager can build trust within the team. That trust is strongly linked to cultural fit.”

Specific challenges

Finding the right cultural fit for interim managers often comes with several challenges. Organisations differ significantly in their ways of working: while larger companies typically seek managers familiar with formal processes and clear hierarchies, smaller businesses benefit more from someone who can act flexibly and pragmatically. In fast-growing scale-ups, the emphasis is on entrepreneurship and the ability to adapt quickly in a less structured environment.

Additionally, multilingualism plays an important role in our country. Language skills and sensitivity to cultural nuances in Dutch-speaking, French-speaking, or international contexts are often decisive factors in gaining trust smoothly.

“Another challenge is the balance every interim manager must strike: integrating sufficiently into the existing culture to create buy-in while simultaneously maintaining the independent perspective needed to implement changes,” Eveline adds.

How to better assess cultural fit?

To better assess cultural fit in interim managers, it’s important to focus on this aspect during the recruitment phase. Organisations can clearly define beforehand which leadership style and values align with the team so that evaluations during the selection process can be more targeted. Additionally, it helps to look beyond experience and CVs during interviews and consider concrete situations where the candidate dealt with resistance or change. Involving the team in this process can also be valuable since future colleagues have a good sense of which communication style and collaboration work best.

Besides recruitment, a short and focused onboarding also plays a crucial role.

"Even interim managers benefit from an introduction to company culture, core values, and unwritten rules,” Eveline notes. “By guiding them from the start on how things work and what is expected, the interim manager can build trust more quickly and contribute more effectively to the assignment.”

More information

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