Interim promotion: 6 points to consider before you accept

Congratulations! For whatever reason, an interim promotion opportunity has come up in your organisation, and management has asked if you are interested. That’s an indication that they recognise your potential. Before you rush to give an answer, here are some important points to ponder.

1.    How long is this interim situation going to last?

It’s a good idea to get a ballpark idea of how long this situation will last, as a first step. This will help you to shape your response. If it’s about filling in for the manager while they take a 4 week holiday, then that’s very different from an interim role while a vacant position is filled. Recruitment takes time, and if the role is vacant, that can mean a period of a number of months.

More senior roles often also have more senior expectations, like more evening and weekend work, more flexibility, possibly having to change your own holiday plans so that you can be available for an important meeting or meet a deadline. Once you know how long this interim period will last, you can better anticipate the effect it will have on your life.

2.    What about your current role and responsibilities?

Don’t assume that your current responsibilities will fall to someone else; often the expectation is that you will carry at least part of your current package of responsibilities in addition to new ones. And if you are going to pass on your current workload to someone else, who will that be? Is it someone internal, a current colleague, or a still to be recruited person? How much time will it take for you to hand over your work, and how do you feel about letting it go for a period of time? What really important processes are there, that you would prefer to complete yourself?

3.    Is there space to negotiate?

There are various aspects that you may want to negotiate, such as a temporary salary increase, or other perks. You may also want to negotiate in terms of your overall work package (see point 2), as well as what support, such as external coaching or regular management support, you think you will need.

Don’t assume that you are already ready for the task at hand; you potentially need support and may need to develop certain skills to meet the expectations that go with this new position.

Potentially, there is another project that you have been interested in for a while, and now could be the time to negotiate that you have a future role in that project, when the interim role comes to an end.

4.    What is the recruitment plan? Are you interested in the role longer term?

Ask more questions about recruitment intentions. Will this role be open to internal candidates, or will they advertise it strictly externally? This is a good way to gauge whether you would potentially be considered for the role, and if this is an opportunity to prove yourself. If you are interested longer term, this is a good time to ask what steps you would need to take in order to be considered.

5.    How will this influence your relationship with others in the team?

Your relationship with others may change as a result of an interim position. Your current buddy may suddenly be someone who reports to you…

6.    How will it feel to leave this role again? Will you go back to your old job?

It’s a good idea to also think a few steps ahead, and try to imagine what it will be like when this situation comes to an end. If the interim role is truly temporary, or if you apply for the permanent role and don’t get selected, how will that feel?

Is it the plan that you will go back to your current job? It could feel as if you have outgrown that position.

What does it mean for relationships if you are back to being someone’s colleague after managing them for a period of time? And how will you relate to the new person filling that position?

If you prepare well and ask the right questions, then there will be less surprises. An interim role can give you advantage in other recruitment processes in the future, and it is certainly a learning a growth opportunity.

Good luck with making the right decision for you!