Wexel Consulting

    Interim HR Leadership

    Senior Interim HR Leadership in Germany

    Interim HR leadership in Germany is the temporary engagement of a senior HR executive who assumes full leadership responsibility for the HR function — as Head of HR, HR Director, or interim CHRO. Engagements typically run three to twelve months and provide immediate strategic direction and operational continuity during leadership gaps, organizational transitions, or periods of transformation.

    The Challenge: Leadership Gaps in HR Carry Real Organizational Risk

    Without senior HR leadership, organizations face delayed decisions, unstable teams, and unresolved people issues that compound over time. During transformation, restructuring, or rapid growth, the absence of an experienced HR leader amplifies every other organizational challenge. In Germany, a permanent senior HR hire takes three to six months on average — time that most companies cannot afford to lose. The alternative is not waiting: it is securing experienced leadership immediately, while a permanent search proceeds in parallel.

    When Companies Engage Interim HR Leaders

    • —Sudden departure of the Head of HR, HR Director, or CHRO
    • —Bridge leadership during a permanent HR recruitment process
    • —Immediate capability required for a restructuring or transformation
    • —HR leadership needed for a post-acquisition integration
    • —Stabilizing an underperforming or depleted HR function
    • —Scaling HR rapidly to support significant organizational growth

    Scope of Engagement

    • —Full HR leadership responsibility: Head of HR, HR Director, or interim CHRO
    • —Strategic direction for the people function from day one
    • —Team leadership, structure assessment, and capability building
    • —Works council management under German co-determination law
    • —Talent management, performance, compensation, and HR operations
    • —Structured knowledge transfer and transition planning at engagement end

    Why Germany-Specific Expertise Matters

    Interim HR leadership in Germany requires more than general HR seniority. Works councils (Betriebsrat), the Kündigungsschutzgesetz, co-determination obligations under the BetrVG, and Germany-specific employment law shape every strategic and operational HR decision. An interim HR leader without deep knowledge of the German regulatory framework creates risk — in restructuring, in employment decisions, and in works council relations. Wexel Consulting combines senior HR leadership capability with authoritative expertise in the German HR and employment law environment.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    A prepared interim HR leader can begin within one to two weeks of engagement agreement. There is no recruitment process, no notice period, and no lengthy onboarding. This immediacy is the defining value of interim HR leadership compared to a permanent hire.

    Day rates for senior interim HR leaders in Germany typically range from €1,000 to €2,500 per day, depending on seniority, scope, and industry context. The total engagement cost must be weighed against the cost of an unfilled HR leadership position — which is rarely zero.

    An interim HR leader works full-time within the organization for a defined period, taking on complete leadership responsibility. A fractional HR leader works part-time across multiple clients simultaneously. Interim is the appropriate model when the situation requires focused accountability and full organizational commitment.

    Yes. Managing works council relations is a standard component of interim HR leadership in Germany. This includes consultation processes under §87 BetrVG, restructuring procedures under §111 BetrVG, negotiating Interessenausgleich and Sozialplan agreements, and managing day-to-day co-determination matters.

    A well-run interim engagement ends with documented structures, a stable team, and a clear role profile for the permanent hire. The interim leader can advise on the specification for the permanent position and, where required, support the onboarding of a successor.

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