The IIM released the results of their 2011 market survey this week. Interim Partners is delighted to announce that we were ranked within the top 5 interim management providers in UK in the recent IIM survey. Interim Partners was the leading independent provider and ranked within the top 5 again for the second year of the survey.

The IIM survey provides excellent insight into the current IM marketplace and its changing landscape. The survey looks at a range of factors from average assignment gaps, demand for specialist skills, average day rates through to ranking the top 100 interim provider recruitment firms. The key highlight is that we are witnessing an improved IM market as many more IM’s are reporting being in assignment. A definite improvement on 2010, when only 53% reported being on assignment in Half 1 and barely the majority (51%) in half 2 of 2010.

Other highlights include:

• Average assignment gaps have fallen. The average assignment gap (median) is now 2.6 months, down from median gaps of 4.1 months in H2 2010 and 3.9 months in H1 2010.
• Pleasingly, an increasing number of interim managers are experiencing assignment gaps that extend less than 3 months. < 3 month gaps: 2010 – 36%, 2011 – 46%
• The biggest driver for Interim assignment were Specialist skills (33%) and Change projects and activities (31%).
• Day rates were up for the first half year. The ‘headline’ average rate reaches £638 per day, exceeding the average rate for 2009. Both average ‘best’ and ‘worst’ rates improved from 2010 and matched or exceeded the 2009 rates. The mean average is affected by a high-rate ‘tail’ on the distribution. Median day rates are: £500 (low), £600 (typical) and £700 (highest).
• The average days billed over a year before, shows an increase of 16%. 158 days billed. This brings billed days back to the 2009 number after a tough 2010. An average of 158 days billed equates to about 7.3 months of ‘full-on’ working, as opposed to 6.5 months the prior year, on average (and back to the 7.25 average in 2009)
• Based on these figures the average earnings of an interim manager is £100,804 (158 days X £638 per day).

The full results are here