Witt/Kieffer Launches Interim Leadership Practice

October 9, 2018 – Witt/Kieffer recently launched an interim leadership practice and added Brian Krehbiel to head the new offering. The initiative, dubbed Witt/Kieffer Interim Leadership, expands the reach and capabilities of the firm’s healthcare practice in order to address the critical needs of these clients and ensure continuity in executive leadership.

“We continually assess how Witt/Kieffer can adapt to our clients’ changing needs,” said Andrew Chastain, president and CEO of the firm. “I am thrilled to announce the Witt/Kieffer Interim Leadership practice, which will provide a new strategic option for healthcare organizations in times of transition.”

The Witt/Kieffer Interim Leadership Practice will place executives for CEO, COO, CNO (chief nursing officers), CFO, CHRO and other key roles in hospitals, health systems, academic medical centers and related organizations. Mr. Krehbiel and the practice team will provide support to each client throughout the entire process, from initial consultation and placement through the executive’s tenure, the firm said.

Interim Search Veteran

Mr. Krehbiel brings more than 25 years of healthcare industry experience to his executive search practice. He focuses on identifying C-suite interim placements primarily for CEOs, COOs, CNOs, CFOs and CHROs for hospitals and health systems. Most recently, Mr. Krehbiel was vice president with B.E. Smith, where he helped establish and develop the interim search practice and was responsible for business development strategy. In that role, he secured more than 3,000 leadership assignments and projects across industries over a 20-year period. Prior to that, Mr. Krehbiel was a principal with GCP LLC where he founded a national medical device and home care company.

“I am extremely pleased to help Witt/Kieffer launch this important initiative,” said Mr. Krehbiel. “Interim leadership is an essential component of any healthcare organization’s comprehensive executive talent strategy. Interim leaders fill immediate needs but just as importantly support long-term continuity, flexibility and strength of leadership teams in very challenging times in the industry.”

Sidestepping Talent Gaps

According to a report released by CareerBuilder and Economic Modeling Specialists International, hiring temporary and contract employees can help businesses sidestep talent gaps and remain nimble. The study said that more companies will be tapping into this labor segment, with temporary employment expected to add 173,478 jobs from 2016 to the end of 2018 – an increase of 5.9 percent.

“Today, nearly three million people are employed in temporary jobs, and that number will continue to grow at a healthy pace over the next few years as companies strive to keep agile in the midst of changing market needs,” said Kyle Braun, president of CareerBuilder’s staffing and recruiting group. “Opportunities are opening up in a variety of occupations and pay levels, and this is a trend we’re seeing in a wide range of industries and company sizes.”


Massive Shift to Contract Employment Underway
By 2025, most workers (70 percent) and employers (68 percent) agree that a majority of the workforce will be employed in an “agile capacity” (i.e. contractor, consultant, temp worker or freelancer), according to a study released by Randstad US.


A separate report by CareerBuilder found that 47 percent of employers reported that they planned to hire temporary or contract workers this past year, up slightly from 46 percent last year. Of these employers, 58 percent plan to transition some temporary or contract workers into full-time, permanent roles.

“Temporary employment benefits both sides of the labor market,” said Mr. Braun. “Hiring temporary and contract workers helps companies stay flexible and adapt quickly to changing market demands. For workers, it opens doors for those who want to utilize various skills, build relationships with different organizations and explore career options.”

These figures coincide with similar findings by The Execu | Search Group. Its “Hiring Outlook: Strategies for Adapting to a Candidate-Driven Market” report found that 26 percent of hiring managers surveyed planned to increase hiring of temporary employees last year.

In addition, an Adecco study, “Definitive Guide to Building a Better Workforce,” found that 67 percent of companies use contingent labor to enhance their workforce and close talent gaps. The study surveyed 536 C-suite executives across the U.S. regarding the types of talent they need, skills that are most difficult to find, how they are using contingent labor and progressive recruiting methods to enhance their workforces, employee retention techniques and more.

The report found that 80 percent of employers agree that the U.S. skills gap is a real challenge, and it provides insights into how different companies conceptualize and address this gap in talent. Part of the reason for the increased use of temporary workers: Companies are having difficulty finding quality talent.

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media

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