Project or engagement: the difference
An interim or fractional engagement takes on the ongoing HR work: there is no defined end state, but a role that is carried until the successor is in place or the need ends. A project is the opposite: there is a brief with a deliverable, a timeline, and a date on which the deliverable is accepted. The restructuring is negotiated and executed, the new entity is operational, the two HR organisations are one.
In practice the two often blend. An interim engagement starts with a vacancy, and in month three it turns out that a restructuring is coming. Then the project becomes part of the engagement. The other way round, a carve-out starts as a project, and at the end the new entity needs a head of HR on fixed days for a few months. Both are normal and are handled within the running contract, not tendered again.
Which project fits which situation
A single problem, not an engagement
Setting up open roles, automating a routine, preparing a policy. Half a day remote. HR Project Sprint
Supporting separations fairly
Personally supporting affected employees through to the next role, instead of sending them into an agency programme. Outplacement
Introducing AI routines
Job ads, screening, reference letters, onboarding, with a works council agreement. As a project or within an engagement. AI for HR teams
AI within a project
In every project I check where AI routines can save time, from workforce communication to documentation. In a restructuring, that is the briefing material for line managers and the documentation of the social selection (Sozialauswahl, the statutory criteria for deciding who is affected by redundancies in Germany). In a carve-out, the contract templates and transition notices for hundreds of employees. In an integration, the merging of two rulebooks into one readable document. Always with a works council agreement, never around co-determination. More under AI for HR teams.
How a project starts
Every project begins with the first call: 30 minutes in which you describe the situation and I tell you whether the project is feasible as described. Then follows a one-page brief: goal, deliverable, timeline, scope in days, who in the company is involved. Larger projects get a short alignment phase with the managing director and, where needed, the employment law firm, before the works council is informed. The project sprint skips all of that: a date, a topic, half a day.
What stays the same in every project: a weekly one-page status to the managing director, and a handover that documents what keeps running without me after the project.
Reorganisation across nine countries at a software company, payroll and global mobility built from scratch, a region scaled from 70 to over 100 employees. More about me
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a project and an interim engagement?
An interim engagement takes on the ongoing leadership of HR. A project has a defined brief with a start, an end and a deliverable, such as a restructuring or a carve-out, often alongside an existing HR structure.
Can you take on a project during a running interim engagement?
Yes. A project often grows out of a running engagement, for example when a restructuring comes up during vacancy cover. Then the brief is extended, not set up from scratch.
How quickly can a project start?
The project sprint can be booked within a few days. Larger projects such as a carve-out or an integration need a short alignment phase before the actual start, usually two weeks.
Do you work with our HR team on a project, or around it?
With the team. A project that runs past the HR team leaves nobody behind who can carry it on. The team is involved in every project, often with defined roles.
What does a project cost?
Projects run on a day-rate basis with an estimated scope, the project sprint as a flat fee for the half day. Terms on the first call, once the brief and the scope are clear.