The Institute of Interim Management (IIM) has released its 2026 Interim Management Survey, providing one of the most comprehensive snapshots of the UK interim market. After several years of economic uncertainty, cautious hiring and prolonged decision-making cycles, this year's findings paint a picture of a market that remains challenging but is showing early signs of improvement.

While many organisations continue to operate carefully, there is growing evidence that businesses are beginning to move from postponing decisions to actively addressing transformation priorities, leadership gaps and critical project delivery requirements. The result is a market that feels more active than it did 12 months ago, even if confidence remains fragile.

A Market Looking for Momentum

The headline message from the survey is perhaps best summarised by the IIM's own conclusion: the market remains challenging, but there are "glimmers of hope". Several indicators point towards gradual improvement:

• Average days billed increased to 148 days.
• The proportion of interims on assignment at the end of March rose to 64%.
• Average assignment length increased to 10 months.
• Average gaps between assignments reduced slightly to 3.2 months.
• The number of interims reporting no assignments during the year fell marginally.

None of these movements are dramatic in isolation, but collectively they suggest a market that is stabilising after a difficult period.

From our perspective we have seen similar trends. Assignment numbers have slowly started to pick up, particularly in transformation, finance leadership and change-focused mandates. However, clients remain highly selective and approval processes are often taking longer than they would have done historically.

Demand hasn't returned to pre-2023 levels, but organisations are increasingly recognising that delaying critical projects often creates greater risk and cost in the long run.

Securing Assignments Remains the Biggest Challenge

Despite these improvements, the survey highlights that securing a new assignment has become the number one challenge facing interims, cited by 50% of respondents. Reduced demand and shorter assignments remain close behind at 45%.

This reflects a reality many finance and transformation leaders will recognise. Businesses continue to face economic uncertainty, geopolitical disruption, inflationary pressures and ongoing cost scrutiny. As a result, interim hiring decisions are subject to greater levels of justification than in previous years.

The market has become more competitive, not because there is a lack of high-quality opportunities, but because clients are increasingly seeking very specific experience. One of the biggest shifts we've seen over the last 18 months is that organisations are no longer simply looking for the most capable candidate. Increasingly, they're looking for the candidate who can demonstrate the most immediate relevance to the challenge in front of them. In a more cautious market, familiarity, proven delivery and clarity of impact are often carrying greater weight than broad experience alone.

Whether it's a CFO to support a private equity transaction, a Finance Transformation Director to lead an ERP programme, or an interim Financial Controller to stabilise reporting processes, clients want proven expertise and immediate impact.

The days of hiring generalist interims for broad leadership support are becoming less common. Organisations increasingly want specialists who have solved similar challenges before.

Finance Remains a Core Interim Discipline

The survey once again confirms that Accountancy & Finance remains one of the largest interim disciplines, representing 17% of respondents. That is unsurprising. Finance sits at the centre of many of the challenges organisations are facing today:

• Cost optimisation and cash management
• Performance improvement
• Systems implementation, ERP transformation and technology modernisation
• M&A activity and integration
• Private equity value creation programmes
• Regulatory and reporting requirements
• AI adoption and governance

Increasingly, CFOs are finding themselves at the centre of conversations around AI. While technology teams remain responsible for implementation, finance leaders are often being asked to evaluate investment decisions, assess risk, measure return on investment and ensure AI initiatives align with broader business objectives.

In our market, we continue to see strongest demand where organisations need immediate expertise tied to a specific business outcome. That includes ERP implementation and optimisation programmes, finance transformation initiatives, M&A activity, carve-outs and integrations, urgent CFO and Finance Director leadership gaps, and private equity-backed value creation projects. We're also seeing a significant increase in organisations reviewing their ERP landscape, whether that's evaluating new platforms, optimising existing systems or preparing for broader finance transformation programmes.

We're also seeing expectations evolve. Interim finance leaders are increasingly being brought in not simply to maintain stability, but to improve forecasting accuracy, strengthen investor and lender reporting, enhance management information, support ERP and technology-enabled change, and help businesses make better strategic decisions during periods of transformation.

As organisations continue to invest selectively, demand remains strongest for finance leaders who combine commercial judgement with transformation expertise and the ability to deliver measurable outcomes quickly.

Day Rates Remain Resilient

One of the more encouraging findings from this year's survey is the stability of day rates. Average day rates increased by just 1% overall to £907 per day, suggesting that while rate inflation remains subdued, rates have broadly held up despite ongoing market pressures. Notably:

• Average private sector day rates exceeded £1,000 per day for the first time.
• Inside IR35 rates increased by almost 5%.
• Female interim day rates increased by over 4%, helping to narrow the gender pay gap.

From our perspective, this reflects the continued value organisations place on experienced interim talent. While procurement scrutiny remains high and clients are focused on budgets, businesses are still willing to invest when they see a clear link between interim expertise and measurable outcomes.

The conversation has become less about day rate and more about return on investment. Clients want to understand how quickly an interim can create value, accelerate delivery or reduce risk.

The Rise of Fractional Leadership

One of the most interesting additions to this year's survey is the introduction of data around fractional assignments.

The finding that almost a quarter of respondents' most recent assignments were delivered on a fractional basis highlights a trend we have been observing for some time. Particularly within SMEs, scale-ups and private equity-backed businesses, there is growing demand for senior finance expertise that doesn't necessarily require a full-time appointment.

Fractional CFOs, Finance Directors and transformation specialists allow organisations to access high-calibre leadership while maintaining flexibility around cost and resource allocation. I expect this area of the market to continue growing over the coming years as businesses look for increasingly agile ways to access specialist expertise.

IR35 Continues to Influence Hiring Decisions

The survey also shows a small increase in assignments operating inside IR35, with 36% of respondents having completed at least one inside-IR35 assignment during the past year. While IR35 is no longer dominating conversations in the way it did immediately after the legislation changes, it continues to influence hiring strategies across both public and private sectors.

For some organisations, concerns around compliance still limit access to interim talent pools. However, the reality is that businesses with well-structured engagement processes continue to successfully access highly experienced interim professionals, regardless of engagement model. The focus should remain on achieving compliance while retaining flexibility and access to critical skills.

Looking Ahead

Perhaps the most telling statistic from the survey is that 45% of interims still expect the market to become tougher during the coming year. That level of caution reflects the uncertainty that continues to exist across the wider economy. However, from where I sit, there are reasons for optimism.

Many organisations have delayed investment, transformation programmes and leadership changes over the past two years. Those priorities have not disappeared. In many cases, they have simply been deferred. As businesses seek to improve productivity, modernise finance functions and drive growth, experienced interim leaders will continue to play a critical role.

The market may not be booming, but it is moving.

At Stanton House, we're fortunate to see these trends from both sides of the market. This year, we were once again recognised by the Institute of Interim Management as a Platinum Service Provider and ranked among the UK's leading interim providers. It's a reflection of the relationships we've built with both clients and interim professionals, and gives us a unique perspective on how the market continues to evolve.

We're also incredibly proud that members of our team continue to receive individual recognition from the IIM for their contribution to the interim management profession, reinforcing our commitment to delivering exceptional outcomes for both clients and candidates.

For organisations facing complex change, interim talent remains one of the fastest and most effective ways to access specialist expertise, accelerate delivery and create measurable business value. If you're considering an interim appointment, reviewing your leadership structure, or simply want an up-to-date view of what's happening across the senior finance interim market, we'd be happy to share what we're seeing.

Get in touch with the Stanton House Interim Finance team for a confidential conversation about your hiring plans, market conditions or upcoming transformation challenges.