As we all know, the current recruitment climate is pretty challenging in most areas. The Chartered Institute of People Development (CIPD) predicts that around 600,000 people in the UK will be made redundant in 2009. As a significant number of these positions have been and will be within finance and tax, lots of professionals are considering a move to interim management. This decision shouldn’t be taken lightly and there are a few factors that should be taken into account. Of course, there is a huge difference between making the decision to become a “career interim” and taking a temporary position to bridge a gap. True senior level interim positions make high demands on the individual and often only work well for people that have actually made that career choice.
The employer’s point of view
Employers look favorably on professionals who have a demonstrable track record of working on similar interim projects, and who have a broad range of experience within different organisations. It often isn’t as simple as just deciding to do it, your timing within your career can be crucial.
The whole interim psyche is different and the way of working takes some getting used to. For this reason, one of the biggest challenges within an interim manager’s career can be getting the first assignment under the belt, as employers want to be sure that the person they take on understands this. With the market being flooded with people at the moment, this can only be harder.
The level of pressure on an interim manager working in any area of a business goes hand in hand with the pressure on an organisation to perform and deliver results. In finance, you are likely to feel that pressure even more at the moment. As an interim manager you need to be able to deliver results and most importantly demonstrate added value, fast.
If companies are taking on non-permanent members of staff then it is likely that there is a specific project to complete. There will always be an expectation for the interim to complete the project with efficiency. In a downturn there will be even higher expectations on delivery.
What questions should you ask yourself?
To decide if you are suitable for interim management roles it would be wise to answer the following questions:
- In the event that it takes a while to secure my first interim position, do I have enough financial stability?
- Would I be comfortable perhaps working on only part of a project and not seeing the actual results?
- Can I quickly understand what is required of me and therefore plan and execute my work with minimal input?
- Would I enjoy an environment where I am removed from company politics?
- Would I be happy in a company, knowing my end date?
- Do I have enough experience within different organisations to stand out above my competition?
- Does my family situation allow me to be flexible with the location of roles e.g. can I live away during the week and return at weekends?
If you are happy with your answers to these questions then seek advice from your peers, industry professionals and friends to gain all of the information that is available to you. When a career in interim management works for the right individual, it works very well. Prior to any meetings, think about your skills in relation to what the market may demand currently and create your own proposition, rather than cramming every bit of experience onto your CV.
Remember - it is as important to impress your chosen recruitment partners as it is clients as there are numerous high quality applicants for every role at the moment.
Mary Driscoll is a Managing Partner at Maven Partners, a specialist Interim Management and Temporary Recruitment business.
1 comment:
Really great article on Interim management.
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