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Ever Considered Interim Management? Want a high flying career and a better work life balance – have you considered Interim Management?By Charles Russam, Chairman, Russam GMS Juggling a career and home life is a balancing act for many women and can be one of the greatest challenges they face. The Equalities Review published last year showed that mothers of young children face more discrimination in the workplace than any other group, those with children under 11 are 45% less likely to be employed than men, and single mothers fare even worse, being 49% less likely to be employed. However, one way for professional women to stay at the top of their game and achieve a better work life balance is through Interim Management. Interim Managers are senior level, independent business leaders or projects managers who are experts in their chosen field. They work on an assignment by assignment basis for a dedicated period of time for different companies. Each assignment can generally last between one to six months and involves taking on strategic projects or filling in recruitment gaps caused by maternity leave or sickness. A career in Interim Management can be lucrative with Interims earning on average £580 a day, according to our latest snap shot poll of 8000 Interim Managers, taken in December 2007. So what is it about life as an interim that is beginning to attract more women? According to a poll of 700 female interim managers on our database in June 2007, 66% of women became Interims to enjoy a better work life balance and this was also considered the number one benefit of working as an Interim which was cited by the majority of respondents. A challenging career But Interim Management is not for everyone, it is highly challenging and Interims are expected to deliver results from day one. Janet Morris, an Interim Marketing Director who started her Interim career seven years ago says, “Interim Management provides the variety that I crave in a job and it gives me choice of who I work for and on what plus a more flexible working life. However, it is not a soft option. The job is challenging and can be stressful at times. Also, anyone who is thinking of a career in Interim Management needs to be ready to be completely flexible and willing to travel. For example, I used to commute from London to Southampton every day for one assignment – travel is part of the job.” Greater flexibility When probed about the benefits of life as an Interim Manager, Janet is clear, “Interim Management gives me a huge amount of flexibility and I am in charge of my own diary. I work with my clients to put together my job briefs so my deliverables are clear and I understand my goals from day one. Having such clarity and focus is liberating and this differs completely from a permanent role where goals are often a bit hazy. I know what I am responsible for and what I have to deliver and whilst this adds an element of pressure, I really get a buzz out of it.” It seems that whilst the career itself offers flexibility, the key to being a successful Interim manager is being totally flexible and able to adapt to any client situation. This is something that comes naturally to Rachel Yeoman, an Interim CEO who is currently working at the Youth Justice board, where she reports to a board of 20 year olds. “Flexibility is part of the job; you have to adapt as an Interim manager and get on with everyone. Fitting in with your client’s requirements is key to the success of any assignment and each assignment can be very different, so you have to expect to change your style of working to fit in, whilst getting the job done,” she said. This variety of environment and industry is also something that appeals to Janet who has in her time as an Interim Manager worked for leading organisations such as The Energy Saving Trust, Ordinance Survey, Air Miles, as well as the Queen’s lawyers, Farrer & Co, head-hunters, Odgers, Ray & Berntson. Currently she is the only female director at the family-owned construction firm Osborne. Her roles have ranged from large branding projects, strategic marketing assignments, through to setting up or restructuring marketing departments and crisis management. Increased diversity and greater challenges Interim Management is most suited to people who want a real challenge. Sarah Hadley, aged 36 has been working Interim business consultant in the financial services sector since 2004. She said, “I love the challenge of working as an Interim Manager in the financial services industry and I am completely driven by the focus on getting things done. You have to hit the ground running and deliver on time and I thrive in that kind of environment, I have also found that there is scope to work on a part-time basis – as long as I deliver – enabling me to achieve an excellent work-family life balance”. Avoiding office politics Another key benefit of life as an Interim is avoiding office politics. Half the female Interims polled said that this was the element of their old jobs that they missed least. Janet Morris supports this view; she is delighted she can now avoid office politics and finds that she is continually learning which is stimulating and challenging. She believes that the financial rewards are generally better than working in a permanent position, which is another perk of the career. When questioned about the drawbacks, Janet confessed that on the whole the experience is really positive however, sometimes working as the only Interim Manager at a senior level in a company, can feel isolating at times, which is why she stresses the importance of making the effort to network and mix with other Interims. However, one thing is for sure Janet is not tempted to return to her former life as a full time employee, concluding, “I am working for a great family business at the moment, I am really enjoying it. I am setting up the marketing function and it is an exciting challenge and a great reminder of why I love my job.” But, why is there still a large imbalance between the numbers of male and female interims? The industry is male dominated but this is something that we at Russam GMS are taking steps to change. We want to encourage more women to join the profession and to do so, we launched a new initiative in November, the very first network for women working as Interim managers - Interim Women. It is a forum where female Interims can meet socially, attend networking events and have the opportunity to share their experiences and ideas – a real support network. A new website will be launched next month which will provide great advice for women looking to start their careers as Interim Managers and will also feature lots of tips and advice for existing Interim Mangers on dozens of topics including networking and marketing. There will also be a calendar of forthcoming events. To find out more about Interim Management go to www.russam-gms.co.uk/ or for more information on Interim Women and the new website contact: Kathryn Hughes, Russam GMS on Kathryn@russam-gms.co.uk |
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