More executive leaders want to work as interim managers today

Global skills shortages, a desire for flexibility and companies’ need for cutting-edge skills for a limited time are driving the development towards assignment-oriented forms of employment. With an interim solution, companies will get the right skills in the right place, at the right time.

Interim management becomes more common

The industry for interim managers has expanded significantly. Much depends on how working life has changed and how present life is today. Employment is different and peo- ple generally stay at their workplaces for shorter periods of time. The life of working is more about personal development and less about a need for personal security. Both to- day’s organizations and candidates advocate flexibility, which is also what is demanded in both the choice of employer and staffing needs. Time is short, demands are high and effi- ciency is important. This in turn has led to more experienced, operational executives lead- ers choosing a role as interim manager instead of employment.

The leaders who take on the role of executive interim manager are experienced, inde- pendent and can largely familiarize themselves with both a role and organization and then solve a task. The solution is achieved thanks to their experience. The length of the assign- ments they choose to carry out varies, sometimes it can be a shorter period, such as a few months, and sometimes a longer period of a few years. An interim manager runs his/her own business, and therefore chooses his/her own assignments. This means a role as a self-employed person, something that is seen as a great advantage for several candi- dates. In the interim industry, the flexibility is great and the possibilities are endless.

Unique and valuable expertise

The key is experience and the interim manager knows in which organizations he/her fits in and is driven by relieving, changing and improving. This means that interim managers de- velop a unique cutting-edge competence that entails great value, both for the interim man- ager him/herself and for several future clients.

An interim manager is very experienced and can achieve a lot in a short time. It makes the person feel safe and comfortable to be exposed to very difficult and challenging situations. The complex situations are based on new strategies that need to be implemented.

The interim industry attracts more than employment

Why more experienced leaders choose to take on a role as executive interim manager in- stead of an employment depends in part on the flexibility and all the available options. There is an attractiveness to leave an employment to take a step into the interim industry, where there is a wide range of exciting and varied assignments. This, combined with the opportunity to be your own, means that more people are interested in working as an in- terim. The fact that it is also possible to create a personal experience bank on your own. That is unique and has a high demand from several organizations is also something that attracts. But above all, the big gain is the network that is created in a short period of time and provides a broad network in several different businesses.

To dare to challenge or try new ideas changes when you are not an employee in a com- pany. It is also easier to achieve better results in the companies as an executive interim manager compared to an employed. This is partly due to the fact that the assignments are well defined and that it is the interim manager’s task to formulate the assignment and the path to the solution. The expectations focus on a few areas where it is important to deliver sharply in a short time. It is different from being employed where it is more important to de- liver value in the long term. According to many leaders, delivering sharply in a short time has a greater fascination.

The interim industry is gaining ground

The interim industry is a future industry with strong growth. The approach is something that suits both the company and the individual person. Organizations often see the benefit of bringing specific expertise in the right place at the right time. At the same time, it is good for the interim manager to have a delivery mindset towards the client. Which all the time must be refined. That thinking makes an interim manager more effective in his/her assign- ment.