How to identify the right
Interim Manager
Introduction
3 Massive Disruptions in the recent 3 years
The world of senior C-Level positions has gone through massive changes over the last 3 years. The expected economic crisis during 2019 started a change in the “traditional” expectations from the Board Members. Soon after, the pandemic crisis shifted the requirements to a completely different level. New positions have come into existence within organizations, and we all learned to work in a completely different way. Today, the current situation in Ukraine, economic sanctions on Russia, and the resulting reshoring wave, will lead to a business environment, that is far different from the one we knew 3 years ago.
The world of management and leadership has become complicated and new positions have come into existence within organizations. Within a short time, interim managers also became a standard management tool to lead companies through changes.
The idea is to get a senior manager with a solid track record and experience to immediately join an organization that:
- is undergoing a massive change, due to internal or external factors (productivity or quality issues, raw material price increase, relocation, offshoring, reshoring, market shift, etc)
- has a hard to fill top-level vacancy, or an unexpected vacancy
The interim managers bring stability to the business and are always overqualified for the role. They possess a wide range of skills, sector, and function experience, so there is no training or onboarding necessary. They simply “hit the ground running”
How to identify the right
Interim Manager?
1. Seniority and Maturity
An interim manager is not trying to land a new job, he/she is very comfortable in his/her skin and he is always in a comfort zone during the hiring process.
They know well their added value, and they are discussing their business contribution, not asking for service fee or a salary.
Be sure to understand the difference between a senior interim manager and a freelancer offering you his services.
2. Team player without too much Ego
Though an interim manager is known for his/her experience and expertise, many times gained in crisis situations, there should be zero ego element present. An executive interim manager already achieved his/her C-Level/ Board Room positions during his permanent career. An interim manager must be a team player to “win the crowd” in order to be successful. And it does not make any difference if it is a crisis management, insolvency or a business development, growth mission. If your gut tells you there is too much ego, you should look for another interim manager.
3. High Adaptability
Interim projects come with different types of requirements. There are never two identical post-merger integrations or two identical relocations of businesses. An interim manager must have the ability to face and align with the specific business situation. If an (interim) candidate starts to elaborate about “the only right solution, or teaches you how to proceed in your current challenge, you should look for somebody different than a narrowly focused consultant.
4. Action-based, hands-on
It is important that an interim manager should be inspired to work hard and set an example for others. Rather than asking others to fulfill a task, he/she should take the initiative to complete it. A hands-on approach is the main sign of a professional interim manager. The implementation is what differentiates interim managers from typical consultants. Always focus on the ability of the interim manager to hit the ground running, take over responsibility and act accordingly. Being fit in shopfloor management, gemba walks, or preparation of a visual report from the obtained data are all signs that an interim manager is able to deliver the necessary change.
5. Solution orientation
An interim should have high levels of energy in order to initiate the disruption, keep the momentum in a business transformation and achieve the agreed goals. It is the job of an interim manager to support others in their development, and let them grow in their respective career. He/she should motivate other people to bring the best of their abilities. Always be sure you are hiring an interim manager = someone who comes, delivers, and leaves. If your candidate is happy to stay on board after the project is finished (as a permanent employee), you are not talking to an interim manager, rather to an unemployed person happy and ready to accept any job to secure monetary income.
Conclusion
Hiring an executive senior interim manager is a very different process than hiring of a permanent employee. There are different expectations, time frames, legal setups, and many other factors.
In many cases the best permanent managers, or managers in between jobs, would fail after a few weeks in an interim assignment, and vice versa, there are interim managers who would not fit any permanent job anymore.
Also be careful how the CV landed on your table, was it social media or permanent recruitment office, or a personal recommendation? But that is a separate topic “Where to get the best interim managers”
Are you looking for an interim manager?
Bohuslav Lipovsky, Managing Partner
EIM Executive Interim Management CEE
Together we can find the solution you are looking for
About Bohuslav
Bohuslav leads companies and their managers through complex changes resulting from crisis, restructuring or post-merger integration. He focuses on working with private equity firms and international corporations. His strength lies in developing a transformation strategy and leading of multi-cultural teams.
Bohuslav has international experience, he has been active in interim management for several years, speaks several languages, and has extensive experience from numerous projects.