Executive Interim Management Services

By Alice Muigai

Are you interested in executive interim management services? Flexi Personnel is the leading provider of executive interim management services in East and Central Africa.

More and more companies today appreciate the advantages of executive interim management services. This concept is slowly gaining traction in different parts of the world, including North America and Africa, after widespread popularity in Europe.

The world of business is changing rapidly, with companies finding new ways to advance their operations and do business.

The Covid-19 global pandemic affected the way firms carry out their functions. In this uncertain situation, some firms such as Amazon and Netflix found ways to be profitable during the pandemic while others struggled to survive.

For struggling firms, the key to a quick turnaround lies in executive interim management services.

What are executive interim management services?

Executive interim management refers to the provisional or temporary provision of top-level management resources, including executives who have proven track records of success and the experience to match it.

In today’s marketplace, finding an executive with a proven track record of success is challenging. Coupled with the fact that COVID-19 has limited most people to working remotely from their homes, companies have started searching for temporary management solutions. This is what has led large corporations to seek the help of executive interim service providers.

There is a growing trend of engaging high-level interim executives, and rightly so. Interim executives are hired for the short-run (usually one year). They are widely considered as quick and effective solutions to arising problems that stand in the way of a firm’s productivity.

Even though companies might still choose to solve rising problems through the existing workforce, more and more companies are starting to engage interim executives.

Firms and companies alike achieve this with the help of an executive temporary service provider. Such providers act as intermediary agencies that help place high-level interim executives in a client’s organization for a fee.

Some agencies only handle provisional assignments, while others only handle permanent recruitment. At Flexi Personnel, we handle all kinds of staffing and recruitment assignments that aim to optimize your people management skills.

At the core of executive interim management services are interim executive managers.

Interim Executive Managers

Interim executives are ‘over-qualified’ and highly skilled managers who often operate at a senior level in a client organization. They bring with them a wealth of skills and experience that help in a host of assignments.

Such assignments include business startup management, mergers, acquisitions, transition, illness, death or change of staff members, and crisis management.

Business crises may range from a host of unfavorable situations, including the sudden departure of a senior executive or uncertainty affecting the firm’s productivity stemming from the spread of COVID-19. A temporary executive manager can provide stability following such situations.

Other factors that have made provisional executive managers popular include;

• Their broad operational experience in handling a wide array of similar situations.
• Flexibility and versatility
• Their knowledge, skills, and expertise in handling similar types of assignments.

It is worth noting that temporary seniors also offer a wide range of consulting services. Shortly after their arrival, interim managers make recommendations and proposals after performing a diagnosis of a company’s current situation.

However, similar consultancy is with interim management; the two concepts are not the same.

Interim executive managers vs. management consultants

There are significant differences between interim managers and management consultants. For starters, management consultants are contracted because of their advisory capabilities.

Their job is only to give advice and recommendations. However knowledgeable they may be, they lack the experience and hands-on approach that interim executive managers have.

Additionally, provisional managers have similar job descriptions, but they further implement the recommendations. Other slight differences between the two positions can be seen in the duration of work and termination processes upon completing the given assignment.

The Executive Interim management assignment life-cycle

Assignments come in different instructions and contexts. However, the main goal usually involves the provision of stability and productivity. There is a standard approach to how provisional executives go about handling assignments:

The Entry Phase

As the name suggests, this is the first stage as both the client and provisional executive make contact through interviews and scheduled meetings. The screening process is usually long and tedious as businesses have to assess whether the senior fits the business’s demands.

However, this process can be significantly shortened with an executive interim management service provider such as Flexi Personnel. We have done our due diligence and ensured that the candidates are fit for your business’ requirements.

Diagnosis

For an executive to act, they must perform an initial diagnosis to understand the severity of a given assignment further. Because provisional executives can quickly turn around an unfavorable situation, this stage usually takes less than a week.

Proposals and Recommendations

After diagnosis, the next step is to give a detailed proposal in line with company objectives and plans. The proposals also act as recommendations or ‘calls to action’ regarding the situation. Also, it is common for the proposals to challenge the board’s short term outlook.

The Implementation Phase

The provisional executive is in charge of the short-term project, including implementing organizational goals and tracking the progress. During this stage, the manager’s prowess shines as they exemplify their skills and expertise in handling unfavorable organizational situations.

The implementation phase includes scenarios such as companies looking to launch new products and expansion into a new market or region. Such situations require a senior with a knack for strategy optimization and implementation. Provisional managers get recognition for their excellent skills and resources in strategy implementation.

Exit

Upon completing the project, the manager steps up and ensures that company objectives have been met to the client’s satisfaction. What makes temporary managers effective is their adherence to completing an assignment instead of seeing out the length of his/her contract. The exit is the last stage of the interim manager’s life cycle at an organization.

What are its Benefits?

In a business, some situations occur, resulting in a moment of managerial void. A loss in seniority, especially in a large organization, leads to declined productivity and inevitable profit loss. In such situations, the intervention of an external senior with a proven track record coupled with their resources and skills will prove to be a fast and effective solution.,

Crisis Management

The current marketplace is getting more and more unpredictable. As a result, emergencies demand a swift and sharp response as the disruptions threaten the firm’s productivity and profitability.

Such situations include an outbreak of a disease, data breach, natural disasters, and negative publicity. Interim managers not only restore a company’s position, but they act to prevent possible offsets in the future.

Business Transformation

Many factors ultimately lead to a board’s decision to change the outlook of their organization. In such a difficult situation, it would be in the company’s best interest to use an interim manager’s leadership and effectiveness with the experience and skills to propel the organization in the right direction.

Quick Replacement after Sudden Departure

A void left by a senior executive might send everyone in a frenzy and usher in widespread panic. When such departures happen abruptly, it would be in the organization’s best interest to look for a provisional manager who has experience handling such matters.

Strategic Project Implementation

It is usual for businesses to implement new strategies as they grow. This could be in the form of opening up a new site or a new product development. Having a specialist implement the business’ new strategies is key to the success of the same.

It would be risky for an organization to follow the implementation process of an executive who lacks experience

There are a ton of benefits in engaging executive provisional seniors. However, it could take months before an organization finds the ideal candidate.

For this reason, you should consider employing an interim service provider such as Flexi personnel, who will speed up the process.

Why should you choose Flexi Personnel for Interim Management Services?

Experience

When choosing an interim management services provider, you should consider the level of experience. Flexi Personnel has been providing executive recruitment services for over 12 years setting high standards in the African marketplace. Additionally, we have the expertise and a solid base of networks, resources, and most importantly, people to meet our client’s requirements.

Industry Knowledge

Our team is well versed with knowledge from multiple industries, including yours! We have gathered information pertaining to market information and trends, which enable us to provide excellent recommendations to our clients regarding interim executive management.

Partnership Approach

We have developed partnerships with clients, most of whom include international brands such as Uber and Carrefour. Working with you allows us to understand and support your vision and goals as we support your needs.

Flexi Personnel is a HR consultancy firm that offers a wide array of HR solutions designed to optimize your short-term and long term management strategies. For more details, view our interim management services.