Thoughts from an Interim Manager
Being an interim manager is a challenging career path. Here we talk to Janet Rigby, a career HR interim about her experiences and the advice she would give to others.
Janet, people get into Interim Management for a variety of reasons. How did you start and what were you doing beforehand?
After a degree in Law and a Graduate Management Training in Retail, I stumbled into HR and had a successful HR career in electronics, IT and R&D;, doing an international assignment in the US. The dot com crash and volatile global markets led to a rash of redundancies and after my second site closure and wanting to take control of my own destiny, I set up my company and dipped my toe in the interim market. That was seven years ago and I have not looked back since. I have worked in Food Production, Recruitment, IT software/hardware/telecoms, Legal, Education and more recently through Interim Partners a start up of a public-private initiative in the energy technology arena.
You have a broad experience of working in challenging business environments but what attributes do you think Interims need to succeed?
The priority as an Interim Manager is to get up to speed with your assignment quickly and establish credibility. You need to be clear about your objectives and the role expectations. On occasion I have worked as a 'caretaker manager' looking after HR during a temporary period of absence and the approach required is much different from working as a project manager, independently working on a specific task. You need to quickly assess who will help you deliver, so you need to proactively build relationships in the organisation, so internal networking is important but beware of workplace politics and don't get drawn in. Also don't be critical of systems and processes - some organisations are superb and others operate using tablets of stone. Be flexible, not critical. You also need to be an excellent communicator so you can share knowledge with the immediate team and the organisation as a whole.
Getting to grips with a business quickly is vital for an Interim. How do you go about doing this?
Research the client and its competitors so that you can hit the ground running and establish credibility quickly. The ability to get to the core of business quickly has always helped me and has led to the client expanding the role in both scope and length on occasion.
What do you look for in a new assignment?
Every organisation is different and life as an HR Interim Manager is a wonderful stepping stone into various cultures and experiences. I look to broaden my portfolio of business sectors where possible across the private and public sectors. I have dealt with such a diverse range of people from High Court Judges to immigrant agricultural workers but treat them all with dignity and respect.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of a career in Interim Management?
My advice would be to be very clear about 'knowing what you know' and not to oversell yourself. You may be looking for stretch assignments but what the client is looking for is a capable pair of hands. I have gained a reputation for competence and reliability and I avoid assignments where I have minimal experience in order to maintain that. Also get networking, with agencies and professionally and personally to expand your contract possibilities. Don't forget administration and budget accordingly for lean periods.
What do you enjoy outside of Interim Management, and how do manage the work/life balance?
Usually working on a HR interim assignment and running a project is 'full on' as may involve a major TUPE situation or a start up recruitment project so work/life balance is maintained in between assignments. My advice is to make sure you take regular breaks so you are fresh for the next big thing!