Latest News
May 2012
The danger of an indiscriminate clamp-down on public sector interims - 3rd May 2012
Indiscriminately clamping down on public-sector 'tax avoidance' will damage the ability of organisations to attract key skills to help them through important transitions. Government research suggests that more than 2,000 public-sector workers could be avoiding the full rate of income tax through off-payroll contracts. Apparently, 40 per cent of those have been in their roles for more than two years.
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April 2012
Popularity of cloud-based 'Workday' HR management software fuels strong demand for HR interims - 17th April 2012
The rapid rise of SAP and Oracle ERP software challenger 'Workday' has created a shortage of appropriately skilled HR professionals and a consequent rise in demand for interims who have them, according to Gordon Whyte of BIE Group.
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March 2012
Archer Mathieson brand name to be discontinued in merger with BIE - 23rd March 2012
BIE Group will be the new name for the soon to merge Archer Mathieson and BIE Interim Executive, two formerly separate companies within The Cornhill Partnership. From 2 April, BIE will lose the words 'Interim Executive' from its name and begin trading as BIE Group, with two distinct but tightly-integrated divisions offering both senior-level executive search and interim services.
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Don't damage our flexible economy - 23rd March 2012
The Institute of Interim Management (IIM) today expressed concern that tax avoidance measures announced in this week's budget could damage small businesses and the flexible economy. In yesterday's budget Red Book, George Osborne announced plans to tackle avoidance through the use of personal service companies by "requiring office holders/controlling persons who are integral to the running of an organisation to have PAYE and NICs deducted at source by the organisation by which they are engaged".
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The only way is ethics - 23rd March 2012
"Good business is better business" so states the strapline of a new book "Who Cares Wins" by David Jones. The premise of this brilliant book is simple - being a socially responsible force for good is not only going to be the right thing for your business, but commercially and economically the only way forward.
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Life pensions and investments market - 20th March 2012
Ezek Talent Management have been specialising in search and selection and talent development for the Life Insurance, Pensions and Investment market for over 15 years and are now expanding their interim offering. They have spent the last 6 months selecting a pool of interim talent which now covers the spectrum of specialist skills required in their market. The changes in their market are being driven by product providers facing challenges around distribution,solvency requirements and falling revenues.
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Trouble winning assignments? - 14th March 2012
After a period of networking, participating in LinkedIn discussions, catching up with old clients, suppliers, competitors, meeting with interim providers, attending conferences, and writing articles, seemingly to no avail, it can all get a little stressful and at times depressing. We start to question whether it is all worth the effort. Whether we will ever 'bag' our next assignment. It can take an almighty feat of strength to keep out there on the circuit.
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Growing demand for British interim managers overseas - 14th March 2012
The British interim manager is becoming an increasingly popular UK export according to new research report, 'The International Interim Market 2012' from award-winning interim management provider, Russam GMS. International assignments make up around 11% of the overall interim market. However, out of the 460 interims who responded to Russam's survey 8 out of 10 had completed assignments overseas.
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IMA predicts huge five year growth in interim management sector - 14th March 2012
The amount of business generated by the UK's top interim managers has jumped 93 per cent in the past five years to £196m, compared with just £102m in 2006. This is one of the key findings from the latest Ipsos MORI survey, conducted on behalf of the Interim Management Association (IMA), the industry body representing the leading UK companies that recruit interim managers. Among IMA members, the total turnover for interim management assignments - which are typically short-term contracts at senior executive level - has risen sharply each year, with the exception of 2010, which saw a drop of £10m from the previous year to £188m.
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Interim Management - a way to readdress gender pay inequality? - 12th March 2012
A report out last week from Mercer highlighted that pay inequality is ever present at a senior level in UK and in European companies. High flying women in the UK are paid 10% less than men for doing the same job and around 22% less in countries like Germany. It seems alarming such levels of discrimination exist in today's modern business world.
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Over promising and under delivering - why some consultants are giving the industry a bad name - 12th March 2012
Nine out of ten of the 350 consultants recently surveyed by The Institute of Consulting (IC), said their clients had been previously let down by consultants who had over promised, failed to add value, lacked the right skills and charged too much - giving the industry a bad image. The root of these problems seemed to lie in the recruitment processes used by companies. The consultants said that businesses often didn't know how to source good consultants, which consultants to trust or where to go to hire effective consultants at affordable prices.
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Women in Interim Management Thwart Glass Ceiling (Free Report) - 9th March 2012
Founded almost 100 years ago to focus attention and activity on the role of women globally, International Women's Day (Thursday 8 March) now celebrates women's achievements while maintaining vigilance on areas in which women's participation lags behind men. Yet despite tremendous strides in access to education, the professions and management and executive work, women remain under-represented in senior management and on boards and generally throughout senior business roles, according to Lord Davies' report last year "Women on Boards" which sets out a series of recommendations to increase the number of women on company boards.
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Russam GMS launches search business to source CEOs and senior executives for Charities - 9th March 2012
In response to increasing client demand, Russam GMS has launched a specialist search offering to recruit CEOs and Senior Executives for charities and Not-for-Profit organisations. The new service is led by Ian Joseph and strengthened by Olga Johnson, former Managing Director of CR search and selection, who joined Russam GMS last year, bringing many years' experience of recruiting senior people in the charity sector.
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Will turnaround markets in 2012 be busy? Will we see a continued interest from private equity to fund turnaround deals? - 1st March 2012
A couple of weeks ago we hosted a roundtable, together with the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) UK, where we invited experts from the turnaround and private equity industry to discuss lessons from 2011 and predictions for 2012. A few observations stood out and we thought these worth sharing.
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Cornhill Partnership to merge Archer Mathieson and BIE Interim Executive - 1st March 2012
Archer Mathieson and BIE Interim Executive, two formerly separate companies within The Cornhill Partnership, have announced plans to merge from April. The new, as yet un-named business will be led by current BIE chief executive Rob Walker. Archer Mathieson's current chief executive Richard Wright will relinquish his role from April and will pursue another opportunity later in the year. Cornhill will make a separate announcement about this shortly.
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February 2012
Interim managers within government: challenging misconceptions - 22nd February 2012
The Government, civil servants and the media should avoid a knee-jerk reaction to the debate surrounding the role of limited company contractors working within government departments and arms-length bodies. They should avoid branding all one-person limited companies as 'employees attempting to avoid tax'.
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The Value of Interim Management to the Flexible Economy - 16th February 2012
Amid the current outrage over contractual and pay arrangements for some civil servants, it is important not to lose sight of the value that genuine interim managers bring to their client organisations in both the private and public sectors: we must not throw the baby of flexibility out with any tax-avoidance bath water. Across the economy, organisations are dealing with uncertainty and change. Some are restructuring and dealing with the need to scale down their operations; others are innovating their way out of recession. All are, necessarily, seeking greater agility in their operations. Interim management provides that agility.
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UK Interim Management market declines by 6% - new research of 12,000 interim managers from Russam GMS - 10th February 2012
Activity in the UK Interim Management market fell sharply in the six months from June to December 2011 according to the latest snap snot survey of 12,000 Interim Managers from Interim Management Provider Russam GMS. The 6% decline in activity levels follows a brief period of optimism in June 2011, when activity rose by 1.2%. In spite of this, the average pay for interims rose by 2% from £607 to £621 a day, indicating that the bulk of the work is going to senior and highly paid interims. Pay was most buoyant in banking, insurance and financial services where interims commanded £737 a day, up 6% from £694 in June 2011. Interims in the charity sector and Not-for-Profit sector also experienced a jump in pay (12%) from £424 to £477 in the past six months.
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The case for Interim Management - Ed Lester - Student Loans Company - 7th February 2012
From what I have read in the newspapers about Ed Lester and the Student Loans Company I do think that the beneficial case for engaging interim managers through their limited companies needs to be made. Interim managers are an established management resource to cover gaps, bring about change and generally manage difficult projects. Very often they are engaged where incumbent management has failed to address or resolve business critical issues. Interims have been and will continue to be a "vital agent of beneficial change" both in the Public and Private Sectors.
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Where to Now for UK Life Sciences? - 2nd February 2012
The 2012 UK Life Science Industry Leaders Survey highlights a concern that the UK is losing its position as a centre for global R&D. Nick Stephens, CEO of RSA, presents results from the survey and draws out some themes that are relevant to the industry as a whole.
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Talent Management in the Era of Lean - 2nd February 2012
Creating a lean organisation is a long term strategy that most pharmaceutical companies are pursuing with great urgency. Nick Stephens, CEO of RSA, draws on new research that suggests talent management may be suffering in the process.
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The IMA Interim Management workshops re-launch in Central London - 2nd February 2012
In October 2011 the IMA's flagship Interim Management Induction workshop re-launched after a break of almost a year. The workshops are now being run in partnership with the Interim Hub, and the content has been completely revised and updated for 2012.
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January 2012
Interimwomen event - 'The secrets to branding yourself in a digital world' - 7th March 2012 - 31st January 2012
Interimwomen, the business network for women working as interim managers set up by Russam GMS is partnering with Midlands law firm, Hill Hofstetter to host an evening reception focusing on how to a build a brand successfully in a digital environment.
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Food Interim of the Year 2012 - 26th January 2012
Pioneers of Interim Management in Food & Drink manufacturing, Jarvis Johnson, Malham Consultancy and Interim Bank are pleased to announce their joint sponsorship of a new award, designed to reward Interim Managers within this exciting sector.
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People and companies - 26th January 2012
This is the section of the Interim Hub where we track who has moved where in the interim industry.
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Interimconnect Interim Survey Results 2012 - 11th January 2012
Interimconnect is the free to join network for skilled and experienced professional interim managers to network and find interim assignments. In December 2011 a survey was launched by Interimconnect to provide value to its members in the form of meaningful market intelligence. Interimconnect have kindly made the results of this survey available for Interim Hub newsletter subscribers.
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An Interim Forecast - 11th January 2012
Whilst many interim managers may be emerging from their solstice / Christmas / New Year celebrations with a wary eye to the near future, there should be little doubt about the longer term outlook for the interim management profession. The future of all forms of freelancing is extremely rosy and interim managers - providing we keep ourselves agile and adaptable - are among the best-placed of all to succeed in the evolving world of work.
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Ten inside tips for interims - Working with a provider - 5th January 2012
Like it or not, some interim providers are the first port of call for companies looking for Interim Managers. You are better off working with the good ones and using them as part of a wider marketing mix in your search for a new assignment. Here are ten inside tips on working with them, gleaned from 11 years as an Interim Provider.
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December 2011
ROI of interim assignments - 19th December 2011
So you've selected, interviewed and hired an interim manager. How do you now measure whether the assignment was a success? Mike Measures of Interimconnect has the answer in the fourth instalment of his blog series for HRBullets, which aims to give guidance to clients who are hiring an interim manager for the first time.
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Interim Management in China - Foreign Executives have been working in China and Asia for decades - 9th December 2011
Originally on expatriate contracts, a high number of them have now decided to stay in China. This is either done by renewing their contract, making the transition over to another company or by using their experience and expertise in an Interim role.
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So You Want to be an Interim Manager in Pharma... - 6th December 2011
Perry Evans, Director of Interims at RSA Executive Search, outlines what it takes to be a successful interim manager in today's pharmaceutical industry, based on the experiences of professionals currently in the role.
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November 2011
Never Standing Still - Higher Talent new website - 24th November 2011
Earlier this month Higher Talent announced the launch of its new website with an exciting separate section for HR interim candidates. We are very proud of the design and the new pages carry a feature enabling candidates to create their own personal career profile which can only be viewed by registered prospective employers. This facility is for HR interim candidates only. Once candidates have created their account and filled in their details, Higher Talent will validate the detail and then the profile will go live on our website alongside other HR interim candidate profiles.
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Agency Workers Regulations 2010 (AWR) and the engagement of interim managers - 23rd November 2011
I'm sure HR professionals generally are well up to date on the Agency Workers Regulations 2010 (AWR) which came into force on the 1st October 2011 in terms of normal agency workers and the additional administrative burden this puts on businesses. However there has been some comment in the media about how this might affect the engagement of interim managers. Accordingly I asked our lawyers, City-based Blake Lapthorn, for a clear unbiased opinion which surprisingly (from a lawyer) - I got!
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New director of Interimwomen.com appointed and top tips for success revealed in new report - 4th November 2011
InterimWomen, the business forum for women working as interim managers, established by interim provider Russam GMS, has appointed Diane Morris as its new Director. InterimWomen has recently published a report titled 'Women in Interim Management - how to succeed, the opportunities and challenges', which is an in-depth piece of market research among 1,600 women on the Russam GMS database to gain insight into the realities of working as a woman in Interim Management today. The report looks at the attractions, benefits and drawbacks of working as an interim manager.
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October 2011
Interim management - it isn't always about saving the day - 31st October 2011
Interim management could be vastly more popular - if it wasn't plagued with dramatic images of heroic-like managers being parachuted in to help businesses overcome challenges of epic proportions. Too often people assume, firstly, that the challenge is a negative thing - so the interim manager becomes a resource that is only thought of during times of trouble - and secondly, that the interim manager is some sort of egomaniac convinced of their own super-human business acumen. It's this image that is misleading and unhelpful, and in my view prevents many businesses and investors from tapping into an incredibly useful resource.
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Interim Managers' Guide to Service Providers 2011 - 27th October 2011
The Institute of Interim Management (IIM) simplifies life for interim managers across the UK with today's publication of the Interim Managers' Guide to Service Providers 2011. Available as a free download from the IIM's website, the guide is a unique resource that profiles the Top 40 Interim Management Service Providers, giving details of the sector and role specialisation of each firm along with contact details.
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Outlook improving but still uncertain for HR managers - 25th October 2011
Gordon Whyte of interim provider Archer Mathieson has published one of the most honest and comprehensive HR market summaries that we have seen in recent months, for the website HRZone.
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September 2011
More red tape for decent businesses - 30th September 2011
"Agency Workers Regulations are now in force; how will it affect your world?" asks Gavan Burden of Burden Dare. "This seems to be a case of the blind leading the blind, and what we really need is a co-operative and pragmatic approach to compliance". His article sets out Burden Dare's current thinking on the key issues and, as it is a blog, invites polite comment (please remember, these are not his regulations!). As interim managers you will have a vested interested in AWR and what it means to you. Here is a chance to add to the debate, please join in the blog.
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Institute of Interim Management establishes new branch in Canada - 29th September 2011
The UK-based Institute of Interim Management exports the concept of Expertise on Demand, announcing today the establishment of IIM Canada. With support from the board in the UK, IIM Canada will represent the voice of interim management, promoting the profession and establishing education and accreditation opportunities across the country.
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The IMA Interim Induction workshop launches on 25th October - 28th September 2011
The Interim Hub is pleased to announce the launch of the new IMA Interim Induction workshops on October 25th 2011. The only professional training programme for new interims that is endorsed and approved by the Interim Management Association, the Interim Induction workshop covers a full day and is designed for those who are considering a career in interim management, returning to the interim market from permanent employment or who are committed to interim management and looking for the fastest route to success.
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Why interviewing an interim needs to be different - 27th September 2011
Aimed at those who are considering hiring an interim, Mike Measures of Interimconnect offers some very useful pointers in the third of his blogs written for the employment law website HRBullets.co.uk.
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Recruiting with care and the use of interim managers - 27th September 2011
In times of rapid growth, hiring an interim to step in until the right people are recruited can make up a crucial part of a company's hiring strategy, as stated in the Sunday Times by Jennifer Price of the interim provider Archer Mathieson.
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The Agency Workers Directive Confusion - 26th September 2011
With concern amongst employers in many industry sectors over the imminent Agency Workers Regulations, a commentary published by BIE Interim discusses how interim managers may benefit from any changing trends in temporary staffing that occur as a result of the regulations.
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Business skills are needed to help university sector recover say Interim Managers - 26th September 2011
Funding problems, skills shortages and poor commercial leadership are just some of the challenges currently facing UK universities according to a new survey of interim managers who work in the sector conducted by Russam GMS.
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Interim Women hold event on 5th October 2011 to mark the launch of a new research report - 8th September 2011
Interim Women are holding an evening event on 5th October at Balls Brothers wine bar, Minster Court, the City of London. This event will mark the launch of a new research report of 1600 women working as interim managers. Titled 'Women in Interim Management - how to succeed, the opportunities and challenges', the report looks at the attractions, benefits and drawbacks of interim management, and will be the most comprehensive report published specifically for the female interim community to date.
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Get the most from your interim manager, explains IMA chair - 6th September 2011
Jason Atkinson, IMA chair and Managing Director, Private Sector of Russam GMS, explains in Management Today why today's current economic climate may call for more companies using the skills of an interim manager, to fill gaps in their management teams where redundancies have been made necessary.
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August 2011
HR interim recruitment: what is going on? - 31st August 2011
The best way to describe the HR interim market at the moment is 'steady'. At Higher Talent interims we anticipate that Autumn 2011 will be an active period for interim placements.
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Beware of Greeks bearing gift horses in the mouth! - 31st August 2011
Ever hired a friend of a friend for an interim role and regretted it? Below is an extract from an article written by Gavan Burden, MD of interim provider Burden Dare, warning clients to think carefully before going down the route of hiring an interim on familiar terms without taking the trouble of assessing the skills available to them on the open market. Such errors can be costly, Gavan writes.
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Rise in 'second career' interim managers - 31st August 2011
October 2011 sees the scrapping of the Default Retirement Age which will change UK businesses fundamentally. As a result, a greater number of people will be working into their 70s and even 80s and having second or even third careers. According to Russam GMS, the award-winning Interim Provider, a growing number of men and women in their mid to late 50s are starting out as Interim managers in order to experience a different way of working, diverse industry sectors and have greater choice and flexibility over their work.
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Interim life: Not for everyone but rewarding for some - 18th August 2011
In the second instalment for AccountingWeb, Ben Davies of Archer Mathieson and Nick Diprose of BIE Interim Executive explore the pros and cons of interim work, what it takes to be successful in the field and some typical job types, as well as tips on how to find assignments. Geared particularly towards those working in the finance sector.
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Interim FDs - a permanent career fixture - 17th August 2011
This, the first of two articles written for AccountingWeb by Nick Diprose of BIE Interim Executive and Ben Davies of Archer Mathieson, explains what makes someone give up a life of security to work as an interim executive, and what skill sets are required of such an individual.
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Working as an interim manager - 9th August 2011
One choice for someone leaving the public sector is to work as an interim manager. Interim management allows an organization to hire a manager with particular expertise on a short term contract for a limited amount of time; for example, to provide temporary cover for a role or to achieve specific objectives. Interim management is different to consultancy; you will do the job, not give advice on how the job should be done.
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How to find the right interim manager - 4th August 2011
This is the second edition in a series of blogs by Mike Measures of Interimconnect for HRBullets, aimed at those thinking about hiring an interim. These monthly articles will provide a complete guide to hiring an interim - from how to find one, to interviewing an interim, to things to bear in mind while the interim is on assignment. This is a highly recommended and invaluable source of information to any company that is new to the concept of interim management and wishes to find out more.
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When and why to engage an interim manager - 4th August 2011
This is the first edition in a series of blogs by Mike Measures of Interimconnect for HRBullets, aimed at those thinking about hiring an interim. These monthly articles will provide a complete guide to hiring an interim - from how to find one, to interviewing an interim, to things to bear in mind while the interim is on assignment. This is a highly recommended and invaluable source of information to any company that is new to the concept of interim management and wishes to find out more.
To read more click here
July 2011
Businesses are hiring again - the Interim market returns to growth according to Russam GMS Snapshot Survey - 27th July 2011
The Interim Management market has returned to growth according to the latest snap snot survey of 12,000 Interim Managers from award-winning Interim Management Provider, Russam GMS. From January to June 2011, activity rose by 1.2% - a reversal of fortune compared with the 8% drop recorded in the six months to December 2010.
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Cultural fit "as important as management skills" - 25th July 2011
Advice from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) refers to cultural fit as one of the key attributes required of an interim manager by hiring clients.
Tara Daynes, an HR and Training consultant for CMI, comments in the article that "companies taking on interim managers should also look for a good cultural fit to make sure that there isn't a disconnection between their management and working style, and the culture of the organisation."
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Effective change management: from within or outside? - 22nd July 2011
An article published by BIE Interim, voted no. 2 in the Institute of Interim Management Interim Provider Top 100 this week, explains why more firms should look to the option of interim management as part of their change management strategy.
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Study shows women interim managers are more successful at gaining assignments - 19th July 2011
A study conducted by interim provider Impact Executives, in partnership with assessment firm Cubiks, has shown that women stand a better chance of securing assignments than their male counterparts, despite the fact that only 20% interim managers are female.
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IIM publishes 6th Annual Interim Management Survey - 18th July 2011
The Interim Hub congratulates the Institute of Interim Management (IIM) for their 6th annual Interim Management survey, which was published this morning. Over 1.5 thousand interim managers and providers participated in the survey, and this 68-page report shows some extremely interesting, and in parts very encouraging, results relating to the state of the interim management market and shifting patterns and trends within the industry.
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