Interim management, the solution in the deconfinement phase?

☑️ What really happened at the time of containment

The observation that we are making, with the main players in the interim management market, is that most of the assignments in progress before the confinement in France on 16 March 2020 have been interrupted or shortened by our clients.

As regards missions in the closure phase, they have at best been postponed, and in some cases cancelled outright by the companies. As an example, we had candidates with confirmed interviews on Tuesday 17 March 2020, from 9:00 am, and this was cancelled by our client the evening before by SMS at 10:00 pm … since then, the mission has been cancelled.

This situation has been experienced by many interim managers, and many firms in the sector, as a reaction that goes far beyond crisis management and almost as a challenge to the interim management “model” itself.

Indeed, the intrinsic reasons for the missions that were in progress did not, for the most part, disappear because of containment. They are still there, in connection with the transformation of companies, and will have to be solved when the time comes.

☑️ How containment management was organized

Thanks to our numerous contacts with interim managers, we know that many of them felt isolated, and sometimes almost abandoned to their fate, with visibility equivalent to a vehicle on the motorway in fog, all lights on but without even seeing the white line …

In addition, many professionals, indirectly affected by this unprecedented crisis, found themselves “released” from their contractual and salary obligations and became new candidates for interim management.

The number of professionals available to carry out assignments is therefore growing sharply, at a time when activity is slowing down or on standby, depending on the firm. Faced with this situation, two types of reactions are possible: turning in on oneself and sitting on one’s back while waiting for the storm to pass, or sticking together, even from a distance, to think together, get organised and prepare for what comes next!

☑️ Confined, yes, but not isolated!

This is the option that our FIT in NETWORK® network has chosen to adopt, thanks to our more than 800 interim management experts present on our digital platform. With our Premium members, we organized Visio-meetings with Zoom, which we had already deployed, and set up a large number of working groups by business lines, sectors and functions.

These groups have been working throughout the month of April and until May 2020 and have brought together Premium experts from all over France, and from all over Europe: Germany, Belgium, England, the Netherlands, Switzerland and even Romania. Grouped by business lines and functions, our experts worked with our network to prepare offers of relevant assignments for companies in the post-confinement phase.

During this period, our slogan and collective state of mind is summed up by …

« Confined, of course, not isolated! »

For our Premium experts, we have also organized a series of articles that have been and will be published on our professional social sites and networks, notably on LinkedIn. We have also launched a campaign of personal “solidarity” messages that are broadcast by name on all our digital networks.

☑️ What are the prospects, after the storm, in the deconfinement phase?

This is where the difference between before and after containment will be made:

Between the networks that prepared and those that waited for the storm to pass,
Between those who promote their members and those who keep them invisible and sheltered in their back-office,
Between networks that have a real digital strategy and those that rely mainly on their relationships,
Between firms that rely primarily on their partners and those that rely primarily on the quality of their experts to offer to clients,
Between firms with large structures, with consequent costs to be re-invoiced, and those in agile mode with a direct competitive advantage for clients.

Beyond the differences between firms, companies, investment funds and other corporate clients will also have new needs to manage the deconfinement phase. Interim managers will be useful to make up for the absence of certain employees, to reinforce certain operational functions, to provide support to the support functions and more generally to help internal teams to meet the many challenges of deconfinement.

☑️ Interim management, a solution adapted to this new situation!

Experienced, available immediately and for the duration of the need, with an operational, “hands-on” approach, the interim manager will necessarily be useful in helping companies to meet the challenges of deconfinement.

In the support functions, in Human Resources, in Quality – Safety – Health – Environment, in Finance, in Marketing – Sales and others.

In operational functions: in General Management, Project Management, Supply-Chain, Transport, Logistics, E-Commerce, Operations Management, Industrial Sites Management and others.

☑️ Interim managers will be there to help companies transform this new period into opportunities.

Companies will necessarily be more cautious before recruiting with medium and long term commitments: the interim manager will be the expert who will help to solve this double equation: fulfilling a mission, limiting the commitment and therefore the risks over time for the companies.

Beyond that, we know that about 20 to 25% of assignments are transformed into a contract by the client companies: the assignment of at least 6 months successfully completed by the interim manager will therefore give him the legitimacy, if the company so wishes, to continue in another contractual form in agreement between all the stakeholders.

Our network, FIT in NETWORK®, specialized in Management, Finance and Human Resources with more than 800 referenced and visible members and with its Premium experts, intends to take its full place in this new post-confinement dynamic!

You can count on us!

Bruno d’ARTAGNAN

President of FIT in NETWORK® / www.fitin-network.com

You are a company and would like to use interim management?

We will do our utmost to meet your expectations!

FIT in NETWORK®’s commitments to its customers :

From the confirmation of an assignment: 3 proposals of candidates in one week;

The final choice of the interim manager left to the client, according to the “best FIT”;

Follow-up during the mission, at a minimum monthly rhythm, with the client and the interim manager;

In case of unavailability of the interim lunch, the replacement of the expert on mission within a week;

Continuous adaptation of the mission to the client’s particular context.

Testimony of Christian Dubois, Premium Expert and member of D&P Executive Network

Chief Executive Officer, operational manager in the industry

“In the next few months, some companies will have so many issues to deal with that they will need strong external expertise/experience. New health, social and societal challenges to be solved.

Interim management is a good solution for these companies.

A new look(s), for a new vision of Business post Codiv19.

FIT in NETWORK is a pool of experts who can immediately make themselves available to these companies. Premium members form a team within the network that knows each other well. They stick together. And above all, its members can support the Transition Manager on assignment with their skills and expertise. The client sees a manager, but he has all the Premiums in the background! »

Testimony of Laurent Paris, Premium Expert and member of D&P Executive Network

Chief Executive Officer, expert in the management of commercial entities and business units

“In the context of the major changes that lie ahead, adaptability, expertise, responsiveness and above all availability will be key elements.

Interim management meets all these characteristics and the Premium offer proposed by FIT in NETWORK ensures visibility in a plethoric offer”.