Effective Interim Management for Charities – A Comprehensive Guide
If you have doubts about what interim management can do for your charity or non-profit, this guide is a good starting point. Here's all you need to know:
One of your charity's most influential leaders has decided to step down and sail off into the sunset for retirement. Now, you're thinking about hiring an interim manager to take over until you permanently fill the role.
You're not alone, either. Research shows that today's interim management field has been expanding by 20-40% each year and is now valued at more than $3 billion.
Perhaps you still have doubts about what interim management can do for your charity or non-profit. Here's a rundown of everything you need to know about interim management.
Let's dig in!
What Is Interim Management?
An interim manager is an independent executive or board-level leader who provides business solutions for a short period of time. They are generally needed if a current executive has departed or will be temporarily absent.
These managers are usually experienced in several disciplines and sectors.
The solutions that interim managers provide often fall under the following categories:
Strategy development
Crisis management
Business improvement
Turnaround/transformation management
The average interim manager assignment is fairly intense. It may last anywhere from 6-12 months, and many assignments end up being extended.
In light of this, interim managers should ideally be overqualified to do the roles they have been tapped to fill. They should have competencies that align with their temporary roles and a proven track record of success.
These types of managers don't require direct management.
What Interim Management Is Not
It's not uncommon for interim management roles to be mistaken for lower and middle management contract roles. However, lower and middle managers are normally charged with simply "holding down the fort" while a role is vacant. They might provide extra support at busy times or help with projects, but they don’t operate near or at the board level.
On the contrary, an executive-level interim manager has the authority to deliver a specific impactful change or transition. For instance, they might help with running a programme designed to restructure your business, or an interim director of marketing might launch a new product.
Long-Term Focus of Interims
Unlike junior or middle-level contractors, interim managers usually aren't leaders whom companies "try out" before deciding to hire them in permanent positions. That's because they generally don't stick around at the companies they are hired to help.
Interim managers are generally most interested in capitalising on their capabilities and knowledge through shorter-term projects. Their reputation and success depend on their ability to complete assignments successfully, so they are unlikely to transition into permanent roles with the charity.
When Else to Take Advantage of Interim Management
Interim managers don't just help with special projects, business turnarounds, or change management, they can come in handy in several other situations as well.
You may want to hire this type of manager if you need specialist skills. That's because interims can bring specific expertise, knowledge, and skills that can fill a gap in your current employees' skills.
This type of manager may also be brought in to solve an issue with your charity. For instance, interim executives can help with managing crises and helping charities to respond to unexpected incidents. They may also help to manage and mitigate risk.
Interim managers can help your organisation to navigate changing and complex regulatory landscapes. This can be helpful because charities operate in a highly regulated space, so bringing in some external expertise can be really beneficial.
Finally, you could consider hiring an interim leader to implement a process improvement or a specific project.
Benefits of an Excellent Interim Manager
Excellent interim managers have several key characteristics that make them stand out from other kinds of temporary workers. Let's take a look at them here.
Experience
For starters, they are highly experienced. Ideally, they should have a more sophisticated skill set than full-time roles would typically demand. Strategy development is one such skill that is often in demand.
This is important because interim managers are sometimes brought in to help charities and other non-profits that are in dire straits. Other leaders might have already attempted to fix these companies' problems but failed. So in this situation, an interim manager might be tasked with solving the organisation’s critical issues.
Interim managers can have a positive impact right away. Because they are so experienced, they don't require much settling-in time. Instead, they can start working right away to help the organisations that hire them.
Interim managers should be focused on achieving the best outcomes possible. These managers are generally paid on a per-day basis, so for this reason, they should always be able to say yes when asked the question: "Did you add value to the organisation today?"
Strong Network
Another important quality of an interim executive is a solid network.
The networks that the best interims have include more than just past employers. They might also include management consultants and advisors who supported their businesses in years past, or other professionals like bankers and lawyers. These networks can be invaluable for organisations.
Interims who have good networks are likely to possess strong interpersonal communication skills, which can also help them to deliver a specific impactful change or transition for your organisation.
What to Look for When Recruiting an Interim Manager
Well-Written Curriculum Vitae
Any interim manager should have a strong curriculum vitae, or CV.
The CV should reflect the important skills that the interim can offer you. It should also feature their achievements and show their breadth of experience.
The more assignments they have listed on their CV, the better you can judge the value they can add to your charity.
You might also want to check out a potential interim's LinkedIn page before choosing them:
Ideally, the page should be updated and feature a professional photo.
In addition, look for the finish date for the prospective interim's most recent assignment.
It should include excellent recommendations.
Look for niche skills in the skills section that you feel are most relevant to your needs.
Go-Getter Personality
Interim executives must be highly self-sufficient, proactive, and adaptable. They need to be great at managing people and processes. In addition, they should be masters at building on their skills.
They must also be a team player, but at the same time, these leaders must be able to work autonomously and independently.
These types of managers must furthermore be great at fact-finding. After all, they will likely have to investigate the organisation’s issues to be able to deliver solutions.
The best interims are also comfortable with dealing with lulls between roles and risk - both mentally and financially. After all, interim roles aren’t just stop-gaps between other positions, so interim managers will need to be accustomed to uncertainty throughout their careers.
Benefits of Interim Management for Charities
An interim can take your charity to the next level in multiple ways. Here's a look at the many benefits of hiring an interim executive for your organisation.
Agility and Speed
You can easily hire an interim executive in days instead of months, meaning that an interim leader can easily parachute into your charity, make helpful changes right away, and start work on those urgent outstanding projects.
For organisations that are undergoing transformations but struggle with critical gaps in skills, the speed with which interim managers can be hired is invaluable. With interim managers, these organisations can get back on track more quickly.
Relationship Building
Interim executives are also excellent at relationship building and stakeholder management. They are accustomed to adjusting to various company cultures as well. This will allow them to navigate your charity to make decisions quickly.
Flexibility
Hiring an interim manager gives you the flexibility to get the support you need for just the time period you need it for. Let's say you want to hire somebody to handle a multi-month transformation and nothing more.
With an interim executive, you can receive the support you need during that critical time without having to commit to another employee long term. This also means you don’t have the same considerations around employee tax, pensions, or holidays.
Interims are capable of adapting and flexing to meet any challenges that crop up. You don't have to worry about an interim at your charity becoming overwhelmed.
Innovation Support
Interim managers bring different perspectives to the organisations they work for. You can be confident that the solutions they propose will have the organisation’s best interests at heart, and you may very well find that they propose plans and measures that your team might have otherwise avoided. Their views will also hold gravity among stakeholders.
Strict Accountability
Yet another reason to hire an interim executive is that they have no problem with taking responsibility for the results they deliver.
They won't just advise your charity on what to do or avoid doing. Rather, they will be accountable for driving changes and implementing projects that produce real results. These results can make a major difference in whether your charity achieves its dreams.
Long-Lasting Legacy
Many interim managers spend their time coaching and mentoring internal teams to ensure that the organisation can continue to thrive after the interim manager leaves.
Put another way, the ultimate goal of your interim manager is to leave behind transferable skills that will make your charity's internal capabilities stronger, so hiring the right interim manager could have long-lasting effects on your teams and your business.
Boosting Return on Your Investment
Being able to increase your ROI is another benefit of interim management for charities. With the right interim manager in place, you should be able to plug any expertise, skill, and knowledge gaps, helping you to reach your goals, which in turn should benefit the bottom line.
If you are debating whether to hire an interim leader, then keep in mind that the price tag of an interim executive is much lower than the price tag of failing to deliver a much-needed transformation.
Increased Focus
Interim managers are focused on achieving the specific tasks they've been entrusted with at their organisations. As a result, they can quickly drive change and deliver positive results.
Keep in mind that interim managers depend on referrals, recommendations, and solid track records to excel in their careers. For this reason, they are committed and driven to generate desirable outcomes for the organisations they work for.
A New Way of Thinking
Remember that interim managers are independent external resources. This means they can bring a fresh way of thinking to their organisations.
When an interim leader joins your organisation, you don't have to worry about them being influenced by your charity's culture and politics.
Instead, you can trust the leader to address certain challenges neutrally and operate in the best way for your charity. This is invaluable if unpopular and hard decisions must be reached at the organisation.
Interim Managers vs. Management Consultants
So, how exactly are interim managers different from management consultants?
Management consultants and interim managers have similarities when it comes to their skill sets. However, they don’t generally offer the same services:
Offering Guidance
Management consultants usually provide recommendations and guidance. Interim managers do this but then also deliver proposed solutions.
Delivering Services and Results
You may find that management consultants attempt to provide additional services or even extend the lengths of their projects. However, interim managers are more focused on delivering results rapidly and efficiently to generate future referrals.
Focusing on Your Organisation
A management consultant is usually selected for a project according to their availability. They might juggle an organisation's project along with other clients' projects.
Meanwhile, an interim manager at your charity won't go back and forth between you and another client's work. Rather, they will normally concentrate solely on your assignment from start to finish.
Your interim manager will devote their particular skill set, experience, and reputation to your organisation for a time.
Accountability and Control
As we mentioned earlier, interim managers report to their clients directly. They work with their organisations' internal teams to produce the desired results.
However, a management consultant reports to the consultancy they're working for. They use their consultancy's team for support and resources.
Hiring an Interim Manager
So, are you ready to hire a qualified interim manager for your charity? Here are a few tips for hiring the right manager for your charity.
Build Your Business Case
Let's say you realise you need an interim. Perhaps you need one to oversee a transition or change. Or, maybe you need an interim leader to serve as the bridge between two permanent leaders.
Alternatively, you might want to hire an interim manager to get a struggling project on the right track again.
In any of these situations, you'll have to build a robust business case for an interim. This business case should have clear goals and outcomes.
With a strong case, you'll have an easier time getting stakeholders on board. It will also help you to decide on the particular skill set that your organisation requires.
Pinpoint the Perfect Candidate
Perhaps you need an interim to help you to introduce a new system at your charity. You'll need somebody who has already implemented this type of system at another organisation. Therefore, the right candidate is one who has a proven record of introducing such systems and programmes.
Once you identify your target candidate, you can begin the interim recruiting process.
Recruiting an Interim Manager
You have a couple of options when it comes to recruiting a temporary executive at your charity.
First, you might want to connect with interim managers via LinkedIn or your own personal network. Alternatively, you can seek the assistance of an interim agency. LinkedIn can certainly be an excellent recruiting resource. However, an interim agency can usually guarantee choice and quality more effectively.
An agency has access to many executives with cross-functional experience. In addition, these executives have been vetted.
The right interim agency will use a consultative and collaborative approach when working with your charity. This means they will share their market knowledge with you.
Then, they'll make appropriate candidate recommendations by matching you with the best candidates for your organisation. This means you should have no problem finding a manager who can meet your unique goals and requirements.
All in all, using a reliable interim agency is usually the most time- and cost-efficient way to secure an interim.
Choose the Right Salary
When picking a salary for your new interim, you might be tempted to use the salary that a similar employee at your organisation receives. Don’t!
Instead, think about how you think the interim can add value. Then, agree on this rate based on this expected added value.
Establish Clear Expectations
After you recruit and hire an interim, be sure to also establish clear expectations for them right away.
These expectations should serve as the foundation of your interim's work statement. They should adhere to this statement in every task they complete.
You should be as realistic as possible when setting specific timescales for your interim manager. An experienced interim will be transparent with you if your proposed timescales aren't achievable.
Your interim should have all of the resources they need to begin work right away after you bring them on board.
Communicate with Your Workers
Your new interim manager will be more likely to achieve your desired goals if they receive support from your employees. For this reason, it's paramount that you share your plans for the new interim with your staff.
Let them know why you hired the interim, and explain to them the outcomes you expect the interim manager to deliver. Make sure that you’re clear about the remit of the role and how they will work together.
Track the Interim's Progress
During your interim manager's assignment, you should meet with them regularly to discuss progress.
Only then can you keep track of your key milestones and whether you're achieving them.
Develop an Interim Exit Plan
When the interim's assignment draws to a close, you'll need a strong exit plan in place. As we mentioned earlier, this will allow the interim to leave behind a strong legacy that your team can continue to build upon.
How We Can Help with Interim Management
Interim management can help companies temporarily fill vacant executive-level, manager, and head-of-department positions at their firms. Interim managers can help organisations through transitions and assist in special projects. In addition, they can provide specialist skills that are currently lacking at certain companies.
At the AAW Group, we take pride in offering top-tier interim management services for charities and other non-profit organisations. As a specialist executive search agency that only works with the charity sector, we’re well-placed to help you to find the right interim manager for your organisation.
Get in touch with us to learn more about our services.
