‘Temps’ who make £1,250 a day
A FAMILY, a good career and a flexible working life. Can you have it all? Some women seem to think so, and growing numbers are finding a way of making it a reality by working as interim managers.
Filling a temporary gap, or working on a specific project, used to be dismissed as something for semi-retired or redundant executives. But younger people are now choosing to work for a fixed term in organisations, often appointed to manage a project or help with changes. Many specialise in finance, marketing, personnel or technology.
Interim managers usually have a record in a particular field and will be brought in by a company that needs their expertise for a limited time. They are not necessarily managers when they come in, but they will have had project experience.
The appointments typically last between three months and a year. The average contract runs for six months. Nearly five times the number of women than men in their thirties are doing this type of work, according to recruitment consultant Boyden Interim Management.
Chief executive Nick Robeson says: ‘Working in a variety of environments and taking on different challenges is appealing for women. It’s one area where they can get better pay than men.’
BIM says 48% of women interim managers, compared with 47% of men, are paid between £500 and £749 a day. And at the top level, two per cent more women than men earn more than £1,250 a day.
IT expert Katherine Lachance, 43, started working as an interim manager in her late thirties, attracted by the variety of work on offer and the opportunity to do turnaround projects.’
She says: ‘The companies you work for are often in crisis and they really value your input. Interim management is one of the few roles where you can change a lot in a short period.’