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Businesses are finding they can accelerate transformation by engaging highly skilled professionals who want interesting, meaningful and flexible work – on interim assignments.
Watermark Search has championed this talented cohort for more than a decade, and our latest Interim Executive Survey found more than half of all respondents rate “type of work” and “flexibility in how I work” as key reasons for re-evaluating their career.
We call this talented cohort Interim Executives. If you’re looking for interesting career advancement opportunities, you might find interim is for you.
Please click here to download Watermark's 2022 Annual Interim Executive Survey.
Please also watch this space for the 2023 Annual Interim Executive Survey Questionnaire which will be sent out shortly.
Your voice is important and we would love you to participate. The survey provides invaluable data about interim sector trends and engagement opportunities. It is information that can help us all better understand, grow and promote the interim marketplace.
Interim Executives have an edge in the market by remaining relevant. “How” they remain relevant has endured across the 12 years of Watermark’s survey. They actively pursue development opportunities such as courses, research, reading, networks, professional development, industry forums, and a variety of assignments and projects.
Participation in these activities has evolved from predominantly domestic, face-to-face means 10 years ago to a combination of virtual and in-person.
The rapid explosion of the digital economy has made access to international, world class thought leaders and development available at the click of a mouse, 24/7.
The typical Interim Executive is a life-long learner, curious, well read and networked. They value reinventing themselves, stay informed of market trends, proactively build new skills through professional and industry development opportunities and short courses, and apply everything they have gained repeatedly to new work environments and business problems. Apply, reflect, repeat.
How Interim Executives stay relevant
YOU are the brand
Promoting yourself is consistently the biggest (and growing) challenge to being an Interim Executive. In a digital economy where reach into new networks is deep and accessible at a click, the ability to profile your unique value succinctly and assertively is vital to building a sustainable pipeline of work.
During the pandemic our respondents reported an increase in the consistency of work. We predict this trend will continue for several years, driven by the impacts of the Great Resignation, talent shortages in the market and understaffing due to the pandemic.
Challenges reported by Interim Executives
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Re-evaluating your career? Why you should consider becoming an Interim Executive
We have seen the interim way of working gain momentum over the 12 years we have been collecting data.
The main reasons an organisation brings in an Interim Executive with specialist skills are transformation (both operational and cultural) and change management.
The functional roles in demand continue to be change, operations, finance, and human resources; and Government, For Purpose organisations and Financial Services have been mainstay sectors.
However, as revealed in our 2022 Annual Interim Executive Survey, we are seeing a distinct shift in power from organisations to employees.
In a post-pandemic world, employees are asking very human questions about the work they do and who they do it for. This is no exception for the Interim Executive.
Almost half of all respondents to Watermark Search’s survey say they have re-evaluated and made changes to their careers because of the pandemic.
For the individuals working in an interim capacity, networking remains a huge part of the success of procuring work, and a partnership with a broker is a suggested way to compliment one’s own network.
If you are interested in becoming an Interim Executive to expand your career opportunities, we would like to help you.
We bring more than a decade’s expertise representing Interim Executives to help people and organisations find the right match for senior roles – and we’re always happy to share our knowledge about making the most of your Interim Executive career.
We look forward to hearing from you - contact the Interim Team today.
Caroline, Jacinta, Donna, Alex
Interim Team
Watermark Search International