Talking Careers: The brief has changed
pharmafile | February 2, 2010 | Feature | Business Services |Â Â Talking Point, interim management, rsa, talking careersÂ
Planning for the future is crucial at any time, but particularly when the market has changed and contracted as the pharma sector has.
Have you stopped to consider what your organisation will need to look like next year or in three years time so that it continues to thrive and remain competitive? It is unlikely that it will look the same as it does today, so what plans do you have in place? Will you need new staff or additional training of existing staff? What will you do to retain your high flyers and remove the non-performers?
Beyond the downturn
Today, many businesses are looking beyond the downturn to gauge the type of strategies and leadership styles they will need to have at hand in order to maximise opportunities post-recession. But do you have the time or internal resource to do this effectively?
Predicting a business’ future skill requirements is no easy feat. When building a post-recession leadership team and preparing for a new competitive climate, modern organisations cannot afford to rely on outdated job descriptions that seek skills no longer relevant to the organisation or industry.
Good recruiters can find the right person to match a brief but what happens if the brief is wrong or out of date? Job descriptions tend to be based on what the last person performing the role did, but what if the market has changed. This is where interim functional experts can help; offering both a cost effective assessment of the situation you face and the ability to stay on to implement any recommendations. If you lose a department head or internal specialist it can often leave you with no-one with the same level of understanding in that area in the business. Interim experts are ideal substitutes to help clarify what is needed. A permanent replacement may not be necessary.
Interims offer a variable cost with value-added expertise at anytime for a defined period. Receiving outside consultation from an interim with knowledge of your industry and experience getting through a downturn can help those responsible for senior level hiring or talent retention to revisit their skill requirements with a fresh perspective.
Motivating staff
There has been a lot of talk in the press about survivor syndrome with many employees feeling they are now working harder with less monetary rewards. So how do you keep them motivated? A fresh pair of seasoned eyes can address these concerns and show the team you are aware of the challenges.
Managers are dealing with all this, plus having up to four different generations in the workplace, all of whom define success and hard work differently. So the manager’s task is not only to combine the right mix of skills, but also to facilitate communication between colleagues, everyone from those who remember rationing to those who cannot imagine life before email. Interims can help alleviate this pressure. They offer strategic and prudent advice while being able to avoid the internal politics, They know they are judged by a successfully delivered project and not by progressing to the next rung on the career ladder.
The CIPD defines talent management as the systematic attraction, identification, development, engagement, retention and deployment of individuals of particular value to an organisation, either in view of their ‘high potential’ for the future or because they are fulfilling business-critical roles. The findings of a November 2008 survey of 705 CIPD members found that many businesses continue to see talent management as a key to competitive differentiation and positioning them to benefit from the eventual upturn. However, only 51% felt that managers are equipped to tackle the challenges of managing talent in, and out of, a downturn.
RSA’s panel of interim experts offer years of successful industry experience with testimonials to support their track record. They are a resource you can turn on and off according to your needs, increasing or decreasing the support according to demand and budgets. Their experience can be reassuring for existing staff and may help you identify the high flyers from the non-performers.
Interim success in action
A Scottish Biotech company with an extensive IP portfolio was developing a range of screening assays. They had excellent internal science capabilities but senior management lacked experience in commercial product development. We provided an interim expert who brought their in-depth understanding of the process from concept, through R&D to point of readiness for manufacture. The interim was a cost-effective solution, delivering the results working just 10 days per month on-site.
Leading a multi-disciplinary team, the interim manager was able to orientate the senior management, providing a link between the science and commercial groups. The team identified key staff members for additional training and helped to boost morale by keeping everyone abreast of the project’s success.
Ultimately, to quote Jim Collins’ book Good to Great, companies must get the wrong people off the bus, get the right ones on the bus and in the right seats – then let the bus pick the best road for your business to travel. Sometimes it takes an outsider with a vested interest in the company’s success to be able to do this.
Tarquin Bennett-Coles is director of RSA Interims. To talk to him about RSA’s panel of experts call or email him on + 44 (0)1707 228606 or tarquin@thersagroup.com
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