Women must use their bargaining power if they are to secure
jobs in the male-dominated interim management market, a leading HR professional
has claimed.
Elaine Green is one of an increasing number of women who
have broken into interim HR management – despite the fact that the field
alienates many mothers because of its unsociable hours and travel requirements.
Green said women should set out their family commitments to
companies. She added, “Women need to work with agencies to get the projects and
really let employers know what they can do – it requires flexibility on both
sides.
Green manages to juggle work as an interim HR manager for
charities, local authorities and the civil service, along with running her own
consultancy firm.
While more women are breaking into interim management, it is
only happening slowly. Data from the interim management consultancy Russam GMS
show women make up 5 per cent of the company’s interim managers database.
Charles Russam, chairman of Russam GMS, explained that women
made up only 2 per cent in the mid-1990s.
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Interim Group, a representative body for interim managers
reports that women make up 41 per cent of its database.
Ann Scrine, an interim manager who specialises in HR for
call centres, warned women to be aware of the demands of the interim lifestyle
before taking it up. She said, “Interim managers have to be prepared to go
anywhere at any time, for any length of time.”
