European companies need to wise up to the benefits of using interim managers ? and remove the stigma associated with employing freelance executives, according to one of the UKís leading interim management suppliers Global Executives.
Global managing director Nigel Corby was addressing members of the Franco British Chamber in Paris this week on the benefits of using an IM to help manage change in companies across mainland Europe in the coming decade.
But he said although the stigma attached to being a freelance executive was decreasing rapidly in the UK, many European countries have a long way to travel before adopting a similar point of view.
There is less stigma attached to being an independent contractor in the UK ? a consequence of the Thatcher revolution perhaps ? and we no longer have a job for life ethic.
Europe is behind the times in this respect, France especially. Germany is in recession and has high unemployment and a difficult legal framework, Spain and Italy have special legislations which mitigate
against wider use of IMs and the willingness of executives to break free from permanent work.
But he said Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg have a strong tradition of using IMs.
The potential IM market in Europe is vast, he said, and it is a case of educating overseas businesses on the benefits of using an executive expert on a short or medium term basis both reactively and proactively.
Despite a reluctance to adopt new business practices, Global has a number of contracts running in various countries across Europe, South East Asia, Africa and South America.
Here and in the remainder of Europe the opportunities are legion. There is much to do in persuading Gallic and other European countries to wise up to flexible management resourcing. All we have to do is get the message across that using an IM can make real difference to a companyís
operation, outlook and bottom line.
Freelance stigma affects European IM market potential
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