121 avenue des Champs-Élysées - 75008 Paris
+33 (0)1 72 71 85 00
contact@imfinity.fr

How do you define an enhanced interim manager?

Reading time : 4 minutes

Inventor of the 2021 transition manager concept, Arnaud Desclèves takes an in-depth look at the fundamental principles of this profession (already) in the throes of upheaval.

What is your initial assessment of interim management in France?

20 years old. That's not the best age for interim management. Quite simply, because the best is yet to come for this profession, whose future shape is being shaped by IMfinity every day! The profession is facing a unique context, for several reasons:

    • the market is changing. And a changing market means a changing profession;
    • Interim management is still a recent profession, having emerged in France in the early 2000s: it is far from mature;
    • However, it is already facing a strong, rapid and intense transformation, with far-reaching changes to the original model;
    • in fact, the world of interim management - perceived as a profession with a legacy culture (i.e. reproducing what works without questioning) - must instead adapt and take risks. This is what we do every day at Imfinity.

What factors are accelerating this transformation?

Firstly, there are virtually no barriers to entry in this business: you don't need to raise funds, have a major technological innovation or oversized teams to launch your own interim management company. Secondly, the fact that the industry is still in its infancy means that the legacy model is not taking hold. Today, there is no fixed hierarchy between the different players, and market shares are very fluid... There's still room for new entrants!

Against this backdrop of transformation, what are the levers at work?

It might seem obvious that this is a digital business, but it's not! Our core business remains human resources, consulting, recruitment and intermediation. Today's customers don't expect us to digitalize our activities, but rather to deliver excellence in our 2 fundamental pillars:

What are the 4 criteria for defining an enhanced interim manager?

IMfinity has developed the concept of the augmented interim manager in 2021. Our definition of the augmented interim manager: a professional who is more competent and better adapted to the demands and needs of his customers. Faced with changing expectations, we have to adapt and offer a response in line with the market, which is whywe use 4 criteria to determine whether an interim manager is an augmented interim manager:

    • the rigorous selection, in-depth assessment and precise rating of interim managers, also known as "asset managers";
    • specialized training for interim managers, going far beyond 20 years' experience as a senior executive in a major corporation. Psycho-social skills and the indispensable "soft skills" are a prerequisite.
    • equipping interim managers with the latest tools, applications and innovative solutions, including artificial intelligence, so that they can put them to work for their customers.
    • the need for an international profile with an impeccable command of business English.

How do you integrate these 4 dimensions?

Today, 90% of the briefs we receive include these aspects, which have become unavoidable. IMfinity didn't wait to get up to speed with the market. We quickly identified these 4 prerequisites and put 4 structuring answers to music:

    • profile selection based on anassessment tool that compiles managerial skills and a personality test;
    • Training in the interim management profession and tailor-made coaching, with processes adapted to availability and needs: intensive sessions before starting an assignment or long-term training over several months;
    • cutting-edge technological tools. For example, for interim managers in the legal world: the best databases and research(Doctrine®), artificial intelligence for contracts(Luminance®), an electronic signature tool(Docusign®) and corporate law management(Axel®). All our managers receive mandatory training in these tools;
    • English courses provided by our partner Le Comptoir des Langues, to ensure that your interim manager is perfectly at ease with business English.

What strategy guides your partnership choices?

We don't try to reinvent the wheel or create new tools when effective solutions already exist. Our philosophy is to focus on our core business - meeting our customers' interim management needs - in association with highly specialized experts who excel in their field. To put it simply, we partner with the best in their respective sectors to offer incomparable solutions to our profiles... and therefore to our customers. Our experience and industry knowledge guide us in choosing the right tools for the job. It's because we're professionals in the fields in which we operate that we know which service providers to work with to forge intelligent strategic partnerships!

As a result, you'll make a drastic selection when it comes to answering a customer's questions...

In fact, our strict selection process and requirements lead to a logical result: with IMfinity, you won't receive 30 CVs from profiles 24 hours after your request. Only a few profiles can meet your exact requirements, which is why we only send 2 or 3, or even one candidate. This saves time for companies, who can rest assured that they'll be interviewing perfectly qualified and operational profiles.

And then there's the question of young people. How can we convince them to take up this profession?

The IMfinity method offers young interim managers a global career path, with constant enrichment. The idea is not to have them follow one contract after another, or to be left in the lurch after one assignment, but to provide them with long-term support, so that they can grow together. Profiles that are equipped, trained, coached, up to date with the latest technologies, at ease in English - in a word, always at the top!

This is the IMfinity vision of the 2030interim manager.

The 4 key criteria for a successful interim manager.

IMfinity has developed the concept of the augmented interim manager in 2021. Our definition of the augmented interim manager: a professional who is more competent and better adapted to the demands and needs of his clients.