What do teenagers and interims have in common? True though it may be, I’m not talking about the inability to hold down a steady job; not the crippling social ineptitude, nor the enviously long holidays, nor the spending free time locked away in their (hotel) room. Nor the meals all being paid for by other people. Nor the…
Okay, okay, I’ll stop. What teenagers and interims have in common is….the fact that nobody understands them.
I’m glad to report that the interims I know tend to take this with a little more grace than the teenagers I know. Beyond the ‘Just For Men’ crowd, very few dye their hair. Also, to the best of my knowledge the vast majority manage to avoid painting their rooms black.
I think this is very impressive, given just how misunderstood career interims are. Even on the first draft of our own website, it is suggested that interim is a ripping idea for anyone looking for “full time employment who wants to strengthen their CV”.
I don’t want to step on toes, but – no. No it isn’t. Interim is an awful idea for people in that situation.
Why?
Well, for one, it perpetuates the myth that an interim is a temp with bells on.
I hate to say it, but if you’re on a pro-rata contract – you’re a temp with bells on. Big, sparkly bells, perhaps (I’m not one to judge a person’s bells), but as I’ve said before, you’d be hard pressed to turn down a permanent job.
An interim is reliable. Why? They have taken an active decision to have a career without a fixed employer. Their livelihood depends on their reputation. Like recruiters – another misunderstood breed? – not delivering on a promise means they won’t have any future work. The result of this is that an interim is very, very unlikely to leave before the end of a contract.
Last week, I was visiting a factory in the South, and the client I was with proudly told me they don’t use agencies. I found this odd, given the fact they were a) very busy, and b) taking the time to meet with me (for the uninitiated – a recruitment consultant).
That’s by the by, though – the crux is, that they would consider an interim, but only if the interim would go perm.
Folks, the period of time between two distinct blocks (a period some would term the interim period) is what we’re referring to here. Nobody insists to the AA that the person who picks them up when their car is in a wreck chauffeurs them around on a permanent basis following the accident – so why should people expect the person who picks up the pieces when their factory is in a wreck to stay on either?
I am guilty, of course, of oversimplifying matters slightly. Truth is, I don’t care. The point remains valid. The very concept of an interim is one that vast swathes of the food industry seem to completely misunderstand.
What can we do to combat this?
Well, short of dying hair and painting rooms black, drawing a little attention to the situation would be a good start. The thing is, if you’re reading this, then you’re likely to agree. I’m preaching to the converted. So we need to make it explicit (and I know most of us do), that unlike a dog, an interim CAN just be for Christmas. In fact, that’s the point.
What do you think? Am I overstating matters, or is there a glimmer of truth in there? And if so, what do you do to overcome people’s short-sightedness?
quanticainterim 