Executive Interim Management and Recruitment Solutions

Popularity of cloud-based ‘Workday’ HR management software fuels strong demand for HR interims | 17th April 2012

The rapid rise of SAP and Oracle ERP software challenger ‘Workday’ has created a shortage of appropriately skilled HR professionals and a consequent rise in demand for interims who have them, according to Gordon Whyte of BIE Group. Whyte, head of HR interim at the specialist executive search firm, said:

“Workday is fast becoming recognised as a lower cost, all-round more attractive proposition to the traditional HR modules offered through SAP and Oracle ERP systems. Having been recognised by technology analysts Forrester as ahead of these two established players, we can expect to see many more medium and large-sized companies choosing it. HR interim managers and consultants who understand Workday, and have the required implementation and programme management skills, will find themselves in a seller’s market for some time to come.”

One HR interim manager with the requisite hands-on experience is Helen Phillips, currently on assignment as an HR programme manager at Kerry Foods through BIE Group. Helen, who worked on Workday implementations at both Aviva and RBS Insurance, adds:

“Workday is delivered through an agile methodology, which involves using small, fast-paced cross-functional and self-organising teams with lots of user interaction. This approach is counter-intuitive to IT departments in many organisations. However, the biggest challenge in deploying the software is not technical; it’s getting users to change how they work. Workday is all about line manager empowerment and self-service. This is the key attraction for companies because it creates major opportunities to simplify processes and improve service performance. But it’s a big culture shift for both managers and HR teams, who are used to being the custodians around HR transactional support in a business.”

Workday was founded by PeopleSoft veterans Dave Duffield and Aneel Bhusri. The software unifies Human Capital Management, Payroll, and Financial Management solutions and is cloud-based. The company has more than 280 customers worldwide, from medium-sized organizations to Fortune 50 businesses. The company is expected to make an initial public offering of its shares later this year as part of an aggressive global expansion plan.

Media contacts: Andy Turner, Six Sigma Public Relations, Direct Tel. +33 689 487 617 or Gordon Whyte, BIE Group, Direct Tel. 07770 898487, email: Gordon.Whyte@bieinterim.com

No Archer Mathieson name in merger with BIE | 23rd March 2012

BIE Group will be the new name for the soon-to-be-merged Archer Mathieson and BIE Interim Executive, two formerly separate companies within The Cornhill Partnership.

From 2 April, BIE will lose the tag ‘Interim Executive’ from its name and begin trading as BIE Group, with two distinct but tightly integrated divisions offering both senior-level executive search and interim services.

The newly combined business, employing 24 people, will build on Archer Mathieson’s ‘multi-specialist’ model and continue to operate from offices in the City of London, Birmingham and Windsor.

BIE Group chief executive Rob Walker says:

“We spent a lot of time looking at the name and we found BIE has the most brand equity; it’s a name most senior executives know and trust. It didn’t make sense for us to continue operating under a brand that name-checks two people that long ago ceased to play a role in our business.”

Walker added that Cornhill Partnership’s executive board has sought to create a strong incentive plan for the leadership team of the new BIE Group, with everyone sharing in company profits regardless of divisional contribution.

BIE Group has also announced the appointment of Layla Jaff, who specialises in resourcing senior-level HR interim roles. A native of Beirut, Jaff previously worked at recruitment firms Frazer Jones and Penna, and speaks five languages fluently. Having lived in 12 countries, she is a key player in BIE Group’s international expansion plans.

From Recruiter, 23.03.2012.

Charles Wilson joins BIE Interim Executive from Penna | 29 November 2011

Charles Wilson has been appointed as a director at BIE Interim Executive after spending six years in the interim management division of Penna, latterly as a sector head. His arrival strengthens BIE’s specialist team of consultants sourcing senior-level executives for interim roles.

Wilson says the move to BIE will allow him to broaden his experience and concentrate on what he enjoys most about executive recruitment: consultancy and relationship building.

“I wanted to move to a leading organisation that allows me to build on the relationships I have across different sectors at a senior level; at BIE I’ll be free to broaden the range of clients and candidates I work with keeping customer service at the heart of what I do. The firm has a strong, consulting-led reputation and operates at the senior executive level. That provides greater scope for building deeper, enduring relationships with both clients and candidates.”

BIE chief executive Rob Walker said:

“Charles was the top revenue-performer at Penna and has strong consultative skills, making him a natural fit with BIE. His knowledge of both the public and private sectors will also prove to be beneficial. BIE continues to build on its strong market presence and we are delighted that Charles will be a part of that.”

Succession Planning: a reactionary’s experience Pt 2 | November 2011

Over a 35 year career in HR, Paul Duncan witnessed first-hand the initial, often faltering steps companies took as they attempted to manage succession. In the second half of a two-part article, first published in the November 2011 edition of The HR Director magazine, he tells how those experiences inform his present day approach to the subject. The first part was posted last week and can be read below.

To read more, click here

Succession Planning: a reactionary’s experience Pt 1 | November 2011

Over a 35 year career in HR, Paul Duncan witnessed first-hand the initial, often faltering steps companies took as they attempted to manage succession. In the first half of a two-part article, first published in the November 2011 edition of The HR Director magazine, he tells how those experiences inform his present day approach to the subject. The second part will be posted next week.

To read more, click here

BIE ranked No.2 ‘Best Service Provider’ for interim managers by 1,100 IIM members | 18/7/2011

BIE has shown that size has no bearing on quality after being voted into second place in a league table of more than UK 200 agencies providing work to interim managers. The 16 person company ranked fourth last year. The survey of agency quality is part of the latest market study compiled by more than 1,100 members of The Institute of Interim Managers.

Chief executive officer Rob Walker said:

“There are several reasons why this is an outstanding result: first, we doubled our performance in one year; second, we have a very specific focus on senior-level executives only, so we don’t boast of thousands in our candidate network; third, the one company that stands between us and first place has very little competitive overlap with us and is part of a giant, multi-billion pound turnover international corporation. What this survey shows is that quality service, for interim managers, has no correlation to agency size.”

The last three IIM surveys indicate that agencies may play a more important role than many imagine. Half of all assignments conducted by IIM members arrive via firms like BIE and a third of IIM members rely on them for most of their work. Agencies are also shown to be the catalysts in 80% of all work carried out through this channel, making contact with interims first, rather than the other way round. The lessons from this survey data are clear, says Rob Walker:

“Registering your details with lots of agencies but not going any further is a bad idea; better to aim for a few, strong relationships. More than three-quarters of successful placements are with interims already known to the agency consultant. So it pays to invest time working out which agencies provide the kind of work you seek, and then build good relationships with the right people.

“There’s no magic formula for how many is right or when/how to communicate; it will vary with each circumstance. But one thing is clear: being passive is a strategy few can afford.”

You can read the full survey here

HR Professionals: Interim or Permanent?.. | May 2010

BIE's Nick Diprose joins managementtoday.com's debate in on whether now is a good time for HR professionals to enter the interim market.