Demand for interim managers with AI expertise is rising rapidly
"In times of upheaval, interim managers are in particularly high demand if they have the expertise to help shape these changes. And AI expertise is particularly in demand at the moment," says management expert Dr. Harald Schönfeld. He is Managing Director of the personnel consultancy Butterflymanager, which specializes in the placement of interim managers.
Interim managers with experience in the introduction of artificial intelligence into day-to-day operations are currently being sought with conspicuous frequency, primarily to bridge vacancies at upper and middle management level, the HR specialist has found. Most inquiries come from the mechanical and plant engineering, metal and electrical products and pharmaceutical sectors, he says. Only in the automotive sector, where interim managers are traditionally in high demand, is there currently a "lull due to the ongoing economic weakness in the automotive market."
Make the work area of the vacancy "AI-ready"
In almost all industries, interim managers are increasingly being sought in a "dual function": to bridge vacancies and as "AI transformers". Dr. Harald Schönfeld knows: "Interim managers are specifically brought into companies to make the respective work area of the vacancy AI-ready."
AI expertise is now a co-criterion for many vacancies. The management expert explains: "When a manager leaves the company, companies increasingly don't simply want to fill the vacant position one-to-one, but instead advertise a significantly different job profile. And the most common change currently relates to AI."
Classic interim benefits still in demand
According to Dr. Harald Schönfeld, the "classic advantages" of interim managers are still in demand: short-term availability, distinctive expertise, rapid induction, reduction of vacancy costs, high leadership and social skills as well as maximum flexibility. "But a sound understanding of AI is now also a prerequisite in many cases," says the HR manager from numerous conversations. This applies largely regardless of the size of the company, the industry or the position for which a temporary manager is being sought.
"No career without AI"
Dr. Harald Schönfeld explains: "Companies are using the natural staff turnover in management to prepare their management levels for the changes associated with artificial intelligence." Interim managers are taking on a key role in this transition phase "to transfer management positions from the old world to the new AI era."
Incidentally, this also means that managers in both interim and permanent positions would be well advised to equip themselves with sound expertise in artificial intelligence for their professional future. "No career without AI," is how Dr. Harald Schönfeld sums up the current situation on the personnel market for managers. The management expert has been anticipating this development for some time: He is co-editor and co-author of the book "Künstliche Intelligenz für Entscheider: Was Sie als Vorstand, Geschäftsführer, Aufsichtsrat oder Beirat über Künstliche Intelligenz wissen sollten" (ISBN 978-3-98674-078-8), which was published in mid-2023. He co-authored the book with one of the "forefathers" of artificial intelligence, Prof. Dr. Sebastian Thrun, who founded the world's first AI chair at Stanford University.
Source: www.butterflymanager.com
