Since 2020, Ninni Skagerfält is HR Director for Rexel Sweden, a role that she began as an interim assignment. The choice of a career in HR was driven by her interest in business but with HR as a tool to influence, develop and improve. With more than 30 years in HR, she has worked in retail, the public sector and telecom, and now in the electrical industry. We have talked to Ninni about her experiences of both working as an Interim Manager herself and of bringing in an interim when the organization has specific problems that cannot be solved internally.
When asked how HR is developing today, Ninni says that in general, it is still uneven in how important HR is considered to be in the organization. It takes a big change to move HR from getting stuck in its own processes to seeing the processes as an opportunity for improvement and realizing the business’s development. A lot has happened in the last 20 years, but there is a long way to go before HR is seen as a natural strategic function that is part of the management team.
Rexel has used interim solutions on several occasions, why did you choose this solution?
“It has been for various reasons, such as when we have had to maintain, develop and position a function during the time that a permanent recruitment was ongoing. In one of the latest cases, it took a very long time to find the right person with the right skills and then an interim solution was the obvious choice. On another occasion, we brought in an Interim Manager who, with a senior leadership, could develop a function when we needed to make a shift in the leadership. We didn’t really know which way to go and with this solution were able to take our time to think while the interim led the business. Sometimes it may be the case that you simply need an extra resource that runs in parallel to support the incumbent manager, or to run a project.
I think we are lagging behind in Sweden when it comes to bringing in an extra resource. I myself have worked as an Interim Manager at Telenor and worked alongside the HR Manager to drive change projects while the HR Manager handled the daily operations. You get a lot for your money when you hire an Interim Manager, it shortens change processes and thus saves money. I think interim solutions will become more common as there is a lot of uncertainty in the market due to the recession.”
Today you have two Interim Managers, what are their assignments?
“One of the assignments is in Supply Chain where we had a great need for strong leadership and a person who could directly be ‘up and running’ in a business that is strained. Our distribution centres are the hub of our business, and it is business-critical that they function. In a short time, the interim got a grip on the situation and created stability around the staff – he has made his employees feel better and motivated while building up cross-functional collaborations. It’s not just about what you do, but how. He has handled it incredibly professionally and well. When the situation was stabilized, the assignment was given a more strategic agenda. We had set a clear agenda going forward for this area with activities that needed to be addressed.”
As you worked as an interim HR Manager, how did you prepare yourself for an assignment?
“I have always read much about the company and the people I’m going to work closest to, read the annual report, surfed the web and read articles. For me, it is important to understand and see the context of the assignment. You should always show respect for the job that everyone has done even if you are going to drive change. If you can, you should meet with the CEO to ask questions and listen to what he/she tells you about the business and what they want to be done. I also think of things I’ve done in the past that might be useful in this particular assignment. The first week I listen to the teams, it is important to quickly get a picture of how the organization is functioning.”
“I am curious and driven by meeting new people, customers, industries and contexts. That’s the best thing about working as an Interim Manager.”
What is important to consider when you as a client are going to hire an interim for the first time?
“Personality and how the person will function in the company’s culture is very important. I expect that the presented candidates have the leadership, skills, and the required experience. When I worked as an interim, it was important for me to find out what the company culture looked like and how I could function in it. It is good if the person has been in different industries and different types of companies, but the most important thing is to be able to lead and motivate change. I think personality is becoming increasingly important when recruiting, not the exact knowledge.”
Having a good work-life balance is becoming increasingly important, how do you get new energy?
“It’s really important to make sure you get new energy, but you can’t get stuck for hours here or there. I get a lot of energy from my job, to be involved and be in a social context. I get energy from my family, friends, networks, work, and training. I’m not the type to find balance via meditation or yoga. I enjoy practising explosive sports, now I practice Olympic lifting and Crossfit! I used to practice boxing and Thai boxing. 15 years ago it was unusual for women to do weightlifting, but today it is much more common, which I think is so fun to see. When you exercise, you have to be focused, here and now, and can’t think of work. It’s fun to try new things and meet people I wouldn’t otherwise have met in other contexts, including through the volunteer assignments I have where I get new thoughts and see the world in a different way. I also love to travel and see the genuine and local. I’ve worked a lot internationally, which has contributed to me enjoying meeting and socializing with other people and preferably from other cultures.”
About Rexel:
Rexel supplies materials for electricity supply in all types of buildings as well as in heavy industry and power companies. In Sweden, the business has 770 employees and globally 26,000 employees in 1,900 locations in 24 countries. Originally, the company in Sweden was two family-owned companies in electricity that were acquired by the French group Rexel. Initially, all countries were run locally, but today the business is more centralized. As an expert in the professional distribution of products and services in the electricity industry, Rexel helps customers by offering a tailor-made and scalable range of products and services. The Group had sales of 14.7 billion Euro in 2021.