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Interview with Anna Boström – our woman on the line!

Hi Anna! First, tell us about your role at Scandinavian Executive—what do you do there?

I work with customer relations, including both new and existing clients we have at the company. I schedule the vast majority of meetings, build strong customer relationships, and stay on top of what’s happening with both our existing and new clients.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

I usually start by checking customer responses and following up on previous meetings. Then it’s mostly a matter of reviewing the news and scanning the market to see what’s been happening. And, of course, reaching out to existing and potential customers via email and phone calls. I stay in touch in various ways, but mostly it’s  via email, but also often via LinkedIn or text messages, actually. On a practical level, I then schedule client meetings that my colleagues Sofia, Staffan, Rickard, or Michael then conduct. 

You have to be pretty persistent and not give up! You have to be able to dig deep and stick with something for a long time. It often pays off, and sometimes things just fall into place much later! 

What kind of companies do you usually deal with?

It varies greatly. But generally speaking, they are medium-sized companies with a few hundred employees or more. Quite often, they are based in the Stockholm region, but we have clients throughout the country, and sometimes even outside Sweden’s borders.

Okay, and what are customers looking for? What are their needs?

Projects can be either long-term or short-term, but most often they involve a recruitment process that is taking longer than expected, illness, parental leave, or temporary staffing. Sometimes things come up on very short notice, and that’s when interim staffing is a fantastic option.

What are the most common questions you encounter?

The most common question is, “What kind of interim consultants can you provide?” Scandinavian Executive primarily offers consultants at the executive level, but of course we can assist at other levels if needed—through partners, etc.

Tips for clients considering hiring an interim consultant?

Communication is key—the dialogue between the client and the consultant. Be clear about who is responsible for what and what the assignment entails. There is a very big difference between having an employee and having an interim consultant. The consultant has a very specific role and a clear assignment. What is the goal, what are the consultant’s most important tasks, and how long will they be working on it? But it’s also important to quickly familiarize yourself with the client’s organization, provide regular feedback, and check in with the client to ensure the pace of the assignment is appropriate. Clarity and communication are of the utmost importance.

What message do you want to convey to a customer who might be on the fence, thinking it’s too expensive or too complicated?

Recruitment itself takes time and costs a lot of money, and hiring the wrong person costs even more, so you don’t want to rush the process. That’s where bringing in an interim consultant is the perfect solution. It can take six months or a year to fill a position like CEO or CFO, and regardless of the role, it’s difficult to assign those responsibilities to someone else in the organization in the meantime. Bringing in an interim consultant quickly helps calm things down, creates stability, and allows the company to focus on the right things during a recruitment process or while someone is on parental leave.

Feel free to ask—we’re happy to help!

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