10/01/2002

Survey reveals the crucial management function in British business

A new survey by Executives Online, (www.executivesonline.co.uk), the dedicated interim management consultancy, has revealed that when it comes to a sudden senior personnel departure, the hardest person to replace is the operations director.

The company, which every year places many experienced board level directors and senior managers into organisations, questioned 114 director-level personnel asking them which job function is hardest to fill.

The results found that almost one in five said that a good operations director was the hardest person to find - and is even harder to replace than the much vaunted finance director, nominated by 16 per cent, or the all-powerful IT director, suggested by 15 per cent. Only two per cent said that the Chairman is the hardest person to replace when they leave an organisation, whilst the Chief Executive faired little better securing just seven per cent of the vote.

Responding to the findings Norrie Johnston, managing director of Executive Online, said:

“Although those responsible for corporate strategy are very important, at a time of economic downturn companies really value the practical hands-on skills which drive the day-to-day business forward. If good operations people suddenly leave a company, the bottom line impact can be immediately felt. As a result companies are taking care to hold on to these people - leaving fewer of them in the marketplace when job vacancies come up.”

Executives Online’s study bears out this view - with 33 per cent of those surveyed reporting that holding onto good staff is the top priority in times of recession.

In addition to companies taking care to retain their personnel, the corporate changes that many companies are embarking on are creating an additional demand for good production and operations personnel.

Executives Online, which has over 200 highly experienced operations directors and senior managers on its approved register and available for placement, has seen a 100 per cent increase in demand for people with production management skills in the last three months. (MB)

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