Stockholm City Mission with flexibility to meet the needs of a changing society
Providing flexible solutions to meet the needs of a changing society
Alumni's collaboration with Stockholm City Mission (Stockholms Stadsmission) is an example of a comprehensive solution to recruitment needs whilst keeping pace with its responses to a rapidly changing society. By assisting with management expertise in the form of an interim consultant during the recruitment period of a new permanent Executive Director/CEO, Alumni successfully delivered support during the process and appointment.
Åsa Paborn, who recently took up a role of Director in Chief and board member of the Stockholm City Mission, shares her insights from her work in promoting a more humane society. She explains how success can be achieved by daring to think differently and trying innovative approaches to finding the right solution.
“I see interim roles as a fantastic opportunity for all types of organisations, because it is so flexible. The City Mission has brought in several interim consultants whilst their managerial roles were still under design. We experiment for a few months and get a clearer picture of what new competencies and skills are required to accurately meet our evolving needs. It is incredibly valuable. Society is changing rapidly. And if there is a recession as a result of the pandemic, then we will have avoided the long-term investment that salaried employment entails.”
The organisation plays a critical role in supporting society, particularly in times of crisis where there is an increased need for social care and help with employment. Covid-19 has exposed the fractures in the fabric of society and heightened isolation and difference. It has created even more distance between the ’haves’ and the ’have nots’. Leading Stockholm City Mission also comes with the complex challenge associated with a managing a broad spectrum of different stakeholders.
”Many people probably associate the City Mission purely with housing solutions delivered within the framework of traditional procurement. New to my role as Executive Director, I can say that this was the impression I came with myself,” says Åsa. “The issue of homelessness is obvious, but the Stockholm City Mission is about more than just this - it is about meeting society's needs. That is why we also deal with such things as work integration, running restaurants and second-hand shops where people can get hands-on work experience.”
Finding creative solutions to real-world problems is at the heart of how Stockholm City Mission operates. Hiring-in temporary expertise and collaborating with external consultants has given the business the agility and flexibility it needs to keep this creativity. Alumni have supported this approach and given the Mission breathing space, by providing high-calibre interim consultants to bridge the gap until the right long-term expertise can be sourced and placed.
City Mission is comprised of several business units, such as a Food Mission which minimises food waste and subsidises those in need. It also has a School Foundation that supports children, young people and adults reskilling, through their high schools and adult education programmes. It is a large employer with around 850 employees across roles as diverse as: sociologists, lawyers, business developers and store managers with a retail background. The various parts of the business are run as ordinary companies, but the profits are reinvested. In recent years Stockholm's City Mission has gone from strength to strength.
”I took up my role in the autumn of 2020. During the recruitment process, interim consultant Harald Abelin stepped in as Interim Director. Harald, with his specialist experience in change and leadership, functioned as a bridge during a period marked by the pandemic.” says Åsa.
Alumni offers customers interim leaders through their verified network of consultants and with his many years of experience and deep expertise, Harald Abelin is an obvious example. The StockholmCity Mission hires interim consultants at all levels, managers and specialists, in assignments that concern both internal and external operations.
”For example, more and more people are finding themselves excluded from the regular housing market, finding it beyond their reach and personal circumstances. As a result we may choose to bring in an expert with real-estate expertise to particularly look at how we can best meet future housing requirements.” continues Asa.
In order to meet a spectrum of disparate needs, the Stockholm City Mission naturally places great faith in the existing competence of its employees and volunteers, but also has to be brave enough to occasionally relinquish control and rely on specialised external knowledge from Alumni’s interims. As experts in their field, the interims bring fresh perspective and insights to enable fast-paced solutions to ongoing and emerging issues.
”The City Mission's activities all centre around empowering people with the autonomy and knowledge to be able to make informed decisions for themselves.” concludes Åsa.
This also drives Alumni: exploring and harnessing the potential in each individual in order to create more successful organisations and build a more sustainable society at large.
Are you working in the public sector and have a need for interim management, recruitment or leadership development?
Alumni's dedicated team of consultants with expertise in the public sector, offer services in executive search, talent management, leadership development and interim management. For three decades, we have worked with organisations in the public sector, non-profit businesses and membership organisations. During this time we have built up a solid long-term candidate network and excellent client relationships. Our quality-assured processes drive efficient results for our exacting puclic sector clients and their satisfaction speaks for itself with clients returning time and again for future roles and consultancy.
If you need help with permanent or interim roles from top executives to management or specialists, then do get in touch for a dialogue about how Alumni could support you.
To learn more about pro-bono and charitable works undertaken by the us at Alumni please get in touch.