Frequently Asked Questions About Membership

General

I am registered as a Compatriot of GreyHair Alchemy. Will assignment opportunities be sent to Compatriots?

• Whilst there is some overlap in management and ownership, AIEA is a separate entity from GreyHair Alchemy.
• GreyHair has de-commissioned the GreyHair Compatriot database now that a critical mass is reached in the AIEA membership. This minimises the GreyHair overheads and allows GreyHair to provide a more cost-effective service, to the benefit of Clients and of AIEA members.
• GreyHair is now a Corporate Affiliate of AIEA, along with a number of other recruitment/HR experts, and GreyHair candidates are now sourced from the AIEA membership.

How does AIEA earn its revenue?

• AIEA is a membership based organisation and our income streams are from memberships, both individual and corporate. The AIEA-Jobs board is a free service to members.
• Corporate entities who wish to provide ongoing services to the members or provide them with paid employment are encouraged to become Business Members.

I already have a good network, why would AIEA benefit me?

• Maybe you have exhausted the opportunities within your regular network or perhaps conflicts of interests prevent you from taking on opportunities that present themselves. By becoming part of a wider, national network you will have access to a wider range of contacts and opportunities, particularly those that require independent and ‘arm’s length’ relationships.

Can AIEA help me with my work/life balance?

• Whoa! That’s too broad a scope for AIEA. One person’s concept of the perfect work/life balance could be completely different from another.
• We’re here to address a sliver of that whole; namely, to provide recognition as the professional that you are and to help you find as much income-producing opportunity as we can. The rest is up to you. Leading Company magazine had an interesting article on the financial aspects of work/life balance.

What can I do to improve my attractiveness to an employer?

• All of the AIEA members are proven competent executives. The question is – what can you do to stand out?
• Make sure that your resume is as good as it can be; there are old-fashioned resumes and modern, current resumes.
• Some members come from a sales and marketing background and are naturally good at promoting themselves; others have to work at it. It is short-sighted to solely rely on another party (including AIEA) to secure your income.
• Self-marketing is the answer. There are many self-help books on how to go about this and lots of useful information on the Internet. Get some fresh ideas from your fellow members - that's what networking is all about.

What are your expectations of me and how do I fulfil those expectations?

• All you need to do on an on-going basis is to keep your résumé and registration details up to date.
• Make sure you present as attractively as possibly at the AIEA networking events. They are held to help you get in front of employers looking for your skills.

What skills are in demand?

• The skills that are saleable to the Client are the ones that you have developed and honed over the past ten years or so. Remember that the primary qualities of an Interim Executive are that s/he is overqualified and can hit the ground running.

What is a FAQ?

• FAQ is shorthand for 'Frequently Asked Questions'.

Member

General Questions

I am prepared to take a short-term contract but I am really looking for a permanent position. Is AIEA the place for me?

• Absolutely! Our experience is that about 40% of the interim placements convert to a permanent role. This has been borne out by the roles filled through AIEA-Jobs.
• Once an employer experiences an IM that really knows his/her stuff, it is natural for them to consider how best to retain the skills.
• AIEA-Jobs has now been opened up to some permanent employee roles to cater for the 58% of members that will accept them.

I am already doing consulting work, why would AIEA benefit me?

• It is potentially an additional source of consulting assignments. In addition, many of our members are already busy working as Interim Executives and have asked us to help them with networking opportunities, to meet other IE’s or to meet potential employers, and also for Professional Development opportunities.
• Click here to peruse the member benefits.

What sorts of jobs are available through AIEA?

• AIEA limits the membership to people with executive and senior management experience. This is loosely defined as ranging from Project or Operations Managers to CEO roles and the assignments offered are within this range.
• All the Members seek interim or contract roles. However, a good number (around 40% or more) of the assignments either start as a permanent offering or end up as one. In fact, 58% of the AIEA members surveyed stated that they would accept a permanent employee role if the right one was offered.
• Peruse the past roles to get a good feel of the range of opportunity.

Do I need to get an ABN number or can I operate initially as an individual?

• For interim work, you will need an ABN/ACN (or be GST Registered in NZ) as the client almost certainly will want to contract with you business-to-business and you will need to be able to provide a tax invoice for your services. One of the reasons they seek interim executives is that they don’t want to add people to the payroll / headcount for short-term assignments.
• If most of your revenue in a fiscal year is from just one source you must take steps to ensure you meet the ATO contracting guidelines. If you are not up to speed with this, ask your accountant how you can ensure compliance. It is most painful if you don’t.

Membership

What are the Accredited Positions for AIEA membership?

• AIEA is an institute for senior executives who are prepared to offer their services on an interim basis. As such, we are widely inclusive. Here are some broad definitions.
• Interim Executive: An IE, also known as an Interim Manager, is an executive who is employed on a negotiated or contract basis. It could be three days a week, a three or six-month contract or an as-required basis.
• Accredited Positions: It encompasses all the CxO and executive/general management positions. Here you will find Project Managers, Operations Managers and Non-Executive Directors.
• Peruse the position titles and employer names in AIEA-Jobs to get a good feel of what is involved.

How do I join AIEA as a Member (MAIEA, CAIEA or FAIEA)?

• The first step is to go to the AIEA Home Page and get your free account.
• By joining AIEA you will benefit in these ways:
  • Recognition as a Member, Certified Professional or Fellow of AIEA
  • Use of the AIEA post-nominal on your correspondence, business cards, blogs and websites
  • Free subscription to the AIEA quarterly magazine and to Australian Business Acumen
  • Access to premium member-only content
  • Member discount at local, national and international professional development and networking events
  • View and participate in member-only comments and discussions in the AIEA LinkedIn Group
  • An invitation to present at one of the monthly networking events
  • Free inclusion on the AIEA Jobs Board email circulation list
  • You are able to post a vacancy to the  jobs board on behalf of a company contracting your services
• For most, the primary benefit is the ability to form relationships with their fellow members, closely followed by the ability to achieve paid employment through the AIEA-Jobs Board.
• To commence your subscription to AIEA, please click on your Member Portal. Under Current Membership, click on View all Membership Plans.

Why would I join as an Business Member to prequalify members?

• During the formation of the AIEA we have had several specific needs and scenarios put to us by prospective Affiliate businesses. Some businesses regularly require executives for short-term placements when their full time staff have been seconded, taken extended leave or have left the business.
• By having a “warm bench” of interim executives who have been contracted, inducted and know the basics of the business, they are able to engage them quickly and effectively. This is what has driven the Prequalification service to Business Member.

What benefit is it for my company to become a Business Member?

• A BAIEA will enjoy a special level of contact with Members and have a fantastic opportunity to grow their own network with the AIEA membership.
• As well as becoming a full Member, a BAIEA is recognised and promoted as the Industry Expert for their business category in their location and can promote their own branded functions and offer exclusive services to members via the AIEA Events page and also via the quarterly newsletter.
• Affiliates will also be supported in carrying out Prequalification of members for interim roles within their own business.
• Read more on the Business Member page.

What is my choice of Membership?

• For new individual members, there are two initial choices, monthly or annual.
• See the AIEA Membership Categories for the descriptions of the individual members.

Payment Information

How can I get a DISCOUNT on my membership fee?

• Member-Gets-Member 25% discount
• The superior form of advertising is said to be word of mouth and that a personal recommendation is the best of all.
• I am gratified to see instances where a member has recommended AIEA membership to a contact or friend. We have decided to materially reward this loyalty. 

How much should I charge for my services?

• Whatever you want; AIEA does not get involved in the negotiations between the Employer and the Member and we avoid having a discussion with the employer on how much to pay.
• AIEA will not give you any guidance on the setting of your fees. We ask to know your daily rate for statistical purposes only and your individual details are not disclosed to any third party.
• You know your industry and profession best.
• We do suggest that you couch your fee quotations as a daily or weekly rate rather than an hourly rate. Some recruitment agencies run annual salary surveys for Australia and New Zealand which you may find useful.

Do I need to get Indemnity Insurance?

• Some clients will mandate that the interim manager will be covered by insurance. As a general rule, insurance is recommended. AIEA does not offer you any insurance cover as you are not working for AIEA or as an AIEA sub-contractor in any way.

Facility Finder

What if a traditional Recruiter advertises their vacancies on AIEA Jobs?

• The AIEA’s mission is to provide members with improved access to appointments. From this perspective we encourage any Recruiter to view the AIEA as a source of potential candidates for challenging Interim roles.
• If they become a frequent user, they will be asked to become a Business Member.

I have no consulting experience, will I be offered roles?

• Most businesses just need the skills and knowledge that you already have on a short, medium or permanent basis. In fact you are likely to be overqualified for many roles, which is their bonus!
• Some businesses may want a consultant to advise them on an area of change within their business, and they can search for that specific experience if it is needed.

What types of roles will AIEA give me access to?

• Businesses can experience a need for interim placement in any area of management within their business.
• While accounting and financial are the most prevalent roles, they are still less than 30% of the roles likely to be offered. Leaving a wide range of other roles that may include general management, operational management, project implementation, change management, strategy and marketing or directorship, mentoring and board positions.
• A study of the past roles advertised on AIEA-Jobs will give a clear indication of the type of roles that can be expected.

How assured am I of getting work through AIEA?

• There are no guarantees.
• You should see AIEA as a supplementary conduit of opportunity to your networking and other activities. The chances are that your next assignment you will find for yourself.
• With the membership database now into significant numbers, we are assured of satisfying almost any client need.

How does AIEA promote me and what I offer?

• AIEA has developed the increasingly popular AIEA-Jobs board that allows anybody looking for executive talent to input their desired criteria (their job ad) and see how many AIEA members meet those criteria. It's a very fast way of building an interview shortlist.
• It attracts small business owners, recruitment consultants and HR managers because of its speed and reliability.