What Is A Secondment?
Contents
What does it mean to work on a secondment?
According to Albert Einstein, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. While contemporary psychology may offer a slightly different perspective on this statement, it can be an apt measure of the status quo in many organizations — with employees performing the same tasks repeatedly without growth or development.
- That’s why a secondment is such a powerful tool for identifying and nurturing talent in your company.
- Never heard of the term before? You’re not alone! A secondment is when an employee is temporarily relocated to a different role or department, often for a specific purpose or task.
- They can be short-term or long-term and may involve new skills training to help the employee develop further.
For organizations, secondments are a great way to foster talent from within the business. Employees gain valuable insights and experience in different areas, which can be incredibly useful for career development. Meanwhile, businesses benefit by gaining fresh perspectives on customer service, management, and company goals.
What is secondment and how does it work?
A secondment allows employees to temporarily work with a different department or company, usually to complete a project while gaining experience. The employee benefits because they learn new skills, become familiar with a new industry and expand their career options.
What does it mean to be secondment?
A secondment (sometimes referred to as a ‘job rotation’) is a chance for an employee to temporarily work on a different team within their organization, or in some cases, for a different organization entirely.
Can a secondment become permanent?
Secondment becomes a Permanent Job Role If during the secondment the post becomes permanent, all relevant parties must be kept informed. Subject to satisfactory evidence of good performance in post and the substantive post holder not wishing to return to their job, the secondee may be offered the permanent position.
Is it worth doing a secondment?
Secondment pros and cons 
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Learning new skills: One of the most significant benefits of taking part in a secondment is the range of new skills you will learn. It gives you the opportunity to improve your soft skills, such as communication, networking and building relationships, along with learning new practical skills and possibly even gaining a new qualification or training in a new system. After your secondment, make sure you reflect on how you’ve developed and update your CV accordingly. | Upheaval to work and personal life: As with any new job, a secondment can prove stressful. It might be a temporary arrangement, but it still involves meeting new people, taking on new challenges and performing at a high level. If a secondment is in a different geographical location to your usual role, this can bring additional pressures. You may have an extended commute, experience the stress of settling into a new place and it might take you further away from your support network. |
| Gaining a new perspective: Seeing how other people and teams work can give you a new perspective to take back to your original team. You get the opportunity to compare two different ways of doing things, which can help you improve systems and operations in your current and future roles. | Secondment roles are not always clearly defined: A secondment needs to be carefully managed, with clear expectations for all parties. If this doesn’t happen, secondees can find themselves in a role that they don’t quite understand or don’t feel confident in carrying out. Ask your colleagues for recommendations of secondments that have worked well for them to get an idea of whether they can be successful. |
| Making new connections: A secondment is an excellent networking opportunity. It gives you the chance to get to know a whole new team, and these relationships can prove beneficial throughout your career. Make a good impression, and you can draw on your new connections when needed. | The practicalities can be confusing: Your permanent employer usually remains responsible for you, even while you are on your secondment. This means you are still their legal employee and they must offer you the same legal workplace protections as in your original role. The provides guidance when considering things such as sickness reporting and holiday requests and reporting. Operational colleagues on the flexi rota may also need to consider financial or practical impacts, such as tax implications for having a company car. |
| A low-risk opportunity: Secondments enable you to try out a new career path without the risk of leaving your current job behind. If you’re not sure whether to take the leap into a new role, a secondment can be a low-risk opportunity to explore a new position and make sure it works for you. | Getting long-term value: When you return, start applying your new skills to your current role. It can be easy to slide back into your old routine and ways of doing things, but don’t let your new skills go to waste. You could write up a case study of your secondment experience or produce a guide for future secondees. Show your employer how they have benefited from supporting your secondment. |
| A valuable addition to your CV: The skills and experience you gain from a secondment will stay with you for the rest of your career. Having a secondment on your CV shows employers that you are dynamic and motivated to progress. If you plan a secondment strategically, you can fill in any gaps in your CV to strengthen your position in the job market. | Fitting back into your permanent role: When you’ve been away from your existing employer, job role and team for some time, you may find it difficult to settle back in. Things can move very quickly, and you might notice changes to work processes or new colleagues who have started while you’ve been away. Open communication with your employer throughout your secondment can minimise the impact of changes, along with one-to-ones with your line manager and team catch-ups. |
| Job satisfaction: A secondment can be the ideal way to keep your work exciting and give your career momentum. If you are ambitious and enjoy trying new things, a secondment can allow you to move out of your comfort zone and work on your personal and professional growth. |
Secondment pros and cons
Can you resign from a secondment?
No, you can’t usually, unless you wish to leave the company altogether because: the secondment is to undertake another person’s job, for a specified period of time that you agreed to; and-
How do you show secondment on a CV?
I show mine as a different role, in a different country. Secondment is internal. Make it external facing by showing the role.
Is it worth doing a secondment?
Secondment pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Learning new skills: One of the most significant benefits of taking part in a secondment is the range of new skills you will learn. It gives you the opportunity to improve your soft skills, such as communication, networking and building relationships, along with learning new practical skills and possibly even gaining a new qualification or training in a new system. After your secondment, make sure you reflect on how you’ve developed and update your CV accordingly. | Upheaval to work and personal life: As with any new job, a secondment can prove stressful. It might be a temporary arrangement, but it still involves meeting new people, taking on new challenges and performing at a high level. If a secondment is in a different geographical location to your usual role, this can bring additional pressures. You may have an extended commute, experience the stress of settling into a new place and it might take you further away from your support network. |
| Gaining a new perspective: Seeing how other people and teams work can give you a new perspective to take back to your original team. You get the opportunity to compare two different ways of doing things, which can help you improve systems and operations in your current and future roles. | Secondment roles are not always clearly defined: A secondment needs to be carefully managed, with clear expectations for all parties. If this doesn’t happen, secondees can find themselves in a role that they don’t quite understand or don’t feel confident in carrying out. Ask your colleagues for recommendations of secondments that have worked well for them to get an idea of whether they can be successful. |
| Making new connections: A secondment is an excellent networking opportunity. It gives you the chance to get to know a whole new team, and these relationships can prove beneficial throughout your career. Make a good impression, and you can draw on your new connections when needed. | The practicalities can be confusing: Your permanent employer usually remains responsible for you, even while you are on your secondment. This means you are still their legal employee and they must offer you the same legal workplace protections as in your original role. The provides guidance when considering things such as sickness reporting and holiday requests and reporting. Operational colleagues on the flexi rota may also need to consider financial or practical impacts, such as tax implications for having a company car. |
| A low-risk opportunity: Secondments enable you to try out a new career path without the risk of leaving your current job behind. If you’re not sure whether to take the leap into a new role, a secondment can be a low-risk opportunity to explore a new position and make sure it works for you. | Getting long-term value: When you return, start applying your new skills to your current role. It can be easy to slide back into your old routine and ways of doing things, but don’t let your new skills go to waste. You could write up a case study of your secondment experience or produce a guide for future secondees. Show your employer how they have benefited from supporting your secondment. |
| A valuable addition to your CV: The skills and experience you gain from a secondment will stay with you for the rest of your career. Having a secondment on your CV shows employers that you are dynamic and motivated to progress. If you plan a secondment strategically, you can fill in any gaps in your CV to strengthen your position in the job market. | Fitting back into your permanent role: When you’ve been away from your existing employer, job role and team for some time, you may find it difficult to settle back in. Things can move very quickly, and you might notice changes to work processes or new colleagues who have started while you’ve been away. Open communication with your employer throughout your secondment can minimise the impact of changes, along with one-to-ones with your line manager and team catch-ups. |
| Job satisfaction: A secondment can be the ideal way to keep your work exciting and give your career momentum. If you are ambitious and enjoy trying new things, a secondment can allow you to move out of your comfort zone and work on your personal and professional growth. |
Secondment pros and cons
What is the difference between a secondment and a promotion?
How long does a secondment last? – If an employee is being transferred to another role in the company, an employer should agree on a fixed period of time for the secondment from the initial proposition. Secondments generally take a few weeks to organise.
Secondments should amount to a minimum of six months, and not exceed a period of two years. What is the difference between a secondment and a promotion? Secondments, unlike promotions, are a temporary move between a current job to a new job. Promotions generally involve a transfer from an employee’s current status to a higher line manager position.
Both secondments and promotions can entail monetary raises or bonuses, however, secondments are less likely to offer said raise.
Can I resign from a secondment?
No, you can’t usually, unless you wish to leave the company altogether because: the secondment is to undertake another person’s job, for a specified period of time that you agreed to; and-
