INTHEBLACK December - January 2022 - Magazine - Page 51
a smaller scale, such as the one at financial
services firm Suncorp.
Susie Mogg, former people and
culture manager at Suncorp, says that,
although Suncorp does not have a formal
secondment program, its secondment
policy is a core part of its DNA – just
something they do every day.
“If someone has gone on maternity leave
or is having a career break, Suncorp uses
that temporary vacancy strategically as a
really great opportunity for development
and accelerated learning. [They] may
identify someone whose experience is
quite narrow. Then, [they] suggest they
might want to move temporarily to
another area of the business to expand
their knowledge,” says Mogg.
She cites an example of an
employee from the insurance claims
department who moved into a people
and culture role during a parental leave
vacancy. Mogg says the experience
transformed their view of leadership and
how they engage with their team. The
secondment also created a domino effect,
with each vacated role creating a new
secondment opportunity.
“Secondments have been really
successful in giving...people an integrated
end-to-end view across the organisation,”
says Mogg.
The opportunities also strengthen
diversity and inclusion at Suncorp –
for example, by helping women gain
the experience they need to move up
into more challenging and senior roles,
she says.
WHEN THE SLIPPER DOES NOT FIT
Secondments are not exempt from
occasional challenges and downsides.
For example, employees who apply for
a secondment but are not selected may
feel demotivated. The host department
or organisation may feel that a placed
secondee is not the right cultural fit. A
secondee might have difficulty settling
back into their previous role – or they
might not want to return to their old role
or employer at all.
There are other negatives, such as a
potential productivity drop-off during
transition periods and the additional
administrative work involved.
Despite this, organisations that have
embraced secondments argue that these
issues are a small price to pay for a
powerful job training tool.
“When we have an experience that
takes us out of our comfort zone, that is
when we grow and develop and learn.”
CATHERINE WALSH, PWC AUSTRALIA
KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN
SETTING UP A SECONDMENT
Set the ground rules
Be very clear on the details.
How long will the
secondment be? Will it be
full-time or part-time?
What are the logistics and
how will they be managed?
For external secondments,
will the secondee continue
to be paid by their main
employer? Who is
responsible for overtime,
bonuses, expenses, travel
and leave arrangements?
What are the budgetary or
HR implications? Does the
employee’s other work
need to be covered while
they are on secondment,
and, if so, how?
Start from a position of care
Ask yourself, are you setting
the secondee up for
success? Are they ready to
take this on from a personal
and family point of view?
Are they physically safe?
What about their mental
wellbeing – do they have the
right support networks?
Think of the host
Be clear on the benefits the
secondee can provide to the
host team or organisation.
What is the host team or
organisation trying to
achieve? How can you be
responsive to their needs?
Do the values align between
the secondee and the host
team or organisation?
Clarify the role
Take a holistic view of the
situation. Is this the right
role for the secondee? Do
the secondee and the host
team or organisation have
a clear understanding of
the secondment’s purpose
and goals?
Link in with HR
Examine the opportunity
from the career
development point of view.
How does the secondment
fit into learning and
development frameworks?
What about the secondee’s
career progression?
Make it legally watertight
The secondment must “tick
all the boxes” around health
and safety and insurance.
Are the right policies and
procedures in place,
particularly when it comes
to overseas secondments?
What about if circumstances
change? What if they decide
not to come back to their
employer post-secondment?
What if they need to cut
their secondment short?
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DEC 2022
JAN 2023
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