I Was Singing and Sounded So Good for a Seconded Now I Cant Do It Again
Secondments: the well-nigh powerful job preparation you've never heard of
All the benefits of standing education, without the hassle of night schoolhouse.
If you're not familiar with the term "secondment", you're not alone. Despite its esoteric vibe, the concept is easy to understand. A secondment (sometimes referred to equally a "job rotation") is a chance to temporarily work on a different team within your organization, or in some cases, for a different organization entirely. Think of secondments as the on-the-chore equivalent of exchange educatee programs. And just similar exchange programs, they're an excellent learning opportunity.
For all you etymology fans out at that place…
The word "secondment" comes from the Latin secundare by way of the Middle French seconder: "to assist". Très chic!
Peradventure you desire to develop a skill that could benefit yous and your squad. Maybe you've started to feel burned out and need a change. Maybe you've plateaued in your current function and are looking for a springboard to launch you lot into the next phase of your career. A secondment could be merely the thing. They offering a more than intensive learning experience than classroom or online courses, and you become to put your new knowledge to use immediately and continuously. No theory or hypotheticals hither – this is real and easily-on.
Atlassian has a long-running secondment plan, which has helped scores of squad members grow their skills and invigorate their careers without leaving the company. "Secondments are a swell opportunity for my team to experience a new functional area in a fast and furious way," says Raj Sarkar, who leads marketing for Confluence and Trello. In this era of increasingly specialized skillsets and tough competition for the nearly talented workers, secondments are a win for both employees and employers.
How do secondments work?
In that location are two types of secondments: internal and external. Internal secondments happen inside a unmarried visitor, external secondments happen between companies. For purposes of this article, we'll focus on the internal type.
While statistics on secondments are scarce, anecdotal evidence suggests that formal secondment programs such as Atlassian'south are rare. More often, the secondment is an breezy arrangement between two teams, with HR and It playing a supporting role when it comes to admission to systems and temporary relocation to a dissimilar function if necessary. Either way, it's upwardly to you, the secondee, to seek out the opportunity.
The next step is to convince your manager and the manager of your target team that this is a proficient investment. Beginning by having a conversation with your managing director – if you lot have regular 1-on-1 meetings with them, that'due south a peachy forum – and exist prepared to follow upward with a written proposal. Explain your reasons for wanting a secondment in terms that will resonate with them: progressing toward your career goals, filling a skill gap on the squad, exploring other aspects of the business, etc. A good managing director will recognize why all those things are valuable to the company too, but information technology doesn't hurt to call out a few company-level benefits equally well. (More on that below!)
If they're open to the idea, approach the director of the team y'all'd similar to bring together. Ideally, you'll partner with your manager on this step so all iii of you are active participants in the conversation and are working with the aforementioned data.
Secondment FAQ:
How long does information technology take to suit a secondment?
The approving process for secondments differs from company to visitor, only anticipate a few weeks (if non a month or more) to go everything sorted.
How long does a secondment typically final?
Again, it varies. If you have the opportunity to negotiate the duration, aim for a minimum of half dozen months. It'll take a couple of weeks to get your bearings and kickoff digging into the real learning. Call back that the team y'all're seconded to is taking on a considerable amount of overhead in getting you up to speed, so make sure to stick around long plenty for it to be worth their while. For reference, secondments at Atlassian usually final half dozen-12 months.
Will my pay or benefits change while I'1000 on secondment?
Probably non. At that place's a take chances your pay will decrease if you lot're taking on a function far more than junior than your current role (which seems unlikely), but your benefits shouldn't alter as long as y'all're staying inside the company.
Are secondments actually worth it?
Likewise the heave to your career, a secondment gives you the adventure to class new connections with people across the visitor, empathise the business organization meliorate, and perchance even live in a different part of the earth.
But earlier yous become renew your passport, there are trade-offs to consider as well. The function yous take on may non exist clearly defined, and therefore may not turn out to exist what you had in listen. Information technology'due south besides possible that in your absence, a teammate takes over a part of your role that you love and falls in dear with it also – which tin make for an awkward transition when yous return. So be sure to mitigate these risks by working with your future team to spec out exactly what you'll be doing earlier the secondment begins, and let your habitation team know about any aspects of your role that will still be important to y'all when y'all come back.
It'southward a good investment for your employer as well. "Information technology'due south a great, low-run a risk opportunity", says Raj. "People can build expertise without a long-term commitment. Plus, the seconded employee brings in a different skillset their new team can accept reward of."
In that location are a few obvious downsides, such as a temporary hitting to productivity during the transition and the administrative overhead involved in setting the whole affair up. But the modest loss in efficiency is more than commencement by how effective secondments are.
Raj has had members of his squad proceed secondments and has also captivated new reports as seconded team members. He recommends considering these 6 questions when sorting through the pros and cons:
- Is there a business need?
- Is it beneficial to both teams?
- What is the intent of the secondment?
- What is the skillset the new team member will acquire?
- What will the benefit be to the squad with the secondment member?
- What volition happen to the team and the individual later the secondment is over?
Secondments pay dividends in terms of employee engagement equally well. Later all, what's more engaging than a take chances to develop new skills without the hassle of going to night school? In fact, inquiry we conducted showed that opportunities for continued learning heave a team'south functioning and sense of well-existence significantly. Not to mention the inherent value in up-skilling employees.
Secondments are as well a great tool for employee retentivity. If a highly-valued team member becomes restless in their role, sending them to another department for a quarter or two gives them a chance to stretch their legs without walking out the door.
What'southward information technology actually similar to be on secondment?
Secondments offer a interruption from your regularly-scheduled career trajectory. Take for example Shannon Wintertime, who did a marketing rotation within Atlassian. For Shannon, dipping her toes into an analytics function was a far weep from the product marketing she was used to.
"If you would've told me that I'd be spending my days in SQL by the end of the yr," she says, "I would've laughed. But if these by few months accept taught me anything, it's that anyone tin can learn how to be more data-driven (especially if you're motivated and have support from people who desire you to succeed)."
Immersing yourself in a squad with skill sets yous want to work on is invaluable to the learning process. Information technology's a fast-paced method of learning in a practical manner: this isn't a theoretical continuing education webinar you're watching in your spare time. Yous're actually in the trenches seeing how these skill sets are practical practically!
For Marta Galofre de Alos, her secondment turned into a way for her to expand her horizons within the company. She went from customer support for Trello, a role that is insular within 1 squad, to plan direction, which is focused on streamlining processes across teams.
"I not just learned the core skills of plan direction," she says, "but likewise how to navigate change and doubtfulness. Information technology was a valuable time to augment upwardly my connections at Atlassian, also."
Marta's secondment turned into a full-time switch to some other team. She realized that while she loved client back up, program management proved to be more aligned to her skills and interests. When a position opened up on the program management squad, she jumped at the chance.
This opportunity was a boon to both Marta as well as the company. She says, "I'm now doing the things I'g more naturally good at and passionate about, which is not merely positive for me but besides for the teams around me and ultimately, Atlassian."
What if my company doesn't exercise secondments?
For managers and 60 minutes professionals interested in establishing a secondment program, the skilful folks at Perkbox offer this handy guide. Starting small with advertising-hoc secondments and an experimental mindset will help get the kinks worked out before rolling the plan out on a larger scale.
For would-be secondees, all is not lost. You lot might be able to work out an system anyway, especially if you build a compelling business concern case. (Hint: use Raj's six questions, above, equally your framework.) Stay flexible near the length and structure of the secondment, and be patient if it takes time to reach an agreement that is a win for all parties. Navigating uncharted waters makes for slow going.
Information technology's critical for the managers of all teams involved, besides as the secondees, to have candid, transparent conversations with each other before, during, and subsequently the secondment to ensure everyone is getting what they need out of it. And don't panic if it's all overwhelming at showtime. You'll exist stepping out of your comfort zone, but as the saying goes, that'south where existent life begins.
Source: https://www.atlassian.com/blog/teamwork/what-is-secondment-benefits
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