No strings attached?

People often get itchy feet at some point in their career, whether it's a thirst for a new challenge, the desire to fulfil an ambition or simply the need for a change. So what can you do to bridge the gap without leaving the company?

According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, secondment is one of the top ten career management practices. A secondee is able to gain experience outside their organisation, absorb a new environment and learn new skills while maintaining the security of a ‘home base'.

However, for many in construction the association is not so positive. It's been given the less than flattering label of ‘body shopping', a throwback to a more industrial age of structured work in a less than nurturing environment. This was most famously applied in the rail sector, where staff were drafted in on day/monthly rates to get the job done, offering little value or expertise to the paying client. In turn, secondment became a quick fix solution. "It has had a bad name," says Andy Mountain, head of rail at Franklin + Andrews, which has up to 40 staff at any time seconded within clients. "Many clients over use it, then become over dependant on it. They then blame us for it."

Moving on

Times appear to be changing. Enlightened clients now bring a more collegiate, creative feel to using secondees and claim the experience gained by staff is priceless. "I think if it is handled correctly with the interests of the secondee in mind it is invaluable," says Steve McGuckin, head of project management at Land Securities. "The industry is getting used to more portfolio type jobs where you work for different people and organisations," he adds.

Jessica Jarvis, a learning and development advisor at CIPD, argues that secondment offers staff an opportunity to build new skills and for employees to keep hold of staff. "It's a good way of keeping the talented people when there's no opportunity to offer them a promotion," she says. The experience of Gleeds' Jon Enever, who worked on secondment for Marks & Spencer in Paris, shows why a stint with a client can be a good career move (see page 12).

The growth of secondment in the last two decades results from internal restructuring within clients themselves, as well as the rather limited pool of skilled QSs and PMs. Clients' in-house teams have been cut, leading to an urgent need for temporary bodies. The biggest case in point being Railtrack, which brought in expertise instead of directly employing large numbers of staff when it took over the management of the rail network. Since that entity's demise and the takeover of Network Rail, that trend has reversed with full-time staff now being employed. "It's cyclical," explains F+A's Mountain. "Every few years there is a change in thinking and firms decide they either want it to be their own people or buy new people in to complete projects. Secondment is never static."

David Grover, head of commercial project management at Mace, also claims that clients have different expectations of their supply base which can lead to them using staff on secondment more often. "Many clients have moved away from a more traditional PM role, which tended to to be a percentage fee," he says. "Clients want to see what they get for their money and want more than just a good job."

So how is the practice used by clients? Land Securities has developed long-term relationships with consultants such as Gardiner & Theobald and Arup, who supply secondees according to a project's requirement. A typical secondment at the client lasts between one and two years, as anything less is "uneconomic" and anything more "becomes stale", according to McGuckin.

Approximately 30% of employees at :and Securities are working as "interim project managers". McGuckin believes that this intake of secondees is positive without being overwhelming. He explains many arrive at the company wanting to work within a client organisation to understand decision policies and corporate management.

"Secondees come in with energy and enthusiasm which means other employees simply cannot afford to rest on their laurels. We are happy for people to give ideas and leave with ideas and the cycle becomes a healthy rotation," he says.

It’s a double-edged sword. We want our secondees to absorb the culture of the client’s organisation, but at the same time we want them to remain ‘ours’

Andy Mountain, head of rail, F+A

Consultancies such as Mace, which is currently placing at least 100 staff within clients, aim to respond to client requests efficiently and deliver instant access to a wide range of people who have personal and corporate knowledge.

"If we can't find good staff then the clients certainly won't," says Grover. "Good secondment is where a supply partner shares knowledge and information with a client who is short on skills or venturing into a new area. Anything less would detract from our brand and we cannot afford to offer an idiot."

Secondees enjoy more freedom and a greater understanding of how clients work, says F+A's Mountain. "Sat in your ivory tower thinking you know what is important is not enough. Understanding the peripheral issues as opposed to visiting once a month is one of the biggest attractions of a secondment," he says.

Friction

Despite its increasing popularity and fluidity there are some aspects of secondment that can make employers apprehensive.

Although secondment allows an individual to experience another company's culture, there is the risk of alienation when people are seconded into organisations for a long period of time. The time spent away in another office could result in the secondee eventually becoming estranged from their original workplace, as they are not visible in the office or part of the day-to-day practice.

"It's a double-edged sword," says Mountain, "we want our secondees to absorb the culture of the client's organisation, but at the same time we want them to remain ‘ours'."

Understanding the clear purpose of a secondment is fundamental to achieving the desired goal. One of the main tensions between company, secondee and client stems from bad communication and all three parties need to understand the clear purpose of why the secondment is happening. F+A's Mountain reflects on his personal experience of secondment and warns that relationships between secondees and full time staffers can be strained. "Occasionally there was open hostility towards me as an individual, as you are ‘agency' and client staff can assume that you don't care, that you are there just for the money. In reality I am often the first there in the morning and the last home at night - and no I don't get overtime. When I'm on assignment I take calls in the evening, at weekends and on holiday. The latest I have sent an email is 4am, because someone wanted the report on their desk by 8am."

If there is a lack of poaching clauses between client and organisation there is also a risk that secondees could be pinched by the company they are temporarily with.

Ultimately, a good secondment can develop an individual's career, change the dynamics of a project for a client and truly provide something extra for everybody involved. At worst, you will be a freelancer without any of the benefits and be caught up in the trap of a dead-end role with a reasonable wage. Despite some bad experiences Mountain is convinced secondment can be a force for good. "At its best it is about making things happen, helping clients make hard decisions, building relationships and taking personal risks to get things done."