What happened at the end of your secondment?

[m0therofdragons]

I'm currently half way through a 4 month secondment. It's a promotion on my previous post and an opportunity to try out working full time (previously 30 hours).

It was always really vague what would happen at the end and I was told the success of the secondment will decide how the permanent role is advertised but am I right they have to advertise the post? (Public sector if that makes a difference)

Can anyone share how their secondment ended? Worst scenario is they decide they don't want me permanently. It's my dream job and I'm loving it so much but hate the uncertainty. It's like a 4 month long interview where one small error could make all the difference.

The only way you can be certain you know how well you are doing is to have regular meetings with your manager, and elicit feedback on any of your more meaningful deliverables. If they aren't giving you any clues as to how you are doing so far, then you may reasonably assume things are going well. If it were me, I'd sooner know about anything they want me to do differently.

Do you get any sort of feedback?

It wouldn't be in their best interests to hold back on you for 4 months then break bad news. Unless the employee is completely wrong for the role, most of the time, all it takes is for the manager to invest the time to give a few words of explanation about what they need and it can be fixed.

Feedback has been really positive but only when I specifically ask. I think my manager is more likely to say when she's not happy and let things continue if all okay.

I'm unclear what usually happens at the end if it's going well. Has everyone had to be interviewed against other candidates? Secondments are a new one on me as I moved from a similar career where no such thing existed.

You need to check internal policies to find out if they have to advertise/interview or whatever- there’s no legal framework about how secondments work.

So it sounds like they want to give you job, but only if they can trust you can cope. They say nothing so not to make false promises and have you angry if they decide at the end you are not up to it.

You are doing well so keep positive. Yes they will have to advertise but I wouldn't worry about that as ultimately, they want you to have the job, they will give it to you - sadly for the other applicants who might think they're in for a good chance-.

Good luck and let us know.

My experience of secondments is that they vary in terms of what happens at the end of the assignment.

Either the person is offered the permanent role because they have met the criteria and already have their feet under the table,

Otherwise the role may be advertised internally, which tends to be when the secondee either decides it isn't the role for them, so return to their home role (quite rare, I've known it to happen once, mostly people want to advance from the secondment): or if they aren't the right person.

Your secondment manager should have given you all ts and Cs before you took the role, so it was clear from the get-go how they would handle it.

Do you have an HR contact to discuss your concerns with, i.e. if you don't want to ask searching questions that may rock the boat atm? Presumably there is a secondment policy you could refer to?

Ts&cs were - it depends how it goes how we handle it. I think I'll politely wait it out.

Ok well there’s your answer. If it goes well they may not advertise at all (assuming there is no internal requirement to do so), and may just appoint you permanently, but if it goes less well, they will advertise either internally only or externally as well.

I know they have to advertise. I just wondered what others had found happened. Imagine there's little consistency.

Both times I've been on secondment ended well.

There was no chance of permanence with my first secondment because it was attached to a project with an end date; but, towards the end of it, when things were winding down, the person who was managing me helped me find a related role in another department which was a promotion from my previous grade.

My second secondment became permanent after three months following a restructure which freed up a permanent vacancy.

Wishing you luck in getting a permanent role, OP.

Thank you! Hoping I'll know by Christmas.

Oh I see, it didn’t sound from your OP as though you did know whether or not they have to advertise. I assume you have since discovered that there is an internal policy specifying they do.

I’m sure as things seem to be going well it’s very likely you’ll be appointed on a permanent basis in due course.

I've done a secondment and it was laid out for me in the confirmation letter what would happen at the end and that was I would return to my previous role.

As it turns out they extended the secondment and then made me permanent but I always knew I had my old role to back to. Although I was seconded from my department to my department just in a different role so was pretty sure I was never going back as the new role would still need to be done after the end of the secondment.

@flowery yes they confirmed yesterday that all secondments have to be advertised if they go permanent (not directly to me but another who sits nearby).

It's within my team and the funding has been removed for my previous role so either they hate me and want rid of me permanently or they've decided to keep me in new role. I hate the uncertainty but understand why they did it like this.

Think of it like this, if you are the solution to their recruitment 'problem', and you are delivering well in that role, they will make certain one way or the other that you are made permanent.

I've seen all sorts of 'policy' rules bent like bananas if management need something to happen. Equally if they don't want something to happen, they can ensure there's rules in place to change the direction of travel.

It sounds like you're in a good place, so keep going and by Christmas you can convince them you're who they need long term!

I was seconded internally. My secondment was extended for 3 months then at the end I was given the option to return to my substantive role (which I hated and was bullied in) or stay in my current team but in a lower grade role that was slightly different. I took the second option but I am still upset that I was essentially forced into deciding between a return to a bullying environment (which I had reported etc) or take a pay cut. I am considering a secondment again but the problem is I like my current role (despite the pay) as it's customer facing and other departments are not customer facing. It's a difficult decision for me.

Sorry, that's not really related to your question. I know of colleagues who did not get kept on so it very much depends.

That's what I'm struggling with. Not sure I could comfortably go back to old role without feeling like I've very publicly failed. I would have to swallow a lot of pride but if there was no hope of promotion then I would have to look around for new jobs. Oh well I'll carry on with the elephant in the room 🐘

Hi OP,
I am in a sort of similar, sort of different situation. I am on effectively a years probation for a more senior role. I totally get what you mean about returning to previous role - even if the role is lovely, it's the feeling of having your tail between your legs.....
It feels like the stakes are high (but rationally probably ok because you can demonstrate your worth)