From April to the end of August 2023, Relocation Manager Josie Needs went on secondment to one of K2’s clients.
After giving Josie the time to settle back into her routine at K2, we recently had the opportunity to sit down with her to dive deep into her secondment journey. In our conversation, we explored the obstacles she overcame, the knowledge she acquired, and the tremendous value that secondment opportunities bring.
How did this opportunity come about?
We have a close working relationship with this client and have supported them in the past when they have had staff shortages, by deploying team members from K2 on secondment. When Ronnie Duncan (Operational Lead at K2) returned from his secondment, the space opened up for someone else at K2 to replace him. This was coupled with the fact that our client’s Global Mobility Team was undergoing a restructure, and so the demand was there for a member of K2 to be embedded within the team for direct support. Needless to say, I was a little apprehensive at first, but I quickly found my feet!
What did the opportunity see you doing?
In the role of Relocation Coordinator, I was the point of contact for the assignees. I managed the coordination of relocation services in line with the client policy, including home finding, immigration, household goods, pet moves, school searches, language and cultural training. Whilst this didn’t differ much from the role I fulfil at K2, reporting directly to the client meant they could come to me for any internal concerns, such as their policies or any escalations, thus speeding up the pace of the process.
What did you enjoy most about your secondment experience?
Putting it simply, I loved learning how global mobility works from the client’s perspective. There is so much going on in the background of every client, and a lot of this isn’t visible when you’re looking in from the outside. Being with your client every step of the way enables you to empathise with the challenges they face, and in understanding the different ways of working behind the scenes, you can bring that knowledge back to K2.
I also think the client really benefited from having someone from K2 in-house acting as an internal resource. With the challenges they face, they didn’t need to reach out externally to find an answer – I was always on hand to point them in the right direction.
What challenges did you face during your secondment?
The most difficult aspects of my secondment definitely came within the first two weeks. Following a swift handover and introduction to a brand-new team and environment, I had to dive headfirst into the work. From hitting the ground running, the rest of my secondment flew by.
Would you recommend pursuing a secondment opportunity?
Absolutely. Gaining the knowledge of how operations run on the client side of global mobility is invaluable to those seeking to understand every aspect of a corporate relocation. The experience I have brought back with me to K2 has really complimented my role as a Relocation Manager, and has tightened the relationship not only I have, but the business has with the client. My advice would be to just go for it: embrace all the changes and learn as much as you can.
Opportunities like these arise frequently within the K2 Family. If you’re seeking to join a company that truly values your growth, you can discover more information here.
