What if you could retain your job while working on a project at another organization? Do you think you would gain new skills or insights into how you would navigate a different context? Would you be excited to make new connections – perhaps outside of your typical network? Do you think you would return to your employer reinvigorated for your current role? Would you be motivated by the impact you could make?
These are some of the documented benefits of a secondment: a temporary arrangement where an employee is assigned to a different role within their organization or with another organization. Meanwhile, they retain their employment and salary in their original role and with their sponsoring organization. This allows employees to gain new skills and a sense of purpose, improving their engagement with their employer.
With 94% of employees saying they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development, it’s no wonder that many organizations see the benefit of providing secondment opportunities to their employees.
And the organization that hosts them gains just as much.
Kiva has benefited from secondment in partnership with a host of organizations, including Bain, McKinsey, Oliver Wyman, and more. Each secondee has brought unique expertise and experience, contributing to Kiva’s mission to support underserved communities around the world.
How secondments benefit employees and employers
According to LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report, providing learning opportunities is the number one strategy used by organizations to retain their staff.
And it seems to work:
7 in 10 people say learning improves their sense of connection to their organization.
8 in 10 people say learning adds purpose to their work.
Secondments can be great learning opportunities — providing an opportunity for organizations to engage employees in a new way. Employers can retain top talent by satisfying their employees’ desire for growth with a temporary outsourcing arrangement, while also avoiding the cost and loss of engagement that can come from a longer-term commitment.
In a short time, employees often return with new skills and knowledge that benefit their organization or inspire new ways of doing things. At Kiva, we’ve seen how secondees have gained experience, skills, and a sense of purpose from their time working with us.
In 2024, Kiva brought in Abhishek, who had just completed his MBA at Wharton, for a six-month internship before he began his employment at Bain. Abhishek previously worked on payment products for a large financial services firm. At Kiva, he had the opportunity to collaborate with the managed lending team. He and the team performed market research on new products for small businesses looking to create impact with Kiva.
"Start with a clear 30/60/90 plan and define one asset you’ll leave behind — an experiment roadmap, a lightweight playbook, or a simple dashboard."
Abhiskek noted the difference in working with a large organization — certainly innovative, but “needing several layers of approval” — and Kiva — ”you have a say, but things are constantly changing.”
In thinking about his time with Kiva, Abhishek says, “I appreciated the ability to help set the roadmap and live with the ambiguity that comes with it. I definitely enjoyed the 'agency over certainty' mantra — Kiva taught me to learn fast, ship small, and keep the customer at the center."
Abhishek also has advice about making the most of a secondment placement: "Start with a clear 30/60/90 plan and define one asset you’ll leave behind — an experiment roadmap, a lightweight playbook, or a simple dashboard. Ship something small but valuable in the first two to three weeks to earn trust, then go deeper.”
Abhishek took these lessons with him as he resumed his regular employment with Bain.
How secondments benefit the hosting organization
"Successful secondees bring adaptability, openness to learning, and a willingness to roll up their sleeves on both strategy and execution."
The organization that hosts secondees also reaps the rewards.
Margo, Senior Director of Product at Kiva, shares, “I think successful secondees bring adaptability, openness to learning, and a willingness to roll up their sleeves on both strategy and execution."
Speaking of her work with Abhishek, Margo says he "brought a valuable outside-in perspective. His understanding of the market and how other organizations approach product challenges helped us see our own work with fresh eyes. That external lens, combined with his ability to quickly plug into our team’s rhythm, gave us added momentum and clarity.” Meanwhile, Ekta was working in private equity, healthcare, energy, procurement, and financial services with Bain. She was looking for an opportunity to take some time away while using her skills in a non-profit environment like Kiva. Ekta collaborated with the Impact Investments team, including the Kiva Capital and Impact teams. Her contributions allowed Kiva to better understand its impact across its diverse portfolio of Lending Partners and to identify some new potential partnerships.
Ekta worked with Kathy Guis, EVP of Investments, who said, “Ekta was such a gift to the team. She contributed across many different areas of our work, supporting our impact measurement and our strategic planning among other things.”
Curious about a secondment?
"Kiva taught me to learn fast, ship small, and keep the customer at the center."
If you're curious about what a secondment (or an expert volunteer opportunity) could look like for you, we’d love to hear from you. Please reach out to discuss your background and goals, and we’ll see how they may align with Kiva’s current or upcoming initiatives.
You can also keep an eye on Kiva's careers page for other opportunities.
