hat is inter-company secondment? How it works and what to keep in mind
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2025 9:14 am
Inter-company secondments have been gaining attention in recent years.
This is because companies whose performance has deteriorated due to the COVID-19 pandemic have begun to second employees as a means of temporary employment adjustment. In addition, an increasing number of companies are showing interest in inter-company secondments as a means of human resource development. It seems to be becoming more common for companies to utilize the new perspectives and skills of employees who have experience working for other companies to develop their own business.
This article explains inter-company secondments with a chinese overseas asia database focus on human resource development.
What is inter-company secondment?
There are two reasons behind inter-company secondments.
Employment Adjustment
Human Resource Development
I will explain each one.
Secondment for employment adjustment
Secondment for employment adjustment is carried out by companies whose business performance has deteriorated and it has become difficult to maintain employment, in order to continue employment by seconding employees.
In recent years, there have been cases where personnel working in industries that have been damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic have been seconded to other industries.
The sending company can maintain employment while keeping labor costs down, while the receiving company can alleviate its labor shortage. It's an initiative that benefits both parties.
Secondment for human resource development
Secondment for human resource development has a stronger meaning as "cross-border learning".
The purpose is to absorb skills and know-how that cannot be acquired by working at the seconded company alone. By returning these skills, it can be said to be an initiative that leads to the development of the company.
In recent years, the number of companies using such inter-company secondments for human resource development has been increasing, and services that match companies with each other have also appeared.
This is because companies whose performance has deteriorated due to the COVID-19 pandemic have begun to second employees as a means of temporary employment adjustment. In addition, an increasing number of companies are showing interest in inter-company secondments as a means of human resource development. It seems to be becoming more common for companies to utilize the new perspectives and skills of employees who have experience working for other companies to develop their own business.
This article explains inter-company secondments with a chinese overseas asia database focus on human resource development.
What is inter-company secondment?
There are two reasons behind inter-company secondments.
Employment Adjustment
Human Resource Development
I will explain each one.
Secondment for employment adjustment
Secondment for employment adjustment is carried out by companies whose business performance has deteriorated and it has become difficult to maintain employment, in order to continue employment by seconding employees.
In recent years, there have been cases where personnel working in industries that have been damaged by the COVID-19 pandemic have been seconded to other industries.
The sending company can maintain employment while keeping labor costs down, while the receiving company can alleviate its labor shortage. It's an initiative that benefits both parties.
Secondment for human resource development
Secondment for human resource development has a stronger meaning as "cross-border learning".
The purpose is to absorb skills and know-how that cannot be acquired by working at the seconded company alone. By returning these skills, it can be said to be an initiative that leads to the development of the company.
In recent years, the number of companies using such inter-company secondments for human resource development has been increasing, and services that match companies with each other have also appeared.