More than half of surveyed workers are looking to leave their jobs, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report. And unfortunately, more often than not, when an employee decides to start looking, they brush over the idea of seeking a new role within their current organization.
This is a missed opportunity for companies because hiring internally can significantly shorten the process and lower the costs of bringing in a new team member. Unlike external candidates, which require job board listings, extended interview processes, background checks, more competitive salaries, additional benefits, and training, internal candidates are much quicker to find and onboard because they’re already part of the organization.
With internal hires, you can easily and quickly get feedback from their managers, analyze their performance, and assess their cultural fit. And according to research from Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, internal hires not only tend to be high performers, they are also more likely to stay with the organization over time. The research even found that the highest-performing internal hires are likely to stay the longest, while the highest-performing external hires are actually most likely to leave.
Additionally, internal mobility can also be extremely beneficial for the employees, because moving roles within the same organization enables a much smoother transition. Between already being familiar with the company culture, software, and product(s), they require less hand-holding to start feeling settled. They also already have friendly faces at the company so they won’t encounter the same social stress that comes from starting from scratch.
All this said, placing greater emphasis on internal shifts can prove really effective – both to retain star employees within your larger organization and to inspire other managers to refer their talent to your team when relevant opportunities arise.
So, how should you navigate internal mobility with your team members?
Identify desired development paths
Sit down with each of your team members to understand their personal career goals. Help them identify what they believe their strengths and weaknesses are and which elements of work they find to be most fulfilling. Many employees are often not seeking promotions, but rather a new opportunity and challenge, per the study from Cornell University. So, with the information your team members share with you, you can recognize exciting opportunities for them to learn, develop, and advance based on their individual interests, experience levels, and needs – both within your team and within your organization at large.
Communicate relevant opportunities
Sometimes someone may have reached their ceiling on your team, but they still have plenty of room to grow and contribute to other areas of your organization. So first and foremost, help your employees understand that internal mobility is an option at your company. Then, when there are specific team members you know are starting to feel ready for a change, encourage them to check the company job listings and if you yourself hear of openings that could be relevant, let them know to increase the likelihood of them sticking around. This way, the business can continue to benefit from your team members’ talent and they can continue to serve as resources to your current team members going forward.
Share success stories
When someone in the company has had a positive experience moving internally, mention it in growth-related conversations with your team members. Nearly 80% of surveyed employees would be more likely to stay with their company long-term if it offered effective training and development opportunities, per online education platform edX, so spotlighting successful internal moves can empower your employees to feel like they too have a future in the organization.
Be transparent
When your team member expresses interest in moving teams, do your best to set expectations and explain how the process would work. Share typical timelines, outline who would be involved, and summarize general logistics to ensure they feel prepared. It’s important to also be transparent that they may not be the only applicant for an open position, which could mean that they ultimately would not be chosen. Let them know that you will do everything on your end to advocate for them, but that just like with any job, it’s a process and it may take time to find the right role.
Be proactive
When someone on your team shares that they want to make a move, take action. Make introductions, speak with relevant managers, and let HR know there’s interest to show your employees that you’d go to bat for them in order to support their growth and development at the company. Additionally, be sure to follow up with them when you have relevant updates or new information to share so that they know you’re on top of it. Having an advocate within the organization can really influence their decision to move internally versus seeking employment elsewhere.
Don’t make it personal
Employees are often afraid of letting their managers know they’re interested in a change because they don’t want to insult or offend them. That’s why, as the leader, it’s so important to make it clear that you don’t take it personally. Emphasize that you want what’s best for them and that if they believe making a move is right for their careers, you see it as them being loyal to themselves, not disloyal to you. This kind of attitude shows your team members that you really care about them and their success, which is the greatest way to ensure they stick around.
