You have a newly-vacated position in your company and you’re wondering whether you should start putting up job vacancies.
Hold it!
You might already have the perfect candidate for a new role in your company, and that person is right under your nose.
There are several advantages to internal recruitment:
- Improves staff morale
Staff morale is raised when they see you promoting from within the ranks - Cost and time savings
You don’t have to invest additional time or money to get a fresh recruit up to speed - Increased staff loyalty
Staff tend to stay when they realise that their hard work and effort pays off
In this post, we look at six tips for successful internal recruitment.
1. Lay down some ground rules
Does your company have a set of policies for recruiting internally? If not, it helps to draw up some ground rules. Internal hiring can bring up some tricky situations, and strategies need to be put in place to prevent conflicts from occurring.
For instance, are the positions open to all employees in the company? Should employees have to consult their supervisors before applying for an internal position, especially one in another department? These are questions that need to be asked before you begin.
2. Hold interviews for other internal contenders as well
Though you might be tempted to save time and effort by simply selecting a certain employee for the job, shortlisting and calling in a few internal candidates for casual interviews before you assign the role will ensure a better fit.
You don’t need to follow the standard protocol that you would for an external hire, but you should grant your employees the opportunity to prove themselves for the position.
3. Avoid playing favourites
Many managers are guilty of promoting their favourites, sometimes without even being aware of their natural bias. If you find yourself leaning towards promoting a particular member solely because you work well together, then it’s best to call in someone else to assist in the decision-making process.
Asking their peers or your superior for their take on certain candidates might yield some interesting insights that you may want to take into consideration.
4. Make use of your internal references
One great advantage of internal recruitment is that your candidate’s references are available right at your doorstep.
On top of interviewing the potential recruit, speak to his/her supervisors to find out more about his/her working attitude and suitability for the role, and look into employee files for employment history and past performance reviews. You may glean some important insights from this additional information.
5. Ensure that the shoe fits
When promoting, always strive to match the right person to the job. Take time to screen through each applicant to decide if the job is right for them, and don’t be too quick to judge based on present performance.
For example, a person who’s earnest, dependable and hardworking as a worker might not be immediately ready to take on a management position. Sometimes it’s about easing a candidate into the role – in this case, appointing the candidate as lead on multiple projects to see how he or she fares before actually promoting that person to team leader.
6. Clear communication is key for internal recruitment
If there’s an opportunity up for grabs, make it known to your employees. Circulate information about new openings internally and encourage employees in the company to apply or speak to their supervisors about taking up the role.
Similarly, supervisors and managers should keep their eyes peeled for internal recruitment opportunities to promote growth in their team members’ careers.
