Recruiting internally: How to help your employees and business grow

No matter where your staff is at with their career, whether it’s the budding beginning or they’re a little more experienced, it’s likely they are aiming to reach their next job milestone. And should they leave your company to realize this, you have two options when it comes to replacing them: you can either hire new staff externally or promote existing employees from within the organization. However, one decision may be better than the other.

Research has shown that internal hires routinely outperform external ones, as well as stay longer at a company. Hiring them is also a faster process and involves shorter onboarding times, while in turn making it easier for employees to find new roles with the same employer, preventing them from job-seeking elsewhere. What’s more, it helps businesses save money on things like job boards, sourcing costs, and recruitment agencies.

In LinkedIn’s 2020 Global Talents Trend report, internal hiring was identified as one of four trends that will shape talent acquisition going forward. This became even more prominent during Covid-19 as purses tightened and companies focused more on their existing teams rather than looking for new people elsewhere. But exactly how do you recruit staff from within?

Here we look at some methods of doing so to help grow your team.

1.    Write an internal job ad

Writing an internal job advertisement is perhaps the most obvious way of hiring internally. Like an external one, this should include a list of requirements and duties, plus details about the specific department the role is for.

This is useful for those applying for a job in another area of your business. It should also emphasize the benefits of the role. For instance, if you want to entice the most qualified internal candidates, play up your perks, especially if the role has unique benefits.

Place the ad on your company’s intranet, include it in your organization’s newsletter, or send it to everyone via a company-wide email. If you have a bulletin board in the office, pin the ad there too. This will encourage staff who were unsure about their career progression and motivate them to go the extra mile to be in the running.

2.    Encourage managers to refer team members

Allowing your managers to approach employees they believe are qualified and the right fit for a new role is a fantastic, cost-effective way of hiring internally. Ask your leadership team if there’s anyone they see suitable for the position and encourage them to put their names forward — remind them to let the individual know first though.

This approach can work for smaller organizations where individuals are familiar with the work in other departments. However, it could lead to favoritism or discrimination if someone is referred based on relationship, not talent.

A referral system is also useful. This allows current staff to refer a colleague they think is right for a position. Your staff are likely to already be knowledgeable about your business and familiar with the hiring and onboarding process, making the transition fast and efficient.

Once set up, remember to remind staff to refer others, otherwise it’s a pointless exercise. It might be worth offering an incentive too, to encourage referrals and show your gratitude, perhaps in the form of monetary rewards or even some extra annual leave.

3.    Reduce rounds of interviews

Unlike external hiring where you don’t really know the candidate, it’s highly likely that you do know your team and their capabilities. Typically, a person applying for a job will go through two to three rounds of interviews to determine whether they’re the right fit, however, you don’t need to do that here.

One interview should suffice. This will make the process faster and help grow your team. You already know them professionally, as well as their skills, experience, and performance levels, and it’s simple for you to check employee records and reviews yourself.

However, you may want to provide additional assessments if a candidate is applying to work in a new department, for instance, to ensure their skills match the position.

Remember that while you do know the team member, you still need to follow standard interview processes, including asking them the right questions, evaluating their skillset and performance, and following up and updating them of their progress.

4.    Invest in training

As a manager, you’re responsible for helping your employees to learn and grow, and investing in training opportunities will ensure they are well-equipped and prepared to level up within your company. This will prove beneficial when it comes to recruiting internally as they’ve received enough training to help them secure a new role.

If your staff are constantly improving and upskilling, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t consider them for new positions. Training will also encourage staff to apply for more challenging jobs as they’ll feel more confident about their abilities.

68% of workers state that learning and development opportunities are the single most important workplace policy. Such chances for improvement not only benefit them but also help your business retain employees and experience growth as staff are more likely to stay longer.

Training opportunities create promotable employees (which you’re looking for if you want to hire internally), increase engagement levels, and allow your business to save money. A great way to do this is by offering apprenticeships, which, as noted by provider MTD Training: “are not just for 16 to 25-year-olds.

They are for every level within your organization.”  Alternatively, can provide external courses covering a specific topic (like management), or host in-house training sessions about different aspects of the business. That way you can ensure your staff are prepped and ready for a promotion, saving you training time later.

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