Make the most of internal mobility in your recruitment drive
Internal mobility and career development are strategic levers for your recruitment policy, to deploy the full potential of your human capital and retain your talents.
But this can't be improvised. You need to juggle their aspirations and potential frustrations without losing sight of the company's development strategy.
One of the tasks of the human resources department is to anticipate job changes and recruitment needs. To do this, it needs the unfailing cooperation of the various team managers.
Why recruit an external resource when you could have the rare gem in-house? Discover the advantages of internal mobility, internal recruitment and tips for optimising the process:
What is internal mobility?
Definition
Internal mobility is a change of position or function for an employee within the same company.
More precisely, it may involve :
- horizontal (cross-functional) mobility, or internal recruitment,
the versatile employee moves within or changes department, but the status and hierarchical level remain the same; - vertical mobility, or promotion: there is a move up the hierarchy, accompanied by greater responsibilities and a pay rise.
☝️ For a group with subsidiaries, geographical mobility also involves a change of establishment and therefore of workplace, often as part of a reorganisation of the structure. This is possible if a mobility clause is included in the employment contract.
☝️ In the local civil service(FPT), internal mobility is common and takes the form of a transfer within the local authority or public body.
Internal mobility: example
➡️ If an employee starts out in a company as a graphic designer and promotes her marketing studies to her line managers, who offer her a position as web marketing manager, this is horizontal internal mobility.
⬆️ Later, if she proves herself and increases her skills, she can apply for the position of marketing strategy manager. In this case, it's vertical internal mobility.
Why encourage internal mobility?
Whether voluntary or managed, i.e. on the initiative of the employee or the department or HR manager, internal mobility offers numerous advantages for both parties.
Saving time and reducing recruitment risks
Employees moving internally will need time to adapt to their new position, but they will already be familiar with the company's culture, development strategy and way of working: no need for onboarding or integration time.
What's more, the employer knows the value of the "displaced" employee, not always that of the new recruit. The risk of a recruitment failure is completely eliminated.
Valuing and engaging employees
A company that appreciates and promotes the skills of its internal resources will give them priority when it comes to filling vacancies.
The feeling of security, confidence and being valued is not only gratifying, but also a source of motivation and well-being at work.
It's a real investment in human capital, a win/win strategy.
Increased performance and productivity
It's normal for professional aspirations to evolve over the course of a career, so stay tuned to identify the opportunities they offer for your company's development.
The right employee in the right job can make all the difference, and their fulfilment is inspiring and motivating for all their colleagues.
Retaining talent
If management is attentive and responds, as far as possible, to employees' requests for job changes or new missions, it encourages the retention of talent and prevents the brain drain, particularly to competitors.
Developing the employer brand
All the benefits here are interlinked, as evidenced by the fact that the final benefit presented is the enhancement of the employer brand.
It's obvious: happy employees enhance their company's image both internally and externally.
External candidates appreciate the potential for career development, and the seniority of employees is inevitably more reassuring than high staff turnover. turnover.
Disadvantages of internal mobility
For the company
- Internal mobility involves finding a replacement for the vacant post, i.e. another compatible internal resource, or an external recruitment campaign.
- What's more, it's very difficult to estimate the return on investment of an internal mobility policy: internal mobility is often considered to be more economical, but it still involves costs in terms of training, HR follow-up, and sometimes the cost of relocation.
- Finally, not all positions are eligible for internal recruitment, especially those requiring highly technical skills. It's important to take the time to distinguish between positions that are open to internal applicants.
What's more, a new recruit often brings a fresh vision and a new dynamic, which can be an asset in terms of innovation.
For the employee
According to a study by Hays in 2019, one of the disadvantages of internal mobility lies in HR communication, which is a source of potential frustration.
The lack of opportunities often conceals a problem of transparency about the offers available, especially in large companies.
Nor is internal mobility an advantage when it comes to negotiating the best salary. Employees have the impression that they are already being done a favour by changing their position.
Finally, by staying in the same environment, some employees are also afraid :
- not getting out of their work routineenough ;
- not developing enough new skills,
- feeling the jealousy of their colleagues, etc.
How can you optimise internal mobility? Advice and best practice
Integrate mobility into your HR strategy
Properly defined in your HR strategy, internal mobility is a lever for developing human capital, as well as a tool for anticipation.
Anchored in a forward-looking jobs and skills management system (GPEC), it allows you to think about how to match the company's needs with the wishes of its staff.
✅ Some advice:
- consider the possibility of internal mobility when recruiting;
- Identify positions requiring skills upgrading, as well as employees with untapped talents;
- anticipate future job creations and changes (maternity leave, retirements, mergers or divisions of departments, etc.);
- plan for the potential impact of internal mobility in your HR budget;
- define training plans, such as COOCs, etc.
Pay attention to HR communication
This is one of the disadvantages discussed above: poor or non-existent communication is an obstacle to internal mobility.
✅ A few tips:
- don't forget to promote vacancies internally, via the corporate social network (CSN) or at a seminar for example, and avoid compartmentalising information at all costs;
- clearly specify the conditions for accepting an internal application, to avoid questions and frustrations.
Ensure rigorous HR monitoring
To save time and have all the cards in your hand, monitor your human resources scrupulously.
✅ A few tips :
- draw up a map of the profiles and skills you have in-house and keep it up to date with any changes;
- include questions about internal mobility in annual or career interviews;
- Involve employees in the assessment of their jobs and key skills, to identify needs and gaps;
- track their career paths, even previous ones, as well as the history of their wishes and assignments, to inspire and facilitate your internal recruitment campaigns.
Adopt internal mobility tools
Internal mobility tools should encourage the centralisation and sharing of information between HR managers, management and employees. For maximum transparency, employees should be able to :
- update their CVs and career paths via a dedicated portal ;
- express their wishes for mobility
- consult and respond to internal job offers.
As internal mobility is a major issue, and not just in terms of recruitment strategy, several types of HR tools are focusing on it, such as :
- recruitment software incorporating an internal mobility module;
Softy, for example, offers a platform linked to the career site, enabling priority to be given to job offers dedicated to internal mobility and visible only to the company's own employees. External candidates can view the same advertisements offline; - Talent management software, including :
- career management, interviews and appraisals,
- forward-looking management of jobs and skills (GPEC);
- HRIS, encompassing all these modules, for larger HR departments.
Whatever your choice, capitalise on your internal resources whenever possible!
Internal mobility is a significant lever for competitiveness and talent development, which benefits both employees and the company.
Article translated from French