TPC Blog

Internal recruiting is often neglected in favor of traditional external recruiting in which talent is plucked from competitors and the ranks of the unemployed.  

If you haven’t recruited internally or at all, take comfort in knowing you are not alone.  Below, we cover the who, what, when, and why of internal recruiting to help you select the right candidate.

What is Internal Recruiting?

Let’s start out by addressing the “what” of internal recruiting.  Internal recruiting is a process in which a business identifies the best possible in-house employees to fill open roles or those that will soon be available.

Opt to promote a talented and hardworking employee already on the payroll to a newly-opened position and you’ll reap the benefits in the form of a shorter learning curve, less financial investment in training, and a relatively seamless transition that bolsters efficiency.

Whether you are looking to fill a position opening after an employee has departed or after one has been terminated, there is a good chance at least one in-house candidate is worthy of consideration.  Promoting from your already existing pool of in-house talent is also beneficial in the context of filling a brand-new position created to meet demand. 

Internal recruitment centers on a process that plays out under your company’s roof without consideration of outside candidates.  It doesn’t make financial or temporal sense to extend your search outside of your organization if a worthy candidate for the position in question is already employed at your business.  Hiring from within promotes unity, inspires other team members to work diligently in hopes of future promotion, and ultimately saves a considerable amount of time and money on orientation and training.

Who Should You Consider for Internal Recruitment?

The internal recruitment net you cast should be as wide as possible. Invest the time necessary to internally announce the open position, review all interested and qualified candidates, and advance to one or several rounds of interviews.

When in doubt, err on the side of considering more applicants rather than fewer.  Evaluate each qualified in-house employee’s merits in terms of experience, education, skills, and previous performance with your organization as well as prior employers before making a selection.

What Types of Roles Are Best Suited for Internal Recruitment?

There is a common misconception among hiring managers and business owners that internal recruiting is only sufficient for certain roles.  A plethora of internal job positions can be filled without resorting to outside talent.  Whether the open role or role to be created in the near future is entry-level, a midlevel management position, or at the executive or senior level, reviewing in-house candidates is in the interest of your business. Promoting from within enhances employee morale all the more, encouraging contributors to continue working their hardest in hopes of earning a lucrative promotion when additional in-house opportunities inevitably arise in the future.  

Internal recruitment is especially effective in the context of filling highly nuanced roles that require extensive specialization, technical expertise, or specific knowledge.  A hardworking internal employee who has demonstrated the ability to lead others, setting an example through action and also through verbal/written expression will motivate others to work as a part of a cohesive team.

Hiring in-house is also beneficial as those who fill highly specialized roles have an in-depth understanding of the company’s idiosyncratic workplace culture.  As is often said in human resources circles, aligning new hires with the culture of the organization is more important than merely pinpointing a candidate with the skills or qualifications optimal for the role.  An internal promotion maintains the all-important workplace cultural consistency that ultimately makes the team that much more thoroughly intertwined in the context of values, traditions, and overarching unity.

When Is the Best Time to Start Internal Recruitment?

Commence internal recruitment as soon as the position in question becomes available.  Make all employees at your organization’s headquarters and satellite locations aware of the opportunity, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to apply.

Why Should You Consider Internal Recruitment?

Internal recruitment has the potential to become an invaluable tool for organizations of all sizes.  Employ a strategic approach to in-house recruitment and it will prove mutually beneficial for internal employees as well as your organization.

Internal recruitment minimizes the costs of hiring as there is no need to spend on outside advertisements or training new hires on in-house processes.  Furthermore, promoting from within minimizes turnover by encouraging current contributors to remain in place, eagerly awaiting the next available in-house opportunity.

How Should You Conduct Internal Recruitment?

Conducting internal recruiting requires balance, fairness, clarity, and honesty.  Be fully transparent during the hiring process by notifying the entirety of the organization about the new opportunity for a legitimate merit-based review and hiring process.  Develop a direct and detailed job description explaining the qualifications and skills necessary for the position along with the necessary experience, remain objective when evaluating candidates and you’ll ensure a genuinely fair outcome that mitigates or even eliminates the potential for a hiring discrimination lawsuit.

Provide all candidates who express interest in the open position with feedback regarding your decision to select another candidate.  Such feedback makes employees feel much more valued and respected, ultimately hiking your organization's retention rate all the more. Be transparent when discussing the reasoning for selecting a competing candidate and those not promoted into the open role will be motivated to fulfill their true potential in hopes of landing the next open position.

The Payroll Company is on Your Side

Our recruiting specialists are here to help you fill your openings through the recruiting approach best for your unique company. We make it easy to pinpoint true rainmakers who make a legitimate difference in what matters most: your company’s bottom line.

Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help your company fulfill its potential. We serve businesses of all types and sizes in Springfield, MO, Kansas City, MO, Bentonville, AR, and Little Rock, AR.