Leveraging Internal Talent: The Smart Approach to Hiring

In the fast-paced world of recruitment, companies often find themselves in a perpetual pursuit of top talent. The allure of external candidates with fresh perspectives and diverse experiences can be enticing, but there's a hidden treasure trove right under our noses: internal talent. Over my (almost) 10 year recruitment career, I have worked with many organisations who have instructed me to help them find external talent for an open position, only to finish the project by choosing an internal candidate for the role. Before embarking on the external hiring journey, I always recommend to my clients that they explore the wealth of potential within their organisations not only at the start, but throughout the recruitment journey. Here's why:

1. Fostering Loyalty and Motivation: When employees see opportunities for growth and advancement within their own company, it fosters a sense of loyalty and motivation. By promoting from within, you demonstrate to your team that hard work and dedication are recognised and rewarded. This can lead to higher employee morale and a stronger sense of commitment to organisational goals.

2. Cost-Effectiveness: External hires often come with significant costs associated with recruitment, onboarding, and training. Conversely, internal candidates are already familiar with your company culture, processes, and expectations, reducing the time and resources needed to get them up to speed. By promoting from within, you can save on recruitment expenses and minimise the risk of turnover.

3. Retaining Institutional Knowledge: Every organisation has unique processes, systems, and cultural nuances that can take time for new hires to learn and adapt to. Internal candidates already possess this institutional knowledge, allowing for a smoother transition into new roles. By retaining employees who understand your company inside and out, you safeguard critical institutional knowledge and maintain continuity in operations.

4. Accelerating Performance: Internal candidates have already proven themselves within your organisation, demonstrating their abilities, work ethic, and alignment with company values. This familiarity enables them to hit the ground running in their new roles, accelerating their performance and contributing to business objectives more quickly than external hires who need time to acclimate.

5. Cultivating a Culture of Development: Actively promoting from within sends a powerful message about your company's commitment to employee development and career advancement. This fosters a culture where employees are encouraged to continuously develop their skills and pursue opportunities for growth within the organisation. As a result, you attract and retain ambitious individuals who are invested in their long-term career progression.

6. Strengthening Employee Engagement: Engaged employees are more likely to go above and beyond in their roles, driving innovation, productivity, and overall business success. By providing internal advancement opportunities, you empower employees to take ownership of their career paths and become more engaged in their work. This sense of purpose and investment in their professional growth translates into higher levels of employee engagement and satisfaction.

7. Building a Talent Pipeline: Investing in internal talent development not only fills immediate job openings but also builds a robust talent pipeline for future leadership positions. By identifying high-potential employees early on and providing them with opportunities for growth and development, you ensure a steady supply of qualified candidates for key roles within your organisation.

In conclusion, while external hires may offer fresh perspectives and specialised skills, the benefits of promoting from within cannot be overstated. By prioritising internal talent when making hiring decisions, organisations can foster loyalty, save costs, retain institutional knowledge, accelerate performance, cultivate a culture of development, strengthen employee engagement, and build a sustainable talent pipeline. Ultimately, investing in your own people is not just a sound business strategy but also a testament to your commitment to nurturing talent and fostering long-term success.

You may be asking yourself as you finish reading this article, "Why is Charlie, a Director of a Recruitment Company, telling me to hire internally rather than externally?". The reason is simple: SIENNA Search by Aston Chambers works to create long-standing relationships with all of our clients. It is not simply about a 'quick fee' with us. We have solutions in place to support our clients with benchmarking internal candidates against external candidates within the marketplace. Benchmarking can be an incredible service that can make sure before promoting an internal candidate, you can see what level of external candidates there are within the market and who may be interested in such a role.

To learn more about how Aston Chambers can support you with candidate benchmarking and other useful services such as market mapping, get in touch with me directly and I would be happy to tell you more.