One of the best places a company will often find talent is in its own pool of employees. Hiring internally has a lot of advantages, but there can be drawbacks as well. It’s easy for recruiters to show bias toward these internal candidates (or even against moving their position) because of their current status with your company.
A simple way to do that is to set up and manage your applicant tracking system (ATS) platform for internal hiring as well. This can and should be, a bit different for your internal candidates, but it can offer you some advantages as well.
First of all, your ATS should have a progression that works the same for everyone, regardless of where the application comes from. The initial assessment should include an evaluation of the candidate's resume to determine if they meet the minimum requirements for the position they are applying for.
It is important to remember that not all positions are the same: if you have integrated third-party assessments that look at personality and emotional intelligence, keep in mind that different roles demand different personality types. Not everyone needs to be an extrovert or meet a certain Myers-Briggs or Enneagram type. In fact, diversity in your team is vital for innovation.
However, just because an internal employee is a good fit for their current position does not mean they will be good for a different one. Keep your evaluations fair and as unbiased as possible.
You should have additional assessments beyond this first level, ones that look at skills specific to the job they have applied for, including at least an initial interview. If that goes well, there should be a final interview or job offer.
For internal candidates, it is possible that you can skip at least part of this process. Because once you have a process set for everyone, you can change what you need for internal candidates.
While the internal application process can look the same or similar to the one used for everyone, it can differ as well. For example, if the internal candidate just joined your company a short time ago, you may already have personality or skills assessments that are fresh enough that it is pointless to create new ones.
In most cases, it is possible to move candidates manually through one or more of the processes in the ATS, saving them (and you) the time, effort, and potential aggravation of duplicating work that has already been done.
Along this same line, your internal candidate likely already has at least some of the skills you are looking for. Determine what skills in their current position translate well to the new one they are applying for. For example, if your candidate has shown strong leadership and collaboration skills in an entry or mid-level position, they may translate well to a more senior position.
Most of the time, these transferrable skills are referred to as “soft skills”. The “hard skills” that are actually part of the everyday work of the job can often be taught, and those soft skills are both more valuable and harder to find.
If necessary, use the assessment tools that are a part of your ATS to remove bias so you can evaluate even your internal candidates fairly.
One of the things employers always look for in candidates is a cultural fit. It’s important to remember that in your organization, different departments might have different cultures. The IT department may not look the same culturally as your HR department, even if there is overlap there.
Be sure that your internal candidate will work well in the culture of their new role. You want to set them up for success in their new role the same as you did in their original one.
While it is easy to get caught up in the advantages of an ATS, don’t forget the human element. Touch base with the employee outside the automation of the system. Communicate where they are in the application process and answer any questions they might have.
The worst thing you can do is lose a good employee because they applied for a position internally and had a negative experience. Do your best to ensure that they have the same or even a better experience than an external candidate.
Open communication is also key with their current department head, who may have to replace them in their current position if they make an internal move. Keep in mind the impact any such hire would have on the organization as a whole.
An applicant tracking system can offer a huge advantage to both hiring managers and internal candidates. It can make fair, unbiased assessment possible, and can improve the process for everyone involved.
Just remember to leave the opportunity open for internal candidates to be handled differently, and even skip steps of other recent assessments that can take the place of those required of an applicant. Don’t forget about transferrable skills and cultural fit as well.
Finally, ensure that open communication is always a part of the process. You’ll keep your internal candidates and the rest of your team happy as well.