Why Top Companies Recruit From Within

Let’s address the big pink elephant in the room, internal recruiting. Why is it that even in this day and age it’s not a concrete first step for recruiters!? Honestly, internal recruiting not only yields better results for the position but for the company as well.

Ok now hold on, before you jump on me just listen for a second and I’ll give you four big reasons why internal candidates make better overall recruits (side note: I’ll make my argument short and sweet so that you can start implementing this faster).

I. Culture and How the Puzzle Piece Fits

 Right off the bat, with an internal candidate, you know what you‚Äôre getting. You can see how their performance has been and can predict what it will be like in the new role. Hopefully, you have some killer HR technology resources that can give you the inside track on this employee‚Äôs history. If they‚Äôre already an employee at the company, 9 times out of 10 they know the culture and like it enough to continue their career path there, so you‚Äôre not wasting time looking for someone who can ‚Äúfit‚Äù.

Think about it: If they’re already a great teammate, they’ll be adaptable to a new team/department and should be able to match the flow more naturally than a brand-new hire. This will make it easier to retain this valuable talent so they can continue to grow in your organization.

II. The Ability to Dive Right in

 When you hire internally, you have someone who already knows the company ‚Äì meaning they will have a sense of how the functions and operations go down. If they‚Äôre looking at different positions, they should have already done their research on the new job, if they haven‚Äôt already participated in some training activities. Internal hires tend to have a reduced learning curve than their external counterparts because they know the business, plain and simple. An internal candidate is motivated to get on their feet faster in the new role, because this new position for them equals mobility, and mobility in a company means riding the fast lane to the top.

And let’s get real, offering a direct path to the top is the best benefit a company could give any employee. Which brings me to…

III. Moving On Up

 With the quit rate for employees being at a 17-year high you have to wonder‚Ķ why are so many professionals quitting their jobs?! The simple answer is they don‚Äôt see themselves ever reaching the upper echelon of positions in their companies; an even simpler answer is that employees are stuck. Many companies don‚Äôt have career ladders, a plan for upward mobility in their employees‚Äô careers, or they require you to wait a ridiculous amount of time ‚Äì all of which make an employee feeling stagnant. Fill positions with those wanting to stay in the game with you by providing them new areas to showcase themselves and giving them the flexibility to pursue new paths. Hiring internal talent creates retention, boosts morale, and shows appreciation to those who are already on your team.

LAST, but definitely not least…

IV. IT SAVES MOOLAH!

 I shouldn‚Äôt even have to cover this, but here it is, it will save your organization more money (and that‚Äôs a language I know we can all speak). You‚Äôll save on the recruitment side by posting internally, no relocation fees, no signing bonuses, and of course, skirt the cost that comes with leaving crucial positions open for too long. Even better on the business side, you don‚Äôt have to budget to add a whole salary but rather give a bump in a current wage (hiring externally $50,000 vs. hiring internally $5,000 one time raise). It‚Äôs an obvious win-win. Not to mention the time, resources, and money it‚Äôd take to train an outsider.

So, in the simplest terms, it makes more sense logistically, culturally, and financially to consider internal talent first. Faster placements, less money spent, and oh, higher retention rates all come with a cool internal hire. Investing in your people is one of the most important things organizations can do in this hot job market – with internal talent you have a leg up and a better understanding of what you’re getting so you won’t end up with buyer’s remorse.