How to Attract and Retain Talent with Career Mobility

In the fast-changing technological, economic, and social environment such as today, new industries, markets, and occupations require new and diverse skills and competencies, which can not be easily found by hiring externally. Goes without saying that it can be tough work to find a person for these roles. This is where career mobility comes into play.

Considered as a form of Talent Acquisition, career mobility involves finding and hiring the best talent from within the existing workforce. It is becoming increasingly important in the current job market, as organizations face challenges such as skills shortages, high turnover rates, and changing employee expectations. So, how does career mobility work? What are the benefits? How do you work around it? Let’s dive in to find the answers to these questions.

Best Practices for Fostering Internal Mobility

Did you know that 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development? [1] To help you successfully place the right talent in those empty seats, here are some best practices you can follow:

1. Creating a culture that encourages career mobility and career growth

Ensuring that the benefits of career mobility are communicated to all employees and managers, and create a positive perception of it. You can also recognize and reward employees who participate in or support internal mobility initiatives, and provide them with feedback and guidance. Also, nurture a culture of learning and development that encourages employees to seek new skills and experiences that can prepare them for future roles.

2. Use a tool to help identify talent who are ready for career mobility

Leveraging a recruitment tool can be a game-changer. This approach ensures that you’re not just filling positions but are actively investing in your employees’ growth and satisfaction. Now, the key to success here is eliminating bias. The tool you choose must operate on data-driven insights, not just gut feelings or personal relationships. By setting clear, measurable criteria for career mobility, the tool can offer an objective analysis of who is ready to take on new challenges.

This means looking beyond just job titles and years of experience to a more holistic view of an employee’s contributions, their learning curve, and their adaptability to new roles. With the right tool in place, you can foster a culture of continuous development, where every employee feels seen and valued for their potential, not just their past performance.

A tool like Manatal can help you succeed in your career mobility endeavor. With its AI Recommendations feature, Manatal can quickly go through your database and cross-reference the result with your talent pool, then shine a spotlight on individuals who fit the position best, based on customizable criteria like skills, work experience, and academic background, regardless of gender or ethnicity.

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3. Providing opportunities for skill development and training

Offering various learning opportunities for employees can enhance their existing skills or acquire new ones that are relevant to their current or desired roles. These can include formal training programs, online courses, mentoring programs, coaching sessions, job shadowing, cross-functional projects, or stretch assignments. You can also provide employees with access to career resources and tools that can help them assess their strengths, interests, goals, and gaps.

4. Establishing transparent and accessible internal job boards and promotion processes

Creating an online platform where employees can easily find and apply for open positions within the organization. You can also ensure that all internal vacancies are advertised internally before externally and that all employees are eligible to apply regardless of their tenure or level. Plus, you can ensure that the promotion processes are fair and objective, based on merit and performance rather than seniority or favoritism.

5. Partnering with managers to identify and nurture internal talent

Involving managers in the career mobility process will encourage them to identify potential candidates within their teams or departments and to provide them with support and guidance. Managers can also be trained on how to conduct compelling internal interviews, evaluations, and feedback sessions. You can also incentivize managers to share their talent with other parts of the organization, rather than hoarding or blocking them.

Benefits of Career Mobility

• Increased employee satisfaction and engagement: Employees who have the opportunity to grow and advance their careers within the organization are more likely to feel valued, motivated, and loyal. They are also more likely to have a positive attitude towards their work and their colleagues, which can improve teamwork and collaboration.
• It’s important to note that engaged employees are 21% more productive, 17% more profitable, and 87% less likely to leave their organizations than disengaged employees. [2] At the same time, career mobility can also increase employee happiness and well-being, as it can reduce stress, boredom, and burnout caused by stagnation or mismatch in their roles.
• Cost savings for the organization: The average cost-per-hire for external candidates is $4,700, while the average cost-per-hire for internal candidates is $2,721. [3] Internal mobility can come in and reduce the costs associated with external hiring, such as recruitment fees, advertising expenses, and training costs. Plus, it can reduce employee turnover costs, such as lost productivity, knowledge loss, and severance payments. With career mobility, you can also increase the return on investment (ROI) of the organization’s talent development efforts, as it ensures that the skills and knowledge acquired by employees are utilized and retained within the organization.
• Retention of top talent: By offering career mobility, you can keep your talented and ambitious employees who may otherwise seek better prospects outside. And by offering them challenging and rewarding career paths within the organization, you can keep them engaged and committed. It can also help your organization attract new talent, as it can enhance your employer's brand and reputation as a place that values and invests in its employees.
• Development of a skilled and experienced workforce: If done well, career mobility can help you develop a pool of talent that has a deep understanding of the organization’s vision, values, culture, and processes. It can also allow employees to acquire new skills and knowledge that can enhance their performance and prepare them for future roles.  At the same time, career mobility can foster a culture of learning and innovation within the organization which can encourage employees to seek new challenges, experiences, and perspectives that can stimulate their creativity and problem-solving abilities.

Challenges in Implementing Career Mobility Programs

Despite the benefits of internal mobility, many organizations face difficulties in implementing effective internal mobility programs. Here are some of the common challenges and mistakes you should avoid.

• Lack of awareness or understanding of internal mobility within the organization: Many employees and managers may not be aware of the opportunities and benefits of career mobility or may have misconceptions or biases about it. For example, some employees may think that internal mobility is only for high-level positions or certain departments, or that it is too risky or difficult to pursue. Some managers may think that it is a threat to their team’s stability or performance, or that it is not their responsibility to support it.
• Lack of a clear internal mobility strategy and processes: Many organizations may not have a well-defined and consistent career mobility strategy that aligns with their overall business goals and talent management practices. They may also lack clear and transparent processes for identifying, assessing, matching, and moving internal talent across the organization. This can result in clarity, inconsistency, inefficiency, and unfairness in career mobility decisions.
• Resistance to change and a preference for external hiring: Some organizations may have a culture that favors external hiring over career mobility, as they may perceive external candidates as more qualified, fresh, or diverse than internal candidates. They may also resist changing their existing hiring practices or policies that may hinder internal mobility, such as rigid job descriptions, seniority rules, or compensation structures.

Case Studies and Success Stories

Here are some companies that have successfully implemented career mobility programs:

1. Google

Google, one of the world’s leading technology companies, has a flexible career mobility program that encourages employees to explore different roles and projects within the company, based on their interests, skills, and goals.

Here is a successful internal mobility and switching roles story of Google; Alison Agüero Dooley has been at the company since the summer of 2014 when she was an MBA student. Since then, she’s held three different roles: gTech Ads MBA Intern, gTech Ads Product Operations Manager (POM) for YouTube Ads, and Product Manager for YouTube Ads. [4]

2. Unilever

Unilever, a multinational consumer goods company, has implemented a holistic internal mobility program that supports employees’ personal and professional growth. Unilever’s internal mobility program includes career conversations, feedback tools, learning resources, cross-functional projects, and internal gigs. The Company’s internal mobility program has increased employee engagement, productivity, and loyalty, as well as fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. [5]

Conclusion

If you are an organization that wants to attract and retain the best talent in the market, prioritizing and investing in career mobility programs is a good way to reach your goal. It can help you save costs, increase employee satisfaction and engagement, and develop a skilled and experienced workforce. Career mobility can also give you a competitive edge in the talent market and help you achieve your organizational goals. However, it is not something that happens overnight. It requires a clear strategy, a supportive culture, and effective processes and tools. Keep in mind that you need to overcome the challenges and barriers that may hinder your efforts and adopt the best practices that can foster them.

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Citations:

1. LinkedIn

2. Zippia

3. SHRM

4 .Internal mobility — switching roles at Google: an interview with Alison Agüero Dooley (blog. google)

5 .Preparing people to adapt and thrive in changing times | Unilever