What Is One Best Practice For An Internal Hiring Process?
To help you implement best practices within your internal hiring process, we asked HR leaders and small business owners this question for their best insights. From knowing the skillsets of your employees to using objective metrics to justify the decision, there are several suggestions that may help you with your internal hiring process.
Here Are Eight Best Practices For An Internal Hiring Process:
- Know the Skillsets of Your Employees
- Shorten, but Don’t Underestimate the Onboarding Process
- Evaluate Everyone on the Same Metrics
- Have Transparent Conversations with Internal Candidates
- Provide Constructive Criticism
- Create a Referral System
- Hire the Best Person for the Job
- Use Objective Metrics to Justify the Decision
Know the Skillsets of Your Employees
Internal hiring should be the organization’s first stop when looking to fill roles within the company. Too many times talent is wasted and overlooked because HR and their internal hiring process don’t take a vested interest in the current staff.
From the beginning of a new employee being hired their skills, background, career goals and attributes should be tracked, not just for their current role but for their future with the company. HR needs to be proactive so that when positions do open up they already know who on their current staff could fill the job.
This shows a level of commitment to your staff and allows them to see a future with your organization. This also makes HR more efficient at filling key roles and can save the company money from not needing to do lengthy vetting processes for candidates.
Mark Smith, University of Advancing Technology
Shorten, but Don’t Underestimate the Onboarding Process
Internal hiring means that the new team members already know the business. However, even if this process is shortened, it must be specific and detailed; consider that one cause of higher turnover rate falls in the lack of an adequate onboarding process.
Therefore, the onboarding process should focus on new skills, responsibilities, and expectations employees will have, setting new goals.
Maciek Kubiak, PhotoAiD
Evaluate Everyone on the Same Metrics
A key practice to internal hiring is to evaluate all candidates on the same scale. The HR team must be sure to conduct the interview process the same way for each new potential hire.
Nobody should be granted special treatment based on external circumstances, such as connections. By facilitating a fair internal hiring process, the company can be certain that the successful candidate is the best fit for the position.
Lev Berlin, Recipal
Have Transparent Conversations with Internal Candidates
Even if you have a candidate in mind who you think could move up in your company, you should still have a formal conversation with them to discuss the potential promotion and ask them questions. For instance, you could ask them why they want to pursue the position and what value they would bring.
Even if you already feel confident that they would do an excellent job in the new role, it is good to check-in to ensure they are on the same page with you regarding what would be expected of them and to gauge how excited they are about this opportunity.
Miles Beckett, Flossy
Provide Constructive Criticism
Giving constructive criticism to the applicant pool is a great practice when conducting internal hiring. This way, even if employees are rejected for the new role, workplace morale does not taper.
Instead, you would be providing all applicants with personalized feedback to help them grow and improve. This practice also communicates fairness and the absence of a hiring bias.
Eric Ang, One Search Pro
Create a Referral System
References are always helpful when hiring internally. Whether they’re on your direct team or from a different department, references ensure their work ethic and values still align with the company.
Have the applicant write three references and be sure to speak to all of them to gain insight on the employee from an executive perspective.
Natália Sadowski, Nourishing Biologicals
Hire the Best Person for the Job
Hire the best person for the job. Sometimes the less experienced employee is the better fit for an open position. Conversely, sometimes the more experienced individual is the better option over another highly favored employee that’s not quite as qualified.
Think about company needs, what you’re looking for to fill a certain position (skills, qualifications, experience), and who is best suited for the job. NEVER make a selection based on personal or company bias.
Consider that the company veteran may not be as suitable as the less experienced, but equally qualified and younger candidate. Determine your organization’s needs, and hire accordingly.
Ray Leon, Pet Insurance Review
Use Objective Metrics to Justify the Decision
Use objective metrics when considering whether to promote someone for an internal hire. It can often be difficult to choose between talented team members when awarding a valued position.
Internal hiring decisions should be justifiable to management and executive teams. If an important position is being considered, then the hiring decision should be justified with some objective metrics that can stand as proof of why a particular person was worth promoting internally.
Company leadership will be far more supportive of the internal hire if they see objective metrics were used to make the decision.
Katy Carrigan, Goody
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