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Hiring from inside your business makes sense because new hires are already part of your team and know your culture and policies well. But despite the benefits of internal recruitment, relying too much on promotions and lateral job moves might have negative side-effects. Here are eight advantages and disadvantages of internal recruitment and how to ensure that when you are hiring internally, your process works:
Advantages of internal recruitmentHiring internal candidates can be more efficient than recruiting externally, because it can: Reduce time to hireWhen recruiting externally, hiring teams find candidates (either through sourcing or job posting), evaluate them and, if all goes well, persuade them to join their company. All of which takes time. Conversely, internal candidates are already part of your workplace, so the time you need to find and engage those candidates is much less. It’s also easier to assess internal candidates because:
All these reduce the time spent on each hiring stage and your overall time to hire. Shorten onboarding timesEveryone needs some time to adjust to a new role, but internal hires are quicker to onboard than external hires. This is because they:
Cost lessResearch has shown that external hiring may cost 1.7 times more than internal hiring. This is because when hiring from within, you usually don’t need to:
Strengthen employee engagementPromoting from within sends a message that you value your employees and want to invest in them. Giving employees more opportunities to advance their careers, or even letting them move to other same-level positions that may interest them, is good for morale: employees who change roles develop professionally and others know they may have similar opportunities in the future. This helps to build a culture of trust that enhances employee engagement and retention. Disadvantages of internal recruitmentDespite all the merits of internal recruitment, there are some things to keep in mind. Hiring from within can: Create resentment among employees and managersEmployees who were considered for a role could feel resentful if a colleague or external candidate is eventually hired. Also, managers are often uncomfortable losing good team members and may even go so far as to hinder the transfer or promotion process. Leave a gap in your existing workforceWhen you promote someone to fill an open position, their old position becomes vacant. This means that a series of moves and promotions may ensue that could disrupt your business’ operations. Ultimately you may need to turn to external recruitment in addition to your internal hire. Limit your pool of applicantsWhile your company may have a lot of qualified candidates for specific positions, this isn’t necessarily true for every open role. For example, if a role is fairly new to your business, your employees will have other specialties and may not be able to fill this skills gap. Relying solely on internal hiring means you could miss the chance to hire people with new skills and ideas. Result in inflexible cultureDoing most of your hiring from inside your business may result in a stagnant culture. This is because employees can get too comfortable with the ‘way things are done’ and struggle to spot inefficiencies and experiment with new ways of working. An inflexible culture will be more problematic in leadership positions where employees may need to advocate for change and improvements instead of relying on established, inefficient practices. External hires are essential in shaking up culture and offering a fresh perspective on existing problems. What could you do to mitigate the disadvantages of internal recruiting?To avoid resentment, cultivate trust and ensure you hire effectively, you could:
At the end of the day though, whether you’re focused on internal vs external recruitment, it’s important to structure your hiring process to ensure fair and effective recruiting. Use screening tests and structured interviews, which help you assess candidates more objectively, and communicate well with all candidates. These practices will help you make good hiring decisions and will also build trust in your hiring process. Frequently asked questionsWhat are the types of internal recruitment?There are many different ways to recruit internally. Some types of internal recruitment work better depending on the size of your company or your industry. These types can include: promotions, transfers, employee referrals, along with simply advertising the job opening within the workplace. Is it better to recruit internally?While this can largely depend, most companies see internal recruitment as a symbol of success. It means that your business is nurturing your employees to be the best they can be. Internal recruitment is also less expensive, and research shows that internal hires are more successful than external hires. How can I look to recruit internally?Assess the size of your company and what industry you work for, along with the current job market. Based on that information, you can choose a few types of internal recruitment to focus on to hire from within the company. Which of the following is a disadvantage of flexible staffing alternatives?Some disadvantages of flexible staffing include lower average wages and fewer employee benefits. However, flexible staffing provides workplace flexibility and reduces company employment costs.
What are the advantages of a hybrid system of internal recruitment check all that apply?What are the advantages of a hybrid system of internal recruitment? (Check all that apply.) It helps uncover hidden talent. It gives employees an equal opportunity to apply for postings. It helps identify qualified candidates in advance.
Which of the following is an advantage of online recruiting?Attracting, contacting, and evaluating potential employees is difficult. Infighting for promotions can get overly intense. Which of the following is an advantage of online recruitment? It allows companies to find employees faster.
Which of the following can be a disadvantage of internal recruitment?Cons. Limited bandwidth — Internal recruiters are limited by the hours in a day, and many have other priorities. Limited networks, reach, and talent pool — At some point, you'll tap out your staff network and need to go beyond referrals to find the best people for your positions and keep pace with growth.
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