When companies need to fill a mid or upper-level vacancy, they typically have two choices. First, they can promote a suitably capable employee into the role. Second, they can hire someone from outside of the company.
Many organizations favor the latter approach over the former, often because promoting from within creates a new lower-level vacancy. However, there are numerous benefits to promoting existing employees. Here’s what you need to consider.
Faster Hiring and Shorter Time to Full Productivity
Promoting from within is a more time-efficient option than hiring someone new. Often, evaluating internal candidates is quicker since employees are known quantities. Managers understand the capabilities of their team members. Plus, there aren’t questions about reliability, as attendance records, past performance reviews, and similar data can show whether a worker is dependable.
Additionally, existing employees are already familiar with your workplace and its culture. At times, they even understand the nuances of the upper-level role, depending on their current connection to the previous worker in the position. As a result, promoting from within typically shortens the time between placing a candidate in a role and them reaching full productivity.
Boosted Employee Morale and Retention
When you promote from within, you’re demonstrating that your company offers upward mobility. Since most employees have career aspirations beyond their current position, knowing that promotions are possible has a significant positive impact on morale. It shows that hard work, dedication, and skill acquisition are rewarded, which can encourage employees to strive to be at their best continuously.
Further, upward mobility boosts retention. Employees don’t need to look outside of the organization to move up, so many will stay on board since they know securing a promotion is a possibility. In turn, this reduces the need for additional recruitment to fill vacancies caused by employees leaving for higher-level roles elsewhere, which is incredibly beneficial to the company.
Improved Employer Brand for Easier Recruitment
Companies that promote from within typically generate positive word-of-mouth from their employees. It’s a benefit that’s not found broadly in many industries. As a result, as more people learn about the company’s focus on upward mobility, it’s easier for the organization to position itself as an employer of choice.
Once the company cements its reputation, recruitment is typically easier. Candidates seeking upward mobility long-term may favor your opportunities, allowing you to secure top talent quickly when the need arises. As a result, any lower-level positions that become available due to promotions are simpler to fill, as high-quality job seekers will flock to the organization.
As a side benefit, this reduces recruitment-related expenses, as the timeline to find a suitable candidate often shortens. Additionally, since many of the candidates will be highly enthusiastic, they may reach full productivity faster.
Contact GoSource!
Ultimately, promoting from within can lead to all of the benefits above and more. If you’d like to learn other strategies to position your company as an employer of choice or need access to top talent quickly to fill a challenging vacancy, GoSource wants to hear from you. Contact us today.
