Smart Hiring from Within
Many organisations tend to make mistakes when dealing with internal candidates because they pitch internal candidates at the same level as external candidates and here’s the problem with this:
The internal candidate may be “too familiar” and as such they don’t get viewed with “fresh eyes” and for their strengths – they get put in a “box” they might not be able to climb out of it!
The internal candidate has a much easier ride than external candidates because of familiarity or the assumption that the internal candidate needs less time to get into the role.
Either way the company loses! In the first scenario, the company may lose a candidate who could have been a high potential for growth and had no way to grow except outside the organisation, perhaps with a competitor. In the second scenario, the employer may lose out on a really worthy candidate because those involved chose to stick to someone familiar.
Whilst most internal recruiters believe that they take an unbiased approach to recruitment, we see evidence of this in our work with clients regularly. Why is this so?
This is probably because most people in this role gear their recruitment effort towards external candidates and even if they know logically that they need a slightly different protocol when dealing with internal candidates, in an attempt to “be fair” they start on the premise that all candidates are treated at the same level and this is where they make the first mistake!
How can an internal candidate be at the same level as an external candidate?
Internal candidates already know the culture of the company, they may know something about the job opening, they know people connected to the job and have internal relationships and history. And this can get in the way of our good judgment and can work for or against the internal candidate.
Some simple guidelines to consider:
1.
Separate what you hear about the candidate from the candidate, in terms of skills and expertise. There is a big difference between hearing of a candidate from someone else’s point of view and knowing a candidate. As headhunters, we practice this skill all the time – we often have to gather information about a candidate from others but our work is not complete until we really get to know the candidate. We often go beyond hearsay to see the potential and real talent of a candidate and how this relates to the job at hand.
2.
If someone feels “boxed in” find out what they are going to do to change that impression of themselves or what they have been doing to expand their skill sets.
3.
Internal candidates know more because they have an inside view, interview questions need to be designed to probe further to find out about their understanding of the role and how they can add value to this role. As such, internal candidates enjoy a “privileged position”. Find out if they really know the role versus knowing of the role and what is required? Ask about relationships, ask about how they handle challenges or disappointment, focus on behavioural interview questions, as this will give greater insight into the candidate.
4.
Sometimes internal candidates are put up within companies because that’s the only way to “get rid” of someone from a particular department or position. Mid-managers and sometimes even senior executives “play corporate chess” by presenting a candidate for an open role, even “bargaining” or conducting some sort of exchange between departments. A hiring manager who does not know the real situation may end up with an internal candidate who may not be suitable for the role. Internal candidates need references too – don’t just rely on the immediate boss for feedback; investigate further – there must be a reason if a particular candidate in a role has not grown. Get peer feedback.
5.
Internal candidates are sometimes presented because the company needs to be seen to be fair. This means it is just a superficial exercise to just keep the candidate. This is a waste of time and it raises the expectation of the employee and can even end up creating a disgruntled employee. Train internal managers to only put up candidates who are suited to the roles. Meaning they MUST have the relevant experience, exposure and ability to perform the role. This needs to be at the forefront of all internal interviews.
6.
Project work can be considered as an option for internal candidates. Because they have an inside view, it might be interesting to set them a challenge to demonstrate why they can excel in the new role. These days, even external candidates sometimes get given specific assignments to fulfil before they move to the next level in the interview process.
Some organisations do a better job and hiring from within and there are many success stories that can offer input on how to draw the best out of internal candidates. Whilst these candidates are already there and know the company that in itself does not mean that they can make the cut. Sometimes we make the mistake of promoting someone too early and thus set them up for failure. Unnecessary hurt and attrition takes place within the work place when managers don’t take a longer term approach on how they handle internal candidates. This in turn hurts the organization and its future growth.
Good talent is always in demand and messing up an internal candidate can have an impact on the hiring external candidates as word gets around.