Tweaking the Hiring Process by Looking Within the Organization First

With less than six months left in 2019, it’s time to start thinking about what you and your company hope to accomplish the rest of the year. If things are going well, there’s a good chance hiring new employees might be on the list during the third or fourth quarter.

Although hiring signals good things, it can also cause a lot of stress for those tasked with the endeavor. Hiring means in-house resources will be adding another task to the to-do list when it comes to scheduling interviews and choosing final candidates. Once the outside candidate is in the door, the stress doesn’t always dissipate. In many cases, there’s remains a question of how the individual will fit in the current environment and how they will work with a team.

Thankfully it’s never a case of all or nothing. One small tweak in the hiring process can minimize much of this stress. Consider promoting or hiring from within. Because the best person for the job might already be working for the company. They might not be in the same department or yet doing the job at hand, but they are there, ready and waiting to be discovered.

Internal job candidates are the hidden gold in every organization. They are a known entity that’s available. One bonus being that the candidate already knows the organization, is familiar to those in the company and is aware of its pros and cons. This perspective gives them a front-row seat to knowing what the end-customer needs. And they probably already have some ideas about what’s working and what’s not.

Because no one knows for sure exactly how someone will react in a new situation, the act of hiring typically requires a leap of faith for both parties. With an internal candidate, the leap comes with the willingness to see a current employee in a new light. In these cases, don’t let familiarity be a blinder for true potential. Instead, this is the time to look beyond education and experience and focus on skills. And not just work-related skills. Look closely at the person’s soft skills, something 80% of businesses see as increasingly important, according to LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends Report.

• How does this person work with others?
• How are they perceived throughout the department?
• Are they already seen as a leader within their organization?

Looking at the candidate through this updated lens puts the potential ahead of the credentials and shines a light on unrealized growth. It’s the best of both worlds, with a candidate who is ready for new experiences in a familiar environment. Plus, hiring or promoting from within sends a positive message to other employees. When good work is rewarded, it has the potential to create a positive ripple effect throughout the organization.