During the recent downturn in hiring many of my clients have found that identifying their potential “candidates” from those who they already employ is a better tactic than looking outside the company. Handling this promotion or succession management piece is like any new-hire assignment. The internal “candidates” are assessed for both behavior and skills, and then training / coaching objectives and plans are implemented to help them develop into the new position.
A snippet from the article: “Why Companies Aren't Getting the Employees They Need,” by Peter Cappelli talks about promoting from within:
“Employees have useful knowledge that no outsider could have and should make great candidates for filling jobs higher up….These days, many companies simply don't believe their own workers have the necessary skills to take on new roles. But, once again, many workers could step into those jobs with a bit of training.
And there's one on-the-job education strategy that doesn't cost companies a dime:
Organize work so that employees are given projects that help them learn new skills. For example, a marketing manager may not know how to compute the return on marketing programs, but might learn that skill while working on a team project with colleagues from the finance department.”
(Full Article: WSJ)
Looking for solutions from within is never a bad idea, and creating a stronger internal workforce (one you are developing and investing in) will add strength to your external new hires.
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