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Internal mobility: a strategic lever for companies and employees.
Internal mobility has become a key strategy in human resources, offering considerable benefits for both businesses and their employees. It reduces recruitment costs by internalizing the process, thus saving on ads and ad serving services. This system also facilitates onboarding, thanks to a familiarity effect that allows the rapid integration of promoted employees.
By promoting GPEC (Previsional Management of Jobs and Skills), an internal mobility strategy is a way to structure a pool of profiles and to meet the challenges of employee membership. This mechanism allows employees to better understand the situation and to evolve in a framework adapted to their abilities. The use of dedicated software can also facilitate the management of career paths and optimize decision-making according to the needs of the company.
In addition, this approach promotes a more dynamic and stimulating work environment, where employees feel valued and encouraged to promote their expertise. The creation of a structured training plan and the support of managers are also essential to ensure the success of this approach.
This article explores the benefits, challenges, and methods for implementing an effective internal recruitment process, underlining its role as a strategic lever to improve business performance and the valorization of talent.
Understanding internal mobility
Definition and types of internal mobility
Internal mobility refers to the change of position, department, or workplace of an employee within the same company. It can be initiated by the employee or suggested by the manager or the HR department.
There are different types of mobility in business, offering various opportunities for professional growth:
- Vertical: It corresponds to an internal promotion, allowing the employee to move up in the ranks with more responsibilities and often a better salary. It values the skills and the involvement of the latter.
- Horizontal: Here, the employee changes function or profession without increasing hierarchical responsibilities. This mobility encourages professional retraining and the learning of new skills.
- Transverse: It combines a change in department with an increase in responsibilities, allowing the employee to engage in new challenges while remaining within the structure.
- Geographical: This mobility makes it possible to change the workplace, offering geographical flexibility, useful in particular for multi-site companies.
Differences between internal mobility and external recruitment
Internal mobility and the external recruitment are two different approaches to filling a vacancy. The main distinction lies in the origin of the candidates and their impact on the organization.
Corporate mobility takes advantage of talents already present in the company, promoting the professional growth of current employees. It allows easier integration, reduces recruitment and training costs, and accelerates the integration process thanks to the familiarity of employees with business dynamics. It is a great way to retain the people already present in your structure and to reduce turnover.
On the other hand, recruiting externally makes it possible to attract external candidates, offering a diversity of talents and new skills. Although it can enrich the company with innovative perspectives, this process is often longer, more expensive, and involves risks of maladjustment to the newcomer group. However, it may be useful for certain requests for skills that are not yet present in the structure, especially during an important recruitment period.
The benefits of internal mobility
For the company
It has multiple advantages for businesses. First of all, it makes it possible to considerably reduce the costs associated with recruitment. By managing this internal processes, businesses save on expenses associated with advertising job offers or using external recruitment services.
In addition to financial savings, this process saves time, since the profiles of internal candidates are already known, thus facilitating their selection and integration.
Internal mobility also plays a major role in motivating employees and reducing the departure rate. By offering prospects for professional development, it motivates employees and reinforces their involvement, which are essential elements for maintaining optimal productivity and a strong corporate culture.
It is also beneficial for the growth of internal skills and the improvement of the overall performance of the company. By offering the possibility of changing positions, it encourages the acquisition of new skills, thus enriching collective know-how.
Finally, an effective method of internal promotion improves the employer's brand image, attracting more talent and showing the organization's investment in the development of its employees, a major competitive advantage in the labor market.
For employees
Internal mobility offers employees the chance to develop their know-how and achieve their professional goals without leaving their current company, a significant advantage for those who value the values of their employer.
It also makes it possible to take on challenges and take on new responsibilities. This flexibility helps employees to diversify their careers and to gain autonomy and leadership, which are the keys to a successful professional life.
In addition, internal change facilitates integration into new roles. Employees, already familiar with the company's operations and culture, adapt more quickly and effectively to their new position.
This smoother transition reduces the time needed to be fully operational, contributes to employee well-being and employee retention.
Challenges and limits of internal mobility
Organizational obstacles
The adoption of an internal mobility policy may encounter various organizational obstacles. Management retention is among the main challenges, where managers are hesitant to release high-performing employees for fear of upsetting the balance or losing essential skills within their team.
This retention, while generally not ill-intentioned, can hinder the individual and collective benefits of internal change.
Another barrier is the complexity of organizational structures and collective agreements. In larger organizations, the diversity of collective agreements, work structures, and benefits can make the internal recruitment process more complex.
Careful coordination and planning are required to avoid conflicts and ensure consistency. The size and structure of society can also limit mobility. Smaller organizations, in particular, may struggle to provide sufficient opportunities for job changes due to their small size and the specialization of their teams.
The individual brakes
Employees may also encounter personal barriers that discourage them from opting for internal mobility. Resistance to change is a common barrier.
Fear of leaving their comfort zone or exploring unknown roles, for fear of failure or lack of necessary skills, can hold back employees.
Another major disadvantage is the lack of information on available positions. Without knowing the prospects, employees cannot apply, which limits their mobility.
Transparent and effective communication about the possibilities of evolution in the company is essential to remove this obstacle.
In addition, the discrepancy between employee expertise and the requirements of new positions can be a barrier. This requires the implementation of training and development plans to increase their competitiveness.
How do we overcome these obstacles?
To overcome these organizational and individual obstacles, the development of specific policies is essential:
- Carefully planning employee movements to ensure a smooth transition and maintain organizational balance is essential.
- Establishing a succession plan to identify potential replacements in advance is also recommended.
- Investing in the development of employee skills is fundamental. Training, mentoring, and coaching programs can equip employees with the qualifications required to take on new positions.
- Encouraging a policy of change and mobility, and offering clear visibility on internal opportunities, are major steps to promote mobility.
Finally, celebrating employee change successes and providing support during transitions can build trust and motivate employees to embrace new career opportunities within the company.
Implement an effective internal mobility action plan
Building an internal mobility policy
To develop an effective internal mobility action plan, it is essential to start by establishing a clear and precise policy. This requires a detailed analysis of the company's needs, identifying the present and future skills that are essential to achieve strategic objectives.
An exhaustive map of posts and necessary know-how helps to identify gaps and to align internal mobility with the organization of the structure. Involving key stakeholders, such as managers and department managers, is essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of needs and to ensure that everyone is involved in the process. The use of HR analysis software, such as HR information systems (HRIS), facilitates the detection of mobility opportunities and the monitoring of employee skills.
Support and equip employees
The success of internal mobility is based on the support of employees. This means setting up training programs to be able to bridge differences in levels and prepare employees for their future roles.
Training, whether online or in person, as well as mentoring and coaching programs, can help employees develop the skills they need, while strengthening their confidence and autonomy. Technology platforms also play a major role, allowing careers to be monitored and progress measured, which helps to adjust development plans.
Monitoring and evaluation of results
Monitoring and evaluating results are essential to ensure the sustainable success of internal mobility. Defining performance indicators, such as the internal mobility rate and the employee satisfaction rate, makes it possible to measure the effectiveness of the program. Conducting regular evaluations (at least annually) and collecting employee feedback through surveys and individual interviews offers a thorough understanding of their experience and expectations.
This approach allows for continuous adjustments to the program, better meeting the needs of employees while aligning goals with those of the company. Constant evaluation, based on reliable data and feedback, maximizes the positive impact on corporate culture and operational performance.
Summary of benefits
The implementation of an internal mobility policy brings multiple advantages for the company and its employees. It contributes to the reduction of recruitment costs, the retention of talent, the development of internal skills, and the strengthening of the employer brand. In addition, it increases employee satisfaction and engagement, thus promoting an improvement in the overall performance of the company and reducing turnover.
Importance of a proactive approach
Adopting a proactive approach is essential for the success of internal mobility. It consists in anticipating the future needs of the structure and in adjusting mobility policies accordingly.
By staying up to date with developments in human resources and using data analytics to refine strategies, companies can ensure that their internal mobility program is in line with their goals.
How structures can start an internal mobility project today
To launch an internal mobility project, it is essential for companies to precisely define their needs and the know-how available internally. It is also important to actively promote mobility prospects among employees and to implement tracking tools and evaluation to monitor the effectiveness of the program. Providing personalized support to employees who want to change jobs is essential to facilitate their transition.
By taking the example of companies such as Michelin or Danone, which have set up internal mobility programs flexible and well-designed, organizations can create an environment conducive to the development of internal talent and the development of employees. It is time to take action and make internal mobility a key driver for your business.
Conclusion
Internal mobility represents an essential solution for companies and their employees, which can bring significant benefits. These include reducing recruitment costs, retaining talent, enriching skills, and improving organizational performance. By adopting an explicit and structured internal mobility policy, companies can manage the professional development of their employees, facilitate the integration of newcomers and consolidate their corporate culture.
To take full advantage of internal mobility, organizational and personal obstacles need to be removed. This involves building relationships of trust with managers, using management and evaluation tools, and offering training and tailor-made support. Open communication and the valorization of employees participating in internal mobility are also decisive elements.
Maximizing the benefits of internal mobility requires a thorough reflection on corporate culture, the adoption of a predictive employment and skills management system (GPEC), and the development of plans for the development of these. Through a proactive and thoughtful approach, companies can make internal mobility an important driver of their long-term success and limit turnover.
Communicate about available positions, assess skills on an ongoing basis, and provide tailored support to each employee.
By working together, it is possible to create a framework favorable to the evolution of internal know-how and to promote the well-being of employees, thus ensuring sustained performance and constant growth of your business.
How does Yuzu support you in your internal mobility process?
At Yuzu, we facilitate the implementation of an effective strategy by helping you identify and develop talent within your organization. Thanks to our approach based on the evaluation of know-how, we allow HR to better understand the potential of their employees, in order to direct them to the most suitable opportunities. By promoting the development of skills and the retention of teams, we contribute to smoother career management and a better alignment between business needs and talent aspirations.
