Internal Recruitment in the Company – How and Why Should It Be Implemented?

Internal recruitment is the process where a company looks for new employees or candidates for higher positions from its existing workforce. This type of recruitment has many advantages for both employers and employees. In this article, we explain what internal recruitment is, how the process works, and the benefits it brings.

What is Internal Recruitment?
Internal recruitment is the process in which an organization seeks suitable employees for open positions, but only from those already employed within the company. Instead of hiring new candidates from the labor market, the company leverages its internal resources, giving current employees a chance for professional growth and promotion.

The internal recruitment process is similar to external recruitment in terms of basic elements, such as posting job ads, evaluating applications, conducting interviews, and selecting candidates. However, since these are employees already hired, the organization can make decisions more quickly and avoid many of the formalities associated with external recruitment.

The Internal Recruitment Process
Internal recruitment within a company usually follows several steps, which are tailored to the company’s organizational structure and internal policies. Here’s what a typical process looks like:

1. Internal Job Vacancy Announcement
   The company announces the available position internally, typically through notice boards, the intranet, or by sending notifications to employees via internal communication tools.
2. Candidate Applications
   Employees interested in the position submit their applications, including a resume and cover letter. Often, they also have the opportunity to highlight their achievements within the company, which may serve as an additional advantage during the recruitment process.
3. Evaluation of Applications and Candidates
   The HR team or managers responsible for recruitment analyze the applications, considering professional experience, performance in their current role, as well as the skills and competencies required for the new position.
4. Interviews
   Candidates undergo interviews where they discuss their experience, motivation, and career plans. This is also an opportunity for the company to assess how well the candidate fits the requirements of the new role.
5. Selection of the Candidate and Job Offer
   After the interviews, the company selects the candidate who best meets the expectations. The candidate is then offered the new position, often with revised employment terms.
6. Handing Over Duties and Onboarding
   After promotion or a change in position, the new employee goes through an onboarding process to familiarize them with their new responsibilities, team, and role requirements.

Why Should You Implement Internal Recruitment?
Internal recruitment brings several benefits for both employers and employees. Here are some key advantages of this process:

1. Motivating Employees for Growth
   Internal recruitment gives employees the opportunity for professional growth and promotion, which positively affects their motivation and engagement. Seeing that the company offers advancement opportunities, employees are more motivated to achieve better results.
2. Familiarity with the Company and Organizational Culture
   Employees already working in the company are familiar with its culture, values, and structure, which makes it easier for them to adapt to new roles. The internal onboarding process is also much shorter and smoother.
3. Lower Recruitment Costs
   Internal recruitment may involve lower costs, as it does not require external recruitment campaigns, such as job postings or market candidate searches. Additionally, there is no need to organize the entire selection process for external applicants.
4. Increased Loyalty and Engagement
   Employees who have the opportunity for promotion or a lateral move within the same company feel more valued. Such actions lead to greater loyalty and engagement within the company and help retain valuable employees.
5. Better Candidate Fit
   Internal recruitment allows for a more accurate match of candidates to new roles, as the company already knows their skills, strengths, and potential. As a result, the choice of the right candidate is more precise.

Challenges of Internal Recruitment
While internal recruitment offers many benefits, it is important to be aware of its challenges. Here are some aspects to consider:

1. Risk of Internal Conflicts
   Internal recruitment can lead to dissatisfaction among other employees who also applied for the same position. To avoid this, it’s important to ensure transparency in the process and clear selection criteria.
2. Lack of Fresh Ideas
   Over-relying on internal recruitment can lead to stagnation, as the company may miss out on fresh perspectives and new ideas that external candidates could bring.
3. Limited Development Opportunities
   Internal recruitment offers greater chances for promotion, but if there are no new higher-level positions, the process may face limitations due to the lack of development prospects.

Conclusion
Internal recruitment is an effective way to grow an organization and motivate employees to work harder. Through it, companies can tap into existing talent and offer employees opportunities for promotion, which positively impacts engagement, loyalty, and long-term development. However, it is important that this process is well-thought-out, transparent, and based on clear criteria to avoid potential issues. When properly implemented, internal recruitment can be a key tool in talent management and in building a strong organizational culture.