It’s a dilemma faced by every talent manager at some point: On one hand, you want to keep up with emerging skillsets and hire those who will help your business outperform the competition. On the other hand, you want to make sure your current employees know that growth opportunities are available. How can you do both?
Often, the best strategy is to look outside your own walls to fill business-critical roles. Hiring from within may lead to a stagnant environment that fails to evolve or mature.
New People = New Ideas
If business as usual isn’t working for your company, it’s probably time to look for fresh ideas elsewhere. Find people with a history of innovation and infuse them into your culture.
- Importing expertise and experience from other companies or industries can benefit your organization by “stretching minds and imaginations in new ways,” as noted by Edmunds.com Chief People Officer Julie Merges.
- If you see a need for cultural change, find someone from outside who can be the catalyst.
Great Workers Aren’t Always Great Managers
Good contributors don’t always make good managers. They may not even want to be managers! Before you promote from within, be sure that an employee is ready, willing, able and excited to take on a new role. Consider:
- If the new manager will be charged with leading their former peers, it may be better to look externally to minimize the drama.
- The ramifications if you move an existing revenue-generating employee into a non-revenue-generating role, or vice versa.
Do the Right Thing
Outside hiring may feel threatening to your current employees. You can avoid this by consistently recognizing and communicating their value to your business. Help them to realize that a new hire may be a future mentor or someone who will help your company find greater success, creating more opportunities for everyone.
- Show a commitment to your employees by building educational and training programs to whatever extent possible. Post new roles internally first, and communicate to employees why they didn’t get the job if another candidate is hired. Then, work on an action plan to help in-house employees build their path for development. It should be a competition between your current team and external talent to make your company better.
Need further tips on the best hiring strategy for your company? Consider partnering with the PrideStaff Fresno team of talent management experts. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.