What is Internal Mobility?
Internal mobility refers to moving employees into jobs, departments, or locations within the same company. It is an HR strategy that enables organisations to capitalise on existing talent while giving employees opportunities for career development. The internal movement of employees thus engenders a highly flexible, motivated, and future-ready workforce.
Benefits of internal mobility
Internal mobility offers multiple advantages that impact both talent retention and business performance. Here are some benefits that make it an essential part of workforce management.
Improves Employee Retention
Opposed to jumping ship the moment they feel their professional growth has been stunted, employees will stay if presented with growth opportunities within the organisation. This serves to reduce turnover rates and is therefore stabilising to the workforce.
Boosts Employee Engagement
Keeping employees uncomfortable with new challenges and unfamiliar jobs inspires them to commit themselves to their work. Engaged employees are more productive and beneficial to the organisational agenda.
Helps Address Skill Gaps
Moving talent around between jobs based on where their skills are most needed allows companies to fill in gaps fast. Hiring externally for critical positions is minimised as a result.
Strengthens Company Culture
Promoting from within fosters a culture of trust, loyalty, and growth. Employees are more likely to feel valued when they see internal candidates being given preference for new roles.
Reduces Hiring Costs
Internal mobility significantly lowers recruitment expenses by minimising the need for advertising, recruitment agencies, and lengthy hiring processes.
Different Types of Internal Mobility
Internal mobility can take various forms depending on organisational needs and employee aspirations. Here are the main types that companies typically adopt.
Project-based mobility
Persons are temporarily assigned to different projects or teams within the organisation to work on specific initiatives. This helps them attain cross-functional experience and learn new skill sets.
Role-to-role mobility
This entails moving employees to tenants aside from their current job within the profile. It has thus much variegation in a career.
Upward mobility
Alternatively, promotion might indicate upward mobility in the meaning of promoting technically high-performing employees to higher-level jobs with a larger scope of responsibilities.
Geographical Mobility
Also known as lateral moves, this involves the transfer of an employee to other locations, be they local or foreign, for the business needs or to enhance the career development of the said employee.
How to Build a Successful Internal Mobility Programme
For internal mobility to deliver long-term results, it must be structured and supported by clear policies. Here are some essential elements to create a robust internal mobility framework.
Promote a Culture of Mobility
Encourage managers and leaders to actively support internal movement and make it part of the organisational DNA.
Use Technology
Implement HR software and internal job boards to make opportunities easily accessible to all employees.
Upskilling and Reskilling
Provide training programmes to help employees acquire the skills required for new roles.
Supportive Leadership
Leaders should act as mentors, guiding employees through transitions and ensuring smooth role changes.
Transparent Communication
Keep employees informed about mobility policies, eligibility criteria, and available opportunities.
Create Clear Career Paths
Outline potential career progressions within the organisation so employees can plan their growth journey.
FAQs
1. What is internal mobility?
The movement and cross-departmental transfer or location change of employees within the same organisation to better utilise talent and promote career growth within the same organisation.
2. What are the benefits of internal mobility?
Retention, engagement, skill-gap reduction, company culture enhancement, and reduction in the hiring costs.
3. What are the different types of internal mobility?
They include project-based mobility, role-to-role mobility, upward mobility, and geographical mobility.
4. How to build successful internal mobility?
Promote a culture of mobility, use technology, invest in upskilling, encourage supportive leadership, ensure transparent communication, and create clear career paths.
