More than half of employees say that being able to explore internal career opportunities would make them more likely to stay at an organisation, but some encounter ‘talent hoarding’ managers that make finding out about in-house roles difficult, research has found.
According to the 2023 Global Talent Mobility Study, published by Cornerstone OnDemand’s People Research Lab and market analyst Lighthouse Research & Advisory, many employees prefer to explore career opportunities through technology first, rather than through conversations with managers.
As skills shortages grow and competition for talent heats up, there is an increasing need for employers to look internally to fill vacancies.
The research, which involved 1,060 employers and 1,000 employees across the EMEA, APAC and North America regions, found that 73% of employees were interested in learning about new roles inside their organisations, but one in five did not have visibility of these.
Forty-seven per cent said having the ability to explore internal jobs would make them more satisfied with their employer.
Organisations in the EMEA region have a manager-centric approach to career mobility, whereby employees are reliant on their managers telling them about internal opportunities, the report said. However, 80% of employees said they would prefer a self-service technology option to see what jobs were available in a “safe space”, rather than having a conversation with their manager.
The report said: “Logically it makes sense, because that initial conversation is a potential tipping point in the relationship. Some managers would embrace that conversation and coach the individual through their options, while others would (consciously or unconsciously) begin withdrawing support from that employee because they expect them to leave.”
It said that some managers were guilty of “talent hoarding”. Many employers required employees to get manager approval before they could seek other internal opportunities, which the report said could create friction or discomfort.
More than two-thirds of employees who said they had visibility into career opportunities said their managers supported the growth of their people, even if it meant employees occasionally left their teams for other internal jobs.
Employees who had access to tech for career mobility exploration were 50% less likely to quit their job compared to those with no visibility, it found. However, only a third of employers in EMEA said they had a tech platform that showed which jobs were available internally.
A learning management system (LMS) was the most popular technology used to promote internal job opportunities (45% of employers), followed by an internal job board (39%), talent marketplace (39%) and skills assessment tools (29%). Most of these are not designed to match employees’ skills and capabilities with internal opportunities.
The report recommended the creation of opportunity marketplaces for employers to share short-term “gigs”, skill-based assignments or other internal opportunities including mentoring programmes.
Forty-nine per cent of employees said they would find exploring projects that strengthen their existing skills helpful, while 45% would like to browse projects that allow them to try out a new opportunity without leaving their current job.
The report said: “Opportunity marketplace technologies are still new, but they are already meeting the combined needs of businesses and the workforce. Employers get a self-developing workforce that is more likely to stay with the business and continue performing well, and employees get the chance to nurture their skills, explore new assignments, projects and career options in a safe environment, without the initial risk of a major career move.”
It’s clear from this study that here in EMEA we are lagging behind our US and APJ counterparts in terms of using technology to drive internal career mobility. This study shows that the more self-service career development options an employee has, the more likely they are to want to stay with their current organisation.
With employee retention a worry for HR departments across the country, technology-powered internal mobility programmes can support employee retention, enabling a varied career inside one company. Cornerstone’s recently launched Opportunity Marketplace is the perfect solution to help organisations support this type of career development strategy.
Original Article: Personnel Today
Fostering a culture of internal mobility can benefit the organization by retaining top talent and leveraging existing skills and knowledge. For all your recruitment challenges – contact our HR & digital recruitment specialist Gareth Allison on 02920 620702
