What is Internal Mobility?
In today's relentlessly shifting job market, the old-school idea of following a straight career path is fast becoming outdated. It's no longer about hopping from one company to another to climb the ladder.
Enter internal mobility – a new trend that’s shaking things up. This unique approach acknowledges the importance of tapping into the talent and resources already within an organisation to boost personal growth and supercharge productivity.
In this blog post, we'll dive into the exciting realm of internal mobility, uncovering what it means, its perks, and some cool strategies to make it happen. So, let's get to it!
What Does Internal Mobility Mean?
Internal mobility is all about giving employees the freedom to switch things up and move around within their own organization. It's like a passport to new roles, exciting projects, and different departments.
The goal is to create chances for career growth and development by leveraging the talented folks already on board. When companies make internal mobility a priority, they're basically saying, "Hey, go ahead and explore! Find your sweet spot within our organisation, match your skills and passions with our changing needs, and watch your true potential shine."
It's a win-win situation for everyone involved and is also a tactic used in both the coaching and transformational leadership styles.
What Are the Benefits of Internal Mobility?
Internal mobility has lots of benefits for both employees and employers alike. It gives employees a world of opportunity, and employers - a world of benefits. These can include:
Retention and Engagement
Internal mobility is like a secret weapon for keeping your best people on board. When you give your employees plenty of chances to grow and explore new paths, it shows that you've got their backs. This builds loyalty and commitment, which means fewer people jumping ship.
And here's the cool part: when your team is fired up and engaged, they're super motivated. That means they'll crank up the productivity dial and be happier in their jobs.
Knowledge Retention and Transfer
As employees switch things up and move around within your organisation, they gather a treasure trove of valuable insider knowledge. It's like they become walking encyclopaedias of institutional wisdom.
If your workplace fully embraces internal mobility, that knowledge gets smoothly passed on to others. No more losing it when someone decides to move on.
By keeping that institutional knowledge intact, you're ensuring that the show goes on without a hitch. You save big bucks on training new folks from scratch, and you've got a team that can make smart decisions on the fly. So everyone’s happy, and your organisation is kept running like a well-oiled machine.
Skill Development and Adaptability
Internal mobility is like a springboard for your employees to level up their skills and grab some shiny new competencies. When they get the chance to jump into different roles and take on fresh responsibilities, they become these super-adaptable virtuosos.
With all that adaptability under their belts, your employees are ready to face any crap that comes their way. This adaptability and flexibility are exactly what your organisation needs to become nimble and ready to innovate like nobody's business.
Employee Growth and Advancement
With internal mobility, your employees get to check out all sorts of career paths without saying goodbye to the company. It's like a playground for growth and discovery right under their noses.
When you invest in nurturing your own talent, you’re helping create a workplace culture that is all about learning and growing. And guess what? When your team feels motivated and committed, they'll be happier in their jobs. That means they'll bring their A-game, keep their satisfaction levels up, and perform like rockstars. It's a recipe for success that keeps everyone pumped and ready to conquer the world.
What Happens When You Don’t Offer Internal Mobility?
When a company doesn't offer internal mobility, it can lead to a bunch of problems for both the employees and the organisation. Here's what can happen:
Unhappy Employees: Without internal mobility, employees can feel stuck in their roles with no chance to move up the ladder. This can make them frustrated and demotivated, and they might start looking for opportunities elsewhere. Nobody likes feeling stuck, you know?
Skills Gap: Without chances to switch roles or learn new things, employees won’t get a chance to develop new skills. That means they'll fall behind the times and be less competitive, which isn't good for them or the company.
Goodbye Talent: When people can't advance within the company, they often look outside for growth opportunities. This means the organisation loses out on talented folks who want to climb the career ladder. It's like a revolving door, and it can cost the company a lot in terms of recruitment and training.
Down in the Dumps: No internal mobility can make employees feel like they're going nowhere. That leads to low morale and less motivation to give it their all. When people aren't engaged, they're not as productive or innovative.
Doomed Succession Planning: Internal mobility is important for planning who takes over key positions when someone moves on. Without it, the company can struggle to identify and develop the right people for leadership roles. That's a recipe for chaos.
Bad Rep and Hiring Woes: Companies without internal mobility will have a hard time attracting top talent. People looking for jobs want opportunities to grow and learn. When a company doesn't offer that, it can hurt its reputation and make it harder to recruit skilled professionals.
Internal Mobility: Best Practices and Strategies
Now you’ve heard just how amazing internal mobility can be, you probably want to implement it yourself. So here are a few strategies and best practices to consider:
Culture of Collaboration: Foster a culture that values collaboration and knowledge sharing. Encourage cross-functional teamwork, facilitate open communication channels, and promote the exchange of ideas and experiences.
Skill Assessment and Development: Regularly assess employee skills, strengths, and interests to identify potential areas for growth. Provide relevant training programs, mentorship opportunities, and resources to support skill development.
Transparent Job Postings and Internal Job Boards: Establish transparent job posting processes and internal job boards to ensure that all employees have equal access to internal opportunities. Communicate job requirements, qualifications, and growth pathways clearly.
Managerial Support and Sponsorship: Managers play a crucial role in facilitating internal mobility. Encourage them to actively support and advocate for their team members' career aspirations. Provide resources and guidance to help managers identify suitable growth opportunities for their employees.
Performance and Feedback Mechanisms: Implement robust performance evaluation systems and regular feedback mechanisms to recognize and reward employees' contributions. Use this information to align individuals' career goals with organizational objectives.
Companies with Internal Mobility Programmes
This isn’t some flash-in-the-pan trend. A lot of the world’s biggest players are using internal mobility to strengthen their teams. Here are a couple of examples:
Amazon
In a company that seemingly does everything, it really isn’t surprising that Amazon would want its employees to do the same. Internal mobility is thoroughly baked into their culture (well, probably not the warehouses) and on their Upskilling Commitments page they say:
“We want to make it easy for people to have access to the skills they need to grow their careers. And we’re making two big investments to help make that happen by 2025. First, we’re committing more than $1.2 billion to provide free education and skills training opportunities to more than 300,000 of our own employees in the U.S. to help them secure new, high-growth jobs. We are also investing hundreds of millions of dollars to provide free cloud computing skills training to 29 million people around the world with programs for the public.”
Uber
Another tech giant that has fully grasped the importance of internal mobility is Uber. On their Growth at Uber page, you’ll find the following quote:
“At Uber, people are encouraged to move around and explore new roles and teams as part of their career development journey—that’s why every open role is posted internally. Because when it comes to your professional growth, we believe you should be in the driver’s seat, so you can choose where to focus, when to learn, and how to grow your skills.”
Closing Thoughts
In a world where keeping awesome talent and helping them grow is the key to long-term success, internal mobility is the magical elixir that can make it happen.
It's all about unleashing the hidden powers of your existing team and turning them into this supercharged force. With internal mobility, you create this flexible workforce that's always ready to adapt to whatever the business world throws its way.
Fostering a culture where everyone collaborates, learns new skills, and knows exactly what's going on sounds like a no-brainer, right? So go ahead, tap into the transformative power of internal mobility, and watch your organisation reach new heights.
From our employee development training that aims to find and elevate your hidden talent, to our minority group leadership training that makes sure mobility is for everyone, we offer a wide variety of consultation services that can infuse internal mobility into the heart of your organisation.
Written by Michael
Michael Mauro is the founder of a forward-thinking organisation specialising in leadership, HR and employee development. With over a decade of global experience, Michael has become a leading voice on topics such as culture, inclusion, wellbeing, and the future of leadership.
