Why Employers Have to Post Job Openings Internally First

Why Employers Have to Post Job Openings Internally First

The 2 Types of Recruitment

Before we get to discussing internal recruitment, let’s go over the 2 types of recruitment. Since recruitment officers traditionally fill job vacancies through these tactics, let’s describe each one to see how different they are from one another.

External Recruitment

In this type, vacant positions are filled by qualified candidates who have the necessary skills to do the jobs they’ve applied for. Since the hires are mostly new people, fresh ideas can come with their arrival. A lot of a company’s hiring gets done through this route. Here are a few external hiring tactics recruiters do to get people to apply:

Advertisements

More often than not, applicants often get word of open slots through this tactic. Companies let interested candidates know they’re on the lookout for them through advertising posts on newspapers, magazines, and the internet.

Walk-Ins

This tactic is suitable for companies looking to fill unskilled to semiskilled vacancies. Applicants can just directly proceed to an organization’s address with their resumes on hand.

Educational Institutes

This one’s more of a current practice. A good amount of companies now visit colleges and universities to scout possible bright talents to join their ranks. These visits can motivate interested students looking for a place to work after graduation.

Internal Recruitment

Employers fill job vacancies through this type by placing current employees in new positions. This usually happens when an employee is recommended or considered for an open suitable post. Below are a few methods in getting this one done:

Employee Referrals

When a vacant post pops up, companies review employees’ performance evaluations and other documents to see who fits the bill. They notify the most suitable candidates as soon as they’re done going over their records.

Promotions

Companies hand this out differently. Some businesses include this in their mandatory practices, which means that employees have to be promoted after a certain period of time. Meanwhile, other organizations promote their employees into higher positions after observing their performances.

Transfers

This is more common in huge organizations, especially those with several branches. After being notified of job vacancies in one branch, other branches send qualified candidates to take over the empty posts.

There aren’t any employment laws that require employers to post job vacancies internally. However, union contracts, government positions, and civil service positions may require them to notify employees of open positions or promote them by seniority. Private sector employers that aren’t governed by a union or employee contract are given the discretion to internally advertise openings or not. While internal and external recruitment should go side by side, it’s ideal to go for the former first. This opens up career development opportunities for current employees who want to take the next step in their jobs. By posting job opportunities internally, you’re showing them that you’re invested in their professional growth.

Benefits of Advertising Jobs Internally

What are the upsides of internal job advertising? These advantages may give you an idea on why companies open positions internally:

Cost Effective

Internal job advertising saves companies a lot of money. They won’t have to shell out money for background checks and slots on online job boards. Since external hirings can cost up to 1.7 times more than internal recruitment, it’s not impossible to understand why some companies would rather save their money for something else.

Encourages Employees

Increased employee engagement is always a good sign for organizations. Since employees are always on the lookout for professional growth opportunities, this shows them that their employers care about their development. This added boost can spur them to become more productive and churn out great output, all in the name of promotions. Who says no to salary increases, right?

Employees’ Skills are Already Known by HR Departments

HR departments have all employee records (survey and evaluation forms, for example) stashed safely in their offices. Since they’re the people who hired them in the first place, they already have a good idea of what to expect from them.

Quicker Hiring

Internal recruitment is a lot quicker than external recruitment since they don’t have to look far to find talents. Gauging their fit for vacant positions won’t take as much time as it usually does when hiring new faces.

Shortens Onboarding Process

It takes a while for new employees to adjust to unfamiliar corporate environments. If you’re hiring people internally, it won’t take as much time for this to happen. Internally recruited employees are already familiar with company policies, colleagues, and job responsibilities.

Helps Employee Retention

Employees always welcome every opportunity to grow their careers. High performing employees in particular look forward to more challenges to aid their professional development. Internal recruitment provides exactly that. If employees see opportunities popping up, they’ll be convinced to stick with their employers a little longer.

How to Post a Job Internally

Before you get to advertising, your postings should contain the following details: job title, job description, job benefits, a list of qualifications, and application procedures and requirements. This way, interested applicants will already know what to do, should they jump at the opportunity.

The first step to internal job postings is to communicate the open job(s) to your employees. How else are they going to know that a position is open for the taking? No matter what your advertisement platform is, make sure everyone is notified. Just remember to limit them to current employees of your business or organization. Internal job openings can be posted through various mediums. Here are some platforms you can use to advertise them.

Emails

Every employee opens their emails religiously. Send company-wide email blasts to let everyone know that a vacant position is up for grabs. To save yourself time, you can follow email templates since company-wide emails don’t have to be personalized.

Company Newsletters

Thanks to company newsletters, employees are well-informed about the latest updates on their corporate surroundings. Inserting your ads on newsletters is a great way to entice interested applicants who plan to go for something new.

Bulletin Boards

Despite the dominance of technology, bulletin boards aren’t exactly dead in workplaces. Some companies even have boards that are solely for job postings; you may want to give that a try if you want potential applicants to pay attention. Just make sure your ad is eye-catching enough to get employees to stop and look at them.

When you’re doing HR planning or manpower planning, internal job posting is an option you can consider if you want to beef up your workforce. Having a thorough internal recruitment process has its long-term benefits you’ll be grateful for as your company runs. Hopefully, this guide can help you craft an internal recruitment scheme that’ll take your business and employees to great heights.

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