Advance Within? Or Look Outside? Which Hiring Option is Better for Your Firm?

You have a position opening up within the company. Should you promote from within, or look outside to recruit a new hire? The easy answer? As a leading Kansas City recruitment agency, Morgan Hunter knows there is no easy answer. It all depends on your unique situation – for instance, the skill set of your internal staff, your hiring and operating budget, and the position you’re looking to fill. To help you in your decision when it comes to internal vs. external hiring, here are a few factors to consider:

Pros of Promoting From Within

  • Your existing team members know your business, the market landscape, and how to get things done. There is also much less of a learning curve for them since they already know the products and services you offer, who’s in charge of what, and the corporate culture.
  • Promoting from within helps with retention efforts. When team members know there are opportunities for advancement within the company, not only are they more likely to stay with your firm for longer, but it also motivates them to excel.
  • Hiring from within means you know exactly what you’re getting. You know the employee’s work ethic, skill level, and attitude. A new hire from outside can certainly “fake it” during a job interview, only to disappoint once on the job. You don’t have to worry about such a risk when you promote an existing staff member.

Pros of Recruiting Outside

  • You can gain access to new skills. If your current workforce doesn’t have the skills you need to get the job done, then bringing in fresh talent can certainly help you achieve your organizational goals. Too many companies make the mistake of promoting an internal candidate into a position they’re not ready for – and then risk them growing disengaged and failing. It’s far better to bring in a new hire, or at least develop the skills you need among your existing team.
  • You can gain access to the exact skills you need. Don’t think just because a worker’s performance is great, that they will be a shoo-in for a leadership position. If they don’t have the proper training and abilities, they’ll struggle to succeed once on the job – and this could have a big impact on your bottom line. For instance, if you promote your top-performing salesperson into the sales director role, then you’re taking them off the sales floor. They’re no longer making sales, they’re managing the people who do. If those people can’t perform at the same level, than it could negatively impact profits. Sometimes you need to hire from outside to keep your best employees in positions where they can benefit your company most.
  • You can change the culture. If your organization needs a cultural change, promoting from within isn’t the answer. You likely need to bring in a new hire – with fresh ideas and a fresh perspective – to help you accomplish this.

Regardless of the decision you make – whether to hire from within or look outside – the person who ultimately does secure the position needs to have the right skills and personality to do the job. So before you make a move, analyze the position and competencies critical for success and then evaluate each candidate, internal and external, based on these factors.

Need more help finding and hiring exceptional talent? Call Morgan Hunter. As a leading Kansas City recruitment agency, our experts can work with you to learn about your staffing needs and objectives, and then strategize the most cost-effective plan for meeting your recruiting needs. Contact Morgan Hunter today to learn more.