Wishful thinking and internal mobility
Wishful thinking: we all do it. Sometimes we need to believe things to make ourselves feel better about the reality.
We’ll be able to find parking. I can hit the snooze button one more time. That vacation won’t be too expensive. Our company practices top notch internal mobility and our workers know they can shape their own future here.
Okay, that last one might be a little too wishful. If we’re being honest here, the disconnect between employers and employees on what constitutes good internal mobility is quite hefty. If we don’t get everyone on the same page, we’re not going to see any of the benefits.
If we’re being honest here, promoting a few people and calling it a day does not make internal mobility a cultural cornerstone. The same goes for allowing a small number of workers to switch teams.
That’s not to say internal mobility is all about volume. Not at all. It just has to be done in a fair and equitable fashion, which is really tough to accomplish without a wider strategy in place.
If bias or favoritism is suspected, it can have a negative ripple effect on morale. Every employee should have the same opportunities to move up or around, and every employee should have the same opportunities to have a say in their future.
More importantly, every employee should KNOW they have these opportunities. According to new research, only 1 in 3 workers in the past 12 months searched for an internal role before quitting.
It’s more than likely they weren’t even the slightest bit aware that a different internal role was an option. It’s also likely that many of their employers would, if prompted, profess that they practice internal mobility. There’s that wishful thinking again.
So, how can we come to exist in a state of internal mobility harmony with our people? The answer is one solution disguised as two: strategy and technology. We need to implement a comprehensive, purposeful internal mobility strategy, and we need a platform that was designed for that express purpose. We need a solution that’s user-friendly, anonymous, and accessible to our recruiters and workers alike. psst, the solution is right where you’re reading this… WORQDRIVE.