For companies looking to improve DE&I, creating a culture of internal mobility is a no-brainer.
Focusing attention on improving diversity in hires, but not having space for internal moves and promotions is a big and expensive mistake. Here’s how you can foster a culture of mobility at your company:
View employees as rounded individuals
Managers need to take the time to understand an employee's skillset, their passions and curiosities, and not just their ability to do the tasks required of their role. Employees also need to be given the opportunity to learn about different teams and functions within businesses. Without this, it can be really tricky for management, and employees to see which internal hires could work.
Get managers on-board
Managers are (understandably) reluctant to let go of their best performers. But, depending on the size and scale of teams, employees may have hit a ceiling, and soon will start looking to move. Consider what’s best: have someone leave the organisation, or thrive within it (albeit perhaps on another team)?
Provide exposure to other teams
Consider giving employees opportunities to work within other teams. One of the key factors in motivation is seeing the effect your work has on the business as a whole, and understanding how the different business areas contribute to overall success. Doing this will also enable better cross-team learning, and provide more opportunity for employees to move.
Assess why you are promoting the same types of person
Promotion data is going to be crucial in terms of assessing what the issue is. If you do have a culture of mobility, but those moves always go to people with similar profiles, you need to assess why that is. Just as you work to omit bias from hiring, this same work needs to be applied to performance management and your promotion processes!
About Handle Recruitment
Finding a new permanent or temporary opportunity at a great brand should be enjoyable & working with great people non-negotiable. We believe that everyone should be able to fulfil their potential and we have been helping great brands improve their talent processes and attract exceptional people since 1978.
We provide leading entertainment companies, social networks, global media brands, sports bodies, retailers, and tech platforms with talent solutions that make a difference. Our consultants focus on a unique specialism, from Finance, to Sales, Marketing, HR, Legal, Office Support, and Tech but are tied together by the industries we support.
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