Eddy’s HR Mavericks Encyclopedia
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Internal Job Posting
When posting a job internally, it can be intimidating to know how to go about it. This article will answer some of the most commonly asked questions and provide insight on the best ways to approach an internal job posting.
Can you internally post a job opening without negatively impacting some of your employees or departments? How do you communicate the job correctly so that everyone understands that hiring from within is for the benefit of the company and ultimately you are all working together for a common goal, even if that means a co-worker or employee is hired by another department? What is the proper process for posting an internal job? Is it different from the process for external job postings? Likely, a hiring manager or HR department has asked these questions when posting a job internally. Let’s walk through them all together.
What Is an Internal Job Posting?
An internal job posting is an open job that is generally posted on an organization's internal job board for employees that currently work for the company. Some companies try to mostly post jobs internally, as they would like to hire within and show their employees that there are growth opportunities and job advancement opportunities if they work hard and continue with the company. The format and details included in an internal job posting will look the same as an external job posting. Set up your own internal job board and start posting jobs internally with Eddy
Internal vs External Recruiting
Recruiting for an internal job can have a different approach than recruiting for an external job. For external jobs, a big part of recruiting is getting to know the candidates and seeing if they are a culture fit or not. With internal jobs, you don’t have to take as much time to figure out whether they fit within the company culture since they are already a part of the company. One other thing to be aware of when recruiting for an internal job is to make sure to take just as much time with the hiring decision as you would with an external job. It is easy to get complacent and already know who or what you want for the job without seriously interviewing an employee you likely already know. However, you want to make sure you do your due diligence in recruiting and interviewing internal employees for the job.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Internal Job Postings
When posting jobs internally, it is important to weigh the pros and cons. Here are some advantages to posting a job internally.
Advantages of Posting Open Jobs Internally
- Culture fit. When you are recruiting for jobs externally, the most important thing you are looking for is a candidate that fits within your company culture. If a candidate is a culture fit, they will enjoy their job more, likely fit in more and ultimately stay longer at the job. A big advantage of posting open jobs internally is that you waste little time figuring out if candidates are a culture fit. Every department might have its own subculture, so that is something you will still need to consider, but you can at least know they are a company culture fit.
- References. When obtaining references for external candidates, you generally don’t know where they are coming from or how much validity they have. If someone is using them as a reference, it is likely because they have a good relationship with them and know that they will speak highly of them without being as critical or as honest as they should be. With internal candidates, you can trust the references more. You can ask multiple co-workers their thoughts on a candidate (though you do want to be careful on what kind of questions you ask the candidate’s co-workers so there isn’t potential backlash for how they answer). You can also get honest feedback from the candidate’s supervisor on the kind of employee they are. As a member of HR, you ideally already have a relationship with the candidate’s current supervisor and can speak only with them about the candidate.
- Job advancement. A big advantage of posting jobs internally is that it shows your willingness as a company to hire within. It encourages job growth and career advancement for all current employees. Most companies, when recruiting an external candidate for a job, will mention that their company offers growth opportunities. By posting jobs internally and hiring within, you show your employees that you care about what is important to them and that you want them to stay by giving them chances to move up in the company.
Disadvantages of Posting Open Jobs Internally
While there are many advantages of posting a job internally, it’s equally important to consider its disadvantages.
- Workplace politics. One of the biggest disadvantages to posting jobs internally is that workplace politics potentially become an issue. With it being posted internally, there will be employees that will get interviewed and not hired. Even if they don’t have ill feelings toward the employee that is hired, or even toward the hiring manager, they will feel like they deserved the job and they were picked over because of workplace politics. It might turn into an issue where you are dealing with a disgruntled employee or employees. Even if the interview is handled in the best way possible, and you hire the right person, some employees' feelings will still be hurt. This can potentially lead to a toxic culture or concerns from employees about workplace politics. This can have a dramatic impact on your company culture, and it is important to know how to handle a situation when an employee gets passed over.
- Group-think. Another disadvantage of posting open jobs internally is that you miss out on candidates outside of the company who provide a different way of thinking. People coming from outside the company are more likely to have different ideas and viewpoints. You don’t want to fall into the trap of hiring people who will tell you what you want to hear or are more likely to conform. Outside hires can bring fresh, new energy to a company that you might not get from an internal candidate.
How to Share New Job Openings Internally
There are a few steps to take when sharing new job openings within the company. You'll want to determine your recruiting strategy, write and advertise an internal job post, and encourage employees to refer their coworkers. Set up your own internal job board and start posting jobs internally with Eddy
Step 1: Refer to Your Current Recruitment Strategy
Before sharing job openings internally, review your organization’s recruitment strategy. This will help you stay on track with your recruitment efforts. Since you want the hiring experience to be just as smooth for internal candidates as it is for external ones (if not smoother!), make sure you’re following the tried-and-true processes you have in place.
Step 2: Write an Internal Job Ad
Next, it’s time to write a description of the position you’re hiring for. In general, this will follow the basic format of external job posts. Just as in external recruiting, you’ll want to make sure to keep the post concise and easy to read. To do this, you can use brief headings and subheadings, as well as bulleted lists where possible. You’ll want to include the following information:
- Job title. This will be a 2-3 word title for the position.
- Job summary. Here, you’ll include about a paragraph about the position. Since you’ll be getting into more detail, just provide a general overview that potential candidates can understand at a glance.
- Responsibilities. Now, go into more detail about the day-to-day responsibilities of whoever is hired. To avoid overwhelming candidates, keep this list fairly short.
- Requirements/qualifications. This is where you’ll list basic requirements for the role.
- Salary and benefits. While benefits may not change for an internal transfer, it’s still important to reassure employees that they won’t be losing any of their benefits. There’s also the potential for them to gain new benefits.
- Information about the team they’d be joining. To help candidates understand what their new role in the company would be, provide some information about the team they’d be joining.
Step 3: Advertise the Job Opening
Make use of technology to spread the news about open internal positions. Here are a few specific ways to make sure every eligible employee hears about new opportunities within the organization:
- Post on your company’s homepage. The easiest way to post new job openings internally is to have them posted on your company homepage. Advertise it to your employees! Make sure they are aware of the jobs posted. Sometimes an internal job posting might have someone in mind already, but you want to make sure all employees are aware of open jobs so that they don’t feel slighted.
- Send out an email to employees. You might have a weekly email you send out or a monthly newsletter. However you communicate with your employees, one simple way to make them aware of internal job postings is to email them to all employees weekly. Email is something that employees are constantly checking, and by doing this you will know that an employee has been notified about a job.
- Target specific departments. For some jobs, you might be looking for specific technical skills and will know departments that will have the skills you are looking for. Contacting them directly and informing them of the posting will show them that you are interested in their employees applying for the job and lets them know that they are qualified for the position.
- Have hiring managers share the job with their department. Some employees might be afraid of applying for a job in another department. By having hiring managers notify their employees of open jobs, and even encouraging them to apply for the job if they are interested, will make the employee feel more comfortable applying. It will also promote a company culture of team cohesiveness. It will also encourage employees to pursue or develop skills they might not already have.
Step 4: Encourage Employee Referrals
When you see and interact with somebody every day, you get to know them pretty well. For this reason, employees are one of the best sources of referrals when it comes to internal hires. As you send out emails and make announcements at meetings about the internal jobs available, make sure to encourage employees to speak up if they have a coworker they feel would be a great fit. If somebody is reluctant to apply, the encouragement of a manager or other fellow employee might be just the push they need.
Other Tips for Successful Internal Job Posting
Here are a few other tips to consider when posting a job internally:
Tip 1: Keep it Consistent
Make sure you are consistent with your postings and try not to play favorites with the candidates you are trying to attract.
Tip 2: Keep it Honest
Make sure the expectations and job description are clear. Don’t try to sugarcoat when posting a job internally.
Tip 3: Keep it Professional
Make sure that your internal job posting is still professional, even if it might be more geared toward your internal candidates.
Tip 4: Make the Internal Transfer Policy Flexible
Your internal transfer policy will include requirements for an internal transfer, such as time spent in the current role or whether an employee is hitting certain targets. It will also include things that disqualify employees from internal transfers, such as disciplinary actions against them. However, make sure your policy isn't too rigid. If the requirements aren't flexible, it's less likely that talented workers in your company will be able to fill the internal roles you're recruiting for.
Sample Internal Job Posts
Here are a few examples of how you can get the word out about the position you're hiring for. Ready to start sharing job internally? See how Eddy Hire can help.
Internal Hiring Page (Intranet or Company Site)
Job Title[Brief Job Title]Job SummaryThe [Job Title] will primarily be responsible for [Summary of Responsibilities]. They will [Basic Job Functions]. Working with [Team/Team Members], they will aim to [Goals to Achieve].ResponsibilitiesIn this role, you will be responsible for:
- [Responsibility 1]
- [Responsibility 2]
- [Responsibility 3]
- [Etc.]
RequirementsNecessary:
- [Requirement 1]
- [Requirement 2]
- [Requirement 3]
- [Etc.]
Preferred:
- [Requirement 1]
- [Requirement 2]
- [Requirement 3]
- [Etc.]
Salary & BenefitsThe starting salary for this position is [Salary/Range]. Benefits include:
- [Benefit 1]
- [Benefit 2]
- [Benefit 3]
- [Etc.]
About the Team[Write a few sentences about the team the employee will be working with]
Email subject line: New Open Position: [Job Title][Recipient(s)],We wanted to let you know that there’s an opening for a job as a [Job Title] in the [Department Name] department. While we’re searching for candidates externally, we know that we have some great talent right here at [Company Name]. If you’re interested in the job, we strongly encourage you to apply! And if you know someone who would be a great fit, encourage them to explore the opportunity further.The [Job Title] will be part of [Team] and focus on [Several Main Responsibilities]. They’ll work closely with [Team Member(s)] on [Main Goals/Projects].To be considered for this position, you’ll need to have the following qualifications:
- [Qualification 1]
- [Qualification 2]
- [Qualification 3]
- [Etc.]
For a full job description, click here. [Link to Full Job Description] To apply for this role, please respond to this email by [Date]. Include your resume and tell us anything you’d like us to know about why you’re interested in the role and why you would be a good fit. If you have any questions about the role, qualifications, or internal transfer process, feel free to connect with HR. You can also read over our internal transfer policy [Include Link or Attachment] for more information on what would happen if you’re hired for the role.Best Regards, [Sender Name]
Topics
Tanner Pierce, PHR
Tanner has over 4 years of HR professional experience in various fields of HR. He has experience in hiring, recruiting, employment law, unemployment, onboarding, outboarding, and training to name a few. Most of his experience comes from working in the Professional Employer and Staffing Industries. He has a passion for putting people in the best position to succeed and really tries to understand the different backgrounds people come from.
Frequently asked questions
Other Related Terms
Eddy’s HR Mavericks Encyclopedia
Internal Job Posting
When posting a job internally, it can be intimidating to know how to go about it. This article will answer some of the most commonly asked questions and provide insight on the best ways to approach an internal job posting.
Can you internally post a job opening without negatively impacting some of your employees or departments? How do you communicate the job correctly so that everyone understands that hiring from within is for the benefit of the company and ultimately you are all working together for a common goal, even if that means a co-worker or employee is hired by another department? What is the proper process for posting an internal job? Is it different from the process for external job postings? Likely, a hiring manager or HR department has asked these questions when posting a job internally. Let’s walk through them all together.
What Is an Internal Job Posting?
An internal job posting is an open job that is generally posted on an organization's internal job board for employees that currently work for the company. Some companies try to mostly post jobs internally, as they would like to hire within and show their employees that there are growth opportunities and job advancement opportunities if they work hard and continue with the company. The format and details included in an internal job posting will look the same as an external job posting. Set up your own internal job board and start posting jobs internally with Eddy
Internal vs External Recruiting
Recruiting for an internal job can have a different approach than recruiting for an external job. For external jobs, a big part of recruiting is getting to know the candidates and seeing if they are a culture fit or not. With internal jobs, you don’t have to take as much time to figure out whether they fit within the company culture since they are already a part of the company. One other thing to be aware of when recruiting for an internal job is to make sure to take just as much time with the hiring decision as you would with an external job. It is easy to get complacent and already know who or what you want for the job without seriously interviewing an employee you likely already know. However, you want to make sure you do your due diligence in recruiting and interviewing internal employees for the job.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Internal Job Postings
When posting jobs internally, it is important to weigh the pros and cons. Here are some advantages to posting a job internally.
Advantages of Posting Open Jobs Internally
- Culture fit. When you are recruiting for jobs externally, the most important thing you are looking for is a candidate that fits within your company culture. If a candidate is a culture fit, they will enjoy their job more, likely fit in more and ultimately stay longer at the job. A big advantage of posting open jobs internally is that you waste little time figuring out if candidates are a culture fit. Every department might have its own subculture, so that is something you will still need to consider, but you can at least know they are a company culture fit.
- References. When obtaining references for external candidates, you generally don’t know where they are coming from or how much validity they have. If someone is using them as a reference, it is likely because they have a good relationship with them and know that they will speak highly of them without being as critical or as honest as they should be. With internal candidates, you can trust the references more. You can ask multiple co-workers their thoughts on a candidate (though you do want to be careful on what kind of questions you ask the candidate’s co-workers so there isn’t potential backlash for how they answer). You can also get honest feedback from the candidate’s supervisor on the kind of employee they are. As a member of HR, you ideally already have a relationship with the candidate’s current supervisor and can speak only with them about the candidate.
- Job advancement. A big advantage of posting jobs internally is that it shows your willingness as a company to hire within. It encourages job growth and career advancement for all current employees. Most companies, when recruiting an external candidate for a job, will mention that their company offers growth opportunities. By posting jobs internally and hiring within, you show your employees that you care about what is important to them and that you want them to stay by giving them chances to move up in the company.
Disadvantages of Posting Open Jobs Internally
While there are many advantages of posting a job internally, it’s equally important to consider its disadvantages.
- Workplace politics. One of the biggest disadvantages to posting jobs internally is that workplace politics potentially become an issue. With it being posted internally, there will be employees that will get interviewed and not hired. Even if they don’t have ill feelings toward the employee that is hired, or even toward the hiring manager, they will feel like they deserved the job and they were picked over because of workplace politics. It might turn into an issue where you are dealing with a disgruntled employee or employees. Even if the interview is handled in the best way possible, and you hire the right person, some employees' feelings will still be hurt. This can potentially lead to a toxic culture or concerns from employees about workplace politics. This can have a dramatic impact on your company culture, and it is important to know how to handle a situation when an employee gets passed over.
- Group-think. Another disadvantage of posting open jobs internally is that you miss out on candidates outside of the company who provide a different way of thinking. People coming from outside the company are more likely to have different ideas and viewpoints. You don’t want to fall into the trap of hiring people who will tell you what you want to hear or are more likely to conform. Outside hires can bring fresh, new energy to a company that you might not get from an internal candidate.
How to Share New Job Openings Internally
There are a few steps to take when sharing new job openings within the company. You'll want to determine your recruiting strategy, write and advertise an internal job post, and encourage employees to refer their coworkers. Set up your own internal job board and start posting jobs internally with Eddy
Step 1: Refer to Your Current Recruitment Strategy
Before sharing job openings internally, review your organization’s recruitment strategy. This will help you stay on track with your recruitment efforts. Since you want the hiring experience to be just as smooth for internal candidates as it is for external ones (if not smoother!), make sure you’re following the tried-and-true processes you have in place.
Step 2: Write an Internal Job Ad
Next, it’s time to write a description of the position you’re hiring for. In general, this will follow the basic format of external job posts. Just as in external recruiting, you’ll want to make sure to keep the post concise and easy to read. To do this, you can use brief headings and subheadings, as well as bulleted lists where possible. You’ll want to include the following information:
- Job title. This will be a 2-3 word title for the position.
- Job summary. Here, you’ll include about a paragraph about the position. Since you’ll be getting into more detail, just provide a general overview that potential candidates can understand at a glance.
- Responsibilities. Now, go into more detail about the day-to-day responsibilities of whoever is hired. To avoid overwhelming candidates, keep this list fairly short.
- Requirements/qualifications. This is where you’ll list basic requirements for the role.
- Salary and benefits. While benefits may not change for an internal transfer, it’s still important to reassure employees that they won’t be losing any of their benefits. There’s also the potential for them to gain new benefits.
- Information about the team they’d be joining. To help candidates understand what their new role in the company would be, provide some information about the team they’d be joining.
Step 3: Advertise the Job Opening
Make use of technology to spread the news about open internal positions. Here are a few specific ways to make sure every eligible employee hears about new opportunities within the organization:
- Post on your company’s homepage. The easiest way to post new job openings internally is to have them posted on your company homepage. Advertise it to your employees! Make sure they are aware of the jobs posted. Sometimes an internal job posting might have someone in mind already, but you want to make sure all employees are aware of open jobs so that they don’t feel slighted.
- Send out an email to employees. You might have a weekly email you send out or a monthly newsletter. However you communicate with your employees, one simple way to make them aware of internal job postings is to email them to all employees weekly. Email is something that employees are constantly checking, and by doing this you will know that an employee has been notified about a job.
- Target specific departments. For some jobs, you might be looking for specific technical skills and will know departments that will have the skills you are looking for. Contacting them directly and informing them of the posting will show them that you are interested in their employees applying for the job and lets them know that they are qualified for the position.
- Have hiring managers share the job with their department. Some employees might be afraid of applying for a job in another department. By having hiring managers notify their employees of open jobs, and even encouraging them to apply for the job if they are interested, will make the employee feel more comfortable applying. It will also promote a company culture of team cohesiveness. It will also encourage employees to pursue or develop skills they might not already have.
Step 4: Encourage Employee Referrals
When you see and interact with somebody every day, you get to know them pretty well. For this reason, employees are one of the best sources of referrals when it comes to internal hires. As you send out emails and make announcements at meetings about the internal jobs available, make sure to encourage employees to speak up if they have a coworker they feel would be a great fit. If somebody is reluctant to apply, the encouragement of a manager or other fellow employee might be just the push they need.
Other Tips for Successful Internal Job Posting
Here are a few other tips to consider when posting a job internally:
Tip 1: Keep it Consistent
Make sure you are consistent with your postings and try not to play favorites with the candidates you are trying to attract.
Tip 2: Keep it Honest
Make sure the expectations and job description are clear. Don’t try to sugarcoat when posting a job internally.
Tip 3: Keep it Professional
Make sure that your internal job posting is still professional, even if it might be more geared toward your internal candidates.
Tip 4: Make the Internal Transfer Policy Flexible
Your internal transfer policy will include requirements for an internal transfer, such as time spent in the current role or whether an employee is hitting certain targets. It will also include things that disqualify employees from internal transfers, such as disciplinary actions against them. However, make sure your policy isn't too rigid. If the requirements aren't flexible, it's less likely that talented workers in your company will be able to fill the internal roles you're recruiting for.
Sample Internal Job Posts
Here are a few examples of how you can get the word out about the position you're hiring for. Ready to start sharing job internally? See how Eddy Hire can help.
Internal Hiring Page (Intranet or Company Site)
Job Title[Brief Job Title]Job SummaryThe [Job Title] will primarily be responsible for [Summary of Responsibilities]. They will [Basic Job Functions]. Working with [Team/Team Members], they will aim to [Goals to Achieve].ResponsibilitiesIn this role, you will be responsible for:
- [Responsibility 1]
- [Responsibility 2]
- [Responsibility 3]
- [Etc.]
RequirementsNecessary:
- [Requirement 1]
- [Requirement 2]
- [Requirement 3]
- [Etc.]
Preferred:
- [Requirement 1]
- [Requirement 2]
- [Requirement 3]
- [Etc.]
Salary & BenefitsThe starting salary for this position is [Salary/Range]. Benefits include:
- [Benefit 1]
- [Benefit 2]
- [Benefit 3]
- [Etc.]
About the Team[Write a few sentences about the team the employee will be working with]
Email subject line: New Open Position: [Job Title][Recipient(s)],We wanted to let you know that there’s an opening for a job as a [Job Title] in the [Department Name] department. While we’re searching for candidates externally, we know that we have some great talent right here at [Company Name]. If you’re interested in the job, we strongly encourage you to apply! And if you know someone who would be a great fit, encourage them to explore the opportunity further.The [Job Title] will be part of [Team] and focus on [Several Main Responsibilities]. They’ll work closely with [Team Member(s)] on [Main Goals/Projects].To be considered for this position, you’ll need to have the following qualifications:
- [Qualification 1]
- [Qualification 2]
- [Qualification 3]
- [Etc.]
For a full job description, click here. [Link to Full Job Description] To apply for this role, please respond to this email by [Date]. Include your resume and tell us anything you’d like us to know about why you’re interested in the role and why you would be a good fit. If you have any questions about the role, qualifications, or internal transfer process, feel free to connect with HR. You can also read over our internal transfer policy [Include Link or Attachment] for more information on what would happen if you’re hired for the role.Best Regards, [Sender Name]
Topics
Tanner Pierce, PHR
Tanner has over 4 years of HR professional experience in various fields of HR. He has experience in hiring, recruiting, employment law, unemployment, onboarding, outboarding, and training to name a few. Most of his experience comes from working in the Professional Employer and Staffing Industries. He has a passion for putting people in the best position to succeed and really tries to understand the different backgrounds people come from.
Frequently asked questions
Other Related Terms
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