What is internal staffing?
Internal staffing means filling vacancies in the company with employees who are already employed, rather than recruiting external candidates. This approach leverages existing knowledge, shortens onboarding times, and promotes internal career paths.
Advantages of internal staffing:
- Shorter time-to-hire: Employees are already familiar with the corporate culture and processes
- Lower costs: No expenses for external job advertisements or headhunters
- Increased employee retention: Internal career opportunities increase motivation and loyalty
- Better cultural fit: Personality and way of working are already known
- Lower risk of wrong appointments: Performance and competencies are documented
Practical example: How Lisa fills positions internally
Lisa, the personnel officer, has the task of filling a new position. In order to shorten the onboarding process, she wants to focus on internal staffing and actively approach suitable candidates. The job requires specific skills, and Lisa wants to make sure that the job posting reaches all potential candidates.
Lisa makes a list of the tasks that should be taken over by the new job. Based on this list, Lisa creates a competence profile in the Competence Management module in Evalea. To do this, she simply selects the required competencies from her competence catalog in Evalea and inserts them into the profile. In addition, it adds two more competencies to the profile that were not previously available in the catalog.
For each competency, it then defines a target value that defines how strong this competence should be. After she has coordinated the competence profile again with the specialist department, she starts looking for it using the report Fit to Competence Profile. This shows her directly several employees who fit the new profile internally and she can address them specifically.
As soon as the new employee has been selected, she is assigned the new competence profile and can formulate a development plan together with Lisa to close existing gaps.
Modules used in Evalea
The 4-step process for filling vacancies internally
Step 1: Analyze tasks
Goal: Clear definition of requirements
Lisa first creates a detailed list of all the tasks that are to be taken over by the new position. This task analysis forms the basis for the later requirement profile.
Important questions:
- What are the technical tasks?
- What areas of responsibility are associated with this?
- What interfaces are there to other departments?
- What soft skills are required?
Step 2: Define skills needs
Goal: Translation of tasks into measurable competencies
Based on the task list, Lisa creates a competence profile in the competence management module in Evalea. To do this, it selects the required competencies from the existing competency catalog and adds them to the profile.
Procedure:
- Selection of relevant competencies from the catalog
- Supplementing missing competencies (e.g. new specialist knowledge)
- Definition of setpoints for each competency (e.g. on a scale of 1-5)
- Coordination of the profile with the specialist department
Step 3: Find and select suitable employees
Goal: Data-based identification of suitable internal candidates
After the competency profile has been finalized, Lisa uses the report "Fit to Competency Profile" in Evalea. This automatically shows her which employees in the company best fit the new profile.
Advantages of the target/actual comparison:
- Objective, data-based selection
- Transparent basis for decision-making
- Quickly identify suitable candidates
- Avoidance of "gut decisions"
Lisa can now approach the most suitable employees and approach them for the new position. Thanks to the clear database, it can also justify why certain people are particularly suitable.
Step 4: Close skills gaps
Goal: Targeted development for optimal staffing
As soon as the new employee has been selected, she is assigned the competence profile. Together with Lisa, she formulates an individual development plan to close existing skills gaps.
Possible measures:
- Professional training and further education
- Mentoring by experienced colleagues
- Job shadowing in the new department
- E-learning modules about Evalea
- Regular feedback meetings
Thanks to this structured induction, the employee is quickly ready for action and can successfully fulfill her new role.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the advantages of filling vacancies internally?
Filling internal positions significantly reduces the training period, as employees are already familiar with the corporate culture, processes and structures. It also strengthens employee loyalty by showing clear career prospects. Competence profiles ensure that candidates are an optimal fit both professionally and culturally. You also save costs for external job advertisements and headhunters.
How do I find suitable internal candidates for a position?
With a competence management system such as Evalea, you can systematically compare the requirements profile of the position with the existing competence profiles of your employees. The automatic target/actual comparison shows you which people are best suited to the new position. This allows you to make data-based, objective selection decisions.
What role do competence profiles play in internal recruiting?
Competence profiles are the basis for successful internal staffing. They clearly define which skills and characteristics are required for a position. By comparing them with the current competencies of your employees, you can identify suitable candidates in a targeted manner and make development needs transparent.
Do I have to post a job advertisement if I fill an internal position?
It depends on your company structure. If there is a works council, it can demand that positions be advertised internally before filling them in accordance with Section 93 of the Works Constitution Act. Even without a works council, transparent internal communication is recommended to ensure equal opportunities and promote employee motivation.
How long does it take to fill an internal position?
The duration varies depending on the complexity of the position and the availability of suitable candidates. However, internal recruitment is usually much faster than external recruiting – often within 2-4 weeks. With digital tools like Evalea, you can further speed up the process with automated matching features.
What happens if no suitable internal candidates are found?
If the internal talent pool doesn't produce suitable candidates, consider external recruitment. At the same time, you can invest in personnel development in the long term in order to have more internal staffing options in the future. A combination of internal and external staffing is the best strategy in many companies.
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