What must be included in an internal mobility policy

Internal mobility nowadays definitely represents an important part of organisations staffing strategy and consequently of the overall business strategy (The four Ws of internal mobility – what, when, why, who (and how)).

Mobility cases can be broadly grouped into two main categories:

Horizontal Mobility – in which case mobility does not entail the employee moving up the career ladder,

Vertical Mobility - when as a consequence of its implementation, employees are moved to a superior role and assume a higher degree of responsibility.

 

The benefits that an effective and consistent internal mobility policy can bring to an organisation are different and of different nature. Internal mobility can enable businesses to promptly replace dismissed and retired employees but, more importantly, the introduction of internal mobility practices can effectively help employers to attract and retain quality employees, boost staff engagement and ease succession planning.

Internal mobility can actually also be used to address workforce organisational-related issues. Enabling organisations to implement individuals’ transfer as a consequence of unnecessary or useless positions removal and job redesign, internal mobility can help to achieve the goals typical of the lean approach, value chain analysis and of all the approaches in general inspired by the TQM philosophy.

 

Internal mobility, helping to shape a multi-skilled workforce within an organisation, can also effectively help businesses to promptly adapt its workforce features, skills, abilities and expertise to the external changing environment. Not least, it has recently contributed to help many organisations to emerge from the last downturn and to give birth to a new employee generation, the so called Generation R (RECESSION GIVES BIRTH TO A NEW GENERATION (RECESSION GIVES BIRTH TO A NEW GENERATION).

Employers who want to introduce and develop internal mobility practices are strongly suggested to formulate a written, official policy. Findings of a Taleo investigation revealed that 80 percent of large and global organisations have introduced a written internal mobility policy in order to clearly explain how the process unfolds and identify the rules governing the procedure. Yet, the study revealed that organisations having a written internal mobility policy attain a retention rate 4 percent higher than that recorded by the corporations not having a formal policy.

 

Since the policies are habitually formulated according to each organisation’s recruitment and overall business strategy, the one-size-fits-all method is not clearly expected to work. However, when formulating an internal mobility policy, there are some common areas and aspects which need to be duly considered and addressed by every employer.
 

Policy’s introduction

It would definitely be appropriate that an internal mobility policy starts with an introductory declaration stating the organisation commitment to foster its staff personal and professional growth.

 

The introduction might also mention that the employer is keen to contribute to its staff development and to put in place what it takes to provide individuals opportunities for training, learning new skills, gain new experience and expand their capabilities.

 

In this introductory session it should also be included a short description of the internal mobility scheme and an overview of the objectives the organisation is expected to achieve by the execution of the scheme.

 

 

Eligibility criteria

One of the most important aspects an internal mobility policy needs to clearly address concerns the identification of the eligibility criteria.

 

Once again, the findings of the Taleo investigation are likely to provide HR useful tips for the formulation of the policy. The study revealed to this extent that the eligibility criteria most widely used amongst the businesses surveyed are: “Satisfactory performance reviews” (89%) and “Minimum time in a position” (80%). The latter requirement is indeed particularly important to avoid the disruptions usually associated with staff changing role too quickly. A time-in-position approach is hence strongly recommended in order to ensure work team stability and allow employees to stay in a position at least as long as the effects of their contribution could produce the desired results.

 

Eligibility criteria usually represent a list of minimum requirements that applicants need to meet in order to apply for a position, in this case for an internal mobility opportunity. The final decision, however, will clearly be taken according to the personal abilities, qualities, skills and personal specifications of the candidates.

 

People in charge of the process should never forget that, although the programme is intended to provide opportunities for growth to those whom deserve it and have the required attitudes, personal specifications and skills, the ultimate aim of the scheme remains to putt the right person in the right position.

 

Nonetheless, a clear definition of the requisites needed by the candidates for the opportunity these intend to apply for is important in order to avoid later disappointment and undesired claims. The list could be also followed by a description of the kind of commitment the organisation is expected to be showed and expressed by applicants.

 

The policy should also state whether the programme is open to fulltime and part-time staff or to fulltime employees only. It should also clarify whether the individuals hired on a fixed term contract basis are eligible to apply and, if yes, whether this circumstance can lead to their contract of employment to be extended or automatically transformed into a permanent contract.

 

The suggestion is to adapt the duration of the contract of employment of the selected candidate to that related to the post this has been deemed qualified to fill. In the case of a fixed-term mobility opportunity or of an employment exchange, for instance, the contract of employment of the individual selected, whether employed on a fixed term contract, could be extended till the conclusion of the internal assignment. The viability of this option should, nonetheless, duly be investigated and assessed on the basis of the local employment law provisions.

Employers should have crystal clear ideas of how to manage these types of circumstances from the outset. It would be in fact pointless offer such opportunities to individuals who are shortly going to leave the organisation, irrespective of the circumstance that this will happen by reason of the employee or of the employer decision.

 

On the other hand of it, it should not be neglected the circumstance that internal mobility could also provide employers precious opportunities to test the abilities of the individuals recruited on a term contract basis and give them the chance to more broadly show their capabilities and skills, before eventually deciding to offer them a permanent position.

 

It could be possible that an organisation employing an individual on a term contract basis for a given position, by means of offering to this an internal mobility opportunity, may find out that this person is able to perform better and even more than satisfactorily in another role and decide hence to offer this a permanent contract. A craftily devised internal mobility policy puts firms in the position to potentially carry out such a test.

 

Businesses should have clear and comprehensive policies in place in order to avoid suspects of bias, impartiality and unfairness.

 

Policies should also state whether the employees involved in ongoing disciplinary proceedings could be, or otherwise, considered entitled to apply. It is indeed strongly suggested not allowing individuals facing disciplinary investigations to apply for an internal mobility programme. This would in fact result in open contrast with the main objective of the scheme itself, which is aiming at providing employees opportunities for growth. This is even truer in the case individuals are undergoing disciplinary proceedings on alleged unsatisfactory performance, at least as long as the investigations have been concluded and employees cleared.

 

Business might also consider whether enabling to apply personnel who have been subject in the past to disciplinary proceedings for minor misbehaviour and have been given a first written warning or an improvement note.

 

All of these cases have to be clearly outlined in the policy. Businesses could, for instance, decide to allow staff to whom a written warning has been given to apply whether this circumstance has not occurred during the last two or three years. Whatever the employer decision on this subject, it is strongly suggested that these rules have to be invariably clearly stated in the policy.

 

Benefits for staff and the organisation

In order to provide individuals a better understanding of the programme aim and of the objectives the organisation intends to pursue by its introduction, a good internal mobility policy should also include a summary of the benefits these opportunities can provide both for the employees and the employer.

The summary containing the benefits for staff should not miss to mention the opportunities provided by the scheme in order to:

- Broaden current abilities and learn new skills,

- Add new challenges to the job,

- Gain a wider knowledge of the organisation and of its functioning,

- Provide opportunity for exploring different areas without necessarily making a permanent change.

 

Benefits for the organisation should include:

- Develop a flexible adaptable workforce,

- Favour communications and the relationships between the different function and units of the business,

- Enhance staffing flexibility,

- Retain and engage individuals,

- Broadening the working knowledge of the organisation’s employees.
 

Identify the positions to be filled with internal mobility

The policy needs also to identify the range of positions which could be filled by means of internal mobility: all of the positions arising within the organisation or just part of them? Is it possible to classify them?

 

The programme is, in general, intended to enable organisations to fill the permanent and temporary positions available within the organisation, but also to fill higher grade and management positions.

 

The managers who have a need contact the person in charge of the mobility policy implementation programme, as the need arises, in order to discuss the role requirements and start the internal search.

 

Roles definition
 

The HR Mobility Officer

A good policy should also identify the programme main actors’ roles and responsibilities.


Large corporations usually appoint a HR Mobility Officer.

 

The person in charge of managing the programme for the organisation should in general act as a focal point for managers, collect and understand their needs and formulate the internal mobility postings.

The HR Mobility Officer should also promote and increase awareness of job opportunities within the organisation.

 

The most important and delicate activity a Mobility Officer has to carry out concerns the support s/he has to provide to the releasing and receiving managers in order to ensure that everything goes smoothly both in the first phase, that is to say when individuals are moved in the new roles, and when employees go back to their previous position at the end of the assignment.

 

The HR Mobility Officer obviously also represents the person who can most properly assist the releasing manager to fill the position temporarily or permanently made vacant by the transferred employee. This will therefore be in charge of doing what it takes to fill the new arisen vacancy too. This activity should indeed steadily be part of the overall process in that the substitute for the person leaving the internal position should be identified beforehand in order the two identified people to be moved simultaneously. All of that, unless the position in question is no longer considered important by the organisation and can be as such abolished.

 

The Mobility Officer will also provide all the necessary support to managers and employees in case any problems should arise during the programme implementation.
 

The crucial role of managers

The role played by managers is clearly particularly important. Managers should first and foremost avoid being victims of the “silo thinking” and show interest and concern for the best of the whole organisation and of their staff as well.

 

The issue, easy to cope with in theory, is not so easy to overcome in practice. Taleo study shows that 53 percent of organisations make it a formal requirement internal mobility applicants to receive the consent of their current manager to be released. The remaining 47 percent, by contrast, do not even inform the releasing manager and let alone require his/her consent before the release of the internal mobility candidate. Employers in this case clearly consider the general interest of the organisation prevailing over the single unit interest. This definitely represents an energetic and direct way to overcome the silo thinking barrier.

 

Notwithstanding, sooner or later managers have to be informed so that policies should also address the aspect of determining at what point, during the process, the releasing manager should be informed of the involvement of one of his/her reports in an internal mobility process. Policies should also clearly state at which stage the receiving manager will be allowed to meet the applicant.

 

It is of paramount importance do not overlooking the need of the releasing manager to receive the information from the organisation, namely by the Mobility Officer, before hearing it on the grapevine.

 

Some organisations require application forms to be endorsed by the current candidates’ managers. This requires that before applying the interested candidates should necessarily discuss with their managers their motivation and the benefits they are expected to receive from the process.

During the meeting held by the applicants with their current managers, these should also receive indications about the manager availability to release them.

 

The role and the practical activity played by managers will be different according to the circumstance that these will be acting as releasing or receiving managers.

 

Releasing managers

The most important element of goodwill of the releasing managers should be showed by their truly encouragement and support to their staff growth and development.

 

These should effectively and actively cooperate with the Mobility Officer and agree with him/her the best release time of their employees. The releasing manager also supports the Mobility Officer in making the necessary arrangements to backfill the vacant position.

 

 

Receiving managers

Receiving managers should cooperate with the Mobility Officer, avoid putting pressure on him/her and allow this the necessary time to perform the different phases of the procedure.

 

Receiving managers should also agree the release time with the releasing manager and make the necessary arrangements for the induction and training of the transferee. They also have to set the performance expectations for the placement and be committed to provide honest and clear feedback throughout the placement period.
 

Programme timescale and application

The internal mobility policy, as it actually happens for the recruitment process in general, needs also to address all the aspects linked to the development and implementation of the scheme.

 

To this extent the first point to address relates to the application procedure, which provides details about how to apply to the programme.

 

The Mobility Officer is habitually in charge of drafting the application form. Ideally, organisations should make the necessary arrangements in order to enable applicants to apply via an online tool: employee self service, HR website, corporate intranet and website and online recruitment tools definitely represent the most effective ways to collect applications. All of them will in fact enable the Mobility Officer to appropriately, effectively and rapidly process the applications collected.

 

The policy should also define whether the applications gathered are maintained in a database for a specific period of time and eventually considered for the future opportunities arising within the organisation within that period or otherwise.
 

The selection process

Being part of a staffing procedure, the policy should also clearly describe how the selection process is carried out: interviews, assessment centres, tests, etc.

 

The policy should also provide a clear timescale of the different phases of the procedure.

 

It is worth reminding that this process is even more important in those cases in which internal mobility is aimed at providing opportunities for permanent positions and higher grades. Assessing candidates to find out whether these have what it takes to properly fill a given position is clearly crucial as usual.
 

Employment new terms and conditions

For obvious it might seem, the policy should also state that, for each position sought internally, details of the new employment terms and conditions will always be clearly and thoroughly provided, including change in salary, grade/level, holidays/leave entitlement, etc.

 

In case of term positions, applicants also receive full, accurate information concerning the exact length of the assignment. The policy should also clearly state that at the end of the placement the individuals concerned have to come back to their previous role, at the previous employment terms and conditions. This aspect, nevertheless, has to be carefully regulated according to the different provisions of the local legislations.
 

Placement conclusion

When the process has been implemented in the form of the employment exchange or of the fixed term mobility programme, organisations might find it useful to ask filling, both to the employee and to the managers concerned, a questionnaire in order to find out how these deem the experience and to hopefully gather useful hints to improve the scheme.
 

What internal mobility is not

Finally, it could be worth highlighting what internal mobility is not, or rather, what it should not be. Internal mobility is not about offering opportunities to average or under- performing staff, it would actually be openly in contrast with the objectives an internal mobility policy is intended and expected to achieve.

 

In all of those cases in which average and under-performing individuals express the desire to leave a specific unit, especially whether these are performing at unsatisfactory level, they should not be provided any such opportunity.

 

Such situations might be the cause of an inaccurate recruitment process and have to be managed in some ways, but obviously not by openly, albeit intrinsically, rewarding individuals.

 

The most suitable candidates for internal mobility are and have to be identified amongst the organisation’s best performers and amongst those people who have showed to have what it takes to grow and contribute to the organisation development and who are keen and able to help the organisation to achieve competitive advantage.

 

As emerged by the Taleo investigation, although having a formal internal mobility policy is important, the effective and constant communication of the policy is of paramount importance, too. Communication is particularly useful not only to make aware staff and managers of the opportunities offered by the programme, but also in order to the internal mobility programme being trusted by managers and considered by them as an effective and valuable means to achieve the objectives they are expected to meet.

 

A clear and frequent communication process also plays a crucial role in order to internal mobility being fully considered as part of the organisational culture; opportunity for personal and professional growth, learning and development will be in this way considered and become integral part of the organisation values and shared beliefs.
 

Longo, R., (2011), What must be included in an internal mobility policy, HR Professionals, [online].

Related articles:

The four Ws of internal mobility – what, when, why, who (and how)

The four Ws of internal mobility – what, when, why, who (and how)

Internal mobility is the procedure, which should be clearly defined by means of a policy, regulating the transfer of employees from a position to another within the same organisation.

 

Habitually used to cover for the temporary absence of the present incumbent of a post, to fill the vacant positions eventually arisen within an organisation and the new positions created within it, internal mobility can without question be firmly considered as part of an organisation recruitment strategy.

 

The introduction of this policy can indeed enable employers to achieve remarkable additional objectives compared to “just” allowing organisations to effectually execute the essential of their recruitment practices, basically aiming at identifying and appointing the right person for the right position.

 

As suggested by Jeff Joerres (2010), Manpower Inc. Chairman and CEO, "Internal mobility programmes should be pursued to promote the cross-fertilisation of ideas and commitment by all employees to the global mindset of the company."

 

Businesses can have recourse to internal mobility programmes for a wide range of reasons, for instance, in order to: improve the effectiveness of their retention practices, enhance productivity (maintaining thus unaltered the existing staff size), pursue cost saving strategies (controlling severance, sourcing and on-boarding costs) and reduce labour costs.
 

Internal mobility can be implemented differently according to the different objectives an organisation intends to pursue and the aim it is expected to achieve.

 

According to the results an employer is expected to attain by means of its implementation, can be indeed identified a number of different options:

 

Internal sourcing

Implemented through the internal job posting approach, the aim of this programme is to fill all the types of positions arising within the organisation internally.

 

The main objectives habitually associated with this approach are to: provide opportunities for growth and career development to existing employee; attract and retain staff in general and talented individuals in particular.

 

Employment exchange

This scheme is implemented by means of offering employees inter-departmental working and co-working opportunities; where applicable, also amongst the company subsidiaries and branches.

 

Main objectives: enhance engagement and team working.

 

Fixed term mobility programme

This type of programme is habitually realized by offering staff fixed term assignments in different areas of the organisation.

 

The main objectives are: broaden staff skills and experience and favour individual development.

 

This option also represents an effective cost-free solution to fill internally short-term vacancies quickly and create a flexible workforce in order to effectively and efficiently use the skills and resources available within the organisation.

 

Managers’ mobility

This programme is implemented by planning the rotation of the company managers in the different organizational functions and units.

 

Main objectives: develop the prospect business leaders, forge and prepare the future executives and facilitate succession planning.

 

This method also has the valuable, additional benefit of enabling the managers of the business to gain a full understanding and knowledge of the company’s operations and to know its customers’ expectations from the different functions and units perspective.

 

Making reference to the different functions existing within an organisation Stiles et al (2006), reporting on a scheme used at P&G, illustrate how internal mobility can be implemented through:

Job rotation - within the same function but in different business units and locations;

Broadening assignments - temporarily moving employees to a different function;

Career moves - permanently moving individuals to a different function.

The final choice amongst the available options obviously depends on the objectives an organisation intends to pursue. Business executives need to have from the outset crystal clear ideas about the objectives and aims an internal mobility scheme is intended to achieve. The purpose needs to be therefore clearly identified and outlined before the policy formulation and implementation.

The identified objectives need to be aligned with the organisation recruitment strategy and the overall business strategy as well.

 

Whatever the choice amongst the different options available, internal mobility will invariably reveal to be an effective contributor to employee satisfaction. Moreover, as revealed by a study carried out by iLogos (2003), internal mobility is expected to enable employers to achieve valuable results to protect intellectual property, maintain competitiveness and innovate faster.

 

As long as individuals tend to stay with the organisation, the risks associated with the disclosure of confidential information are sensibly reduced; although a recent case at Renault France (where the alleged three spies have been dismissed) seems to undermine this principle. On the other hand an exceedingly “closed” environment could potentially hamper an organisation capability to see things from a different perspective and outlook. External recruiting is indeed supposed to bring organisations what is commonly called “fresh thinking and ideas.”

 

Another likely backlash of internal mobility, but this very much depends on the frequency it is used with the same people, is that albeit mobility allows staff to expand their capability and perform different tasks, it can represent a barrier for employees gaining a deep degree of expertise and specialisation.

 

Nalbantian and Guzzo (2009) wisely warn against the negative impact caused by a careless and inadequate mobility frequency and suggest that managers, but their advice can be extended to the generality of the cases, should stay in any given position at least for the time necessary to enable them to “enjoy the fruits or suffer the consequences of their decisions.”

 

Organisations should hence adopt “time-in-position” schemes to avert the disruptions normally associated with a too high mobility turnover rate.

It goes without saying that organisations trying to adopt internal mobility programmes in order to reduce their turnover rate, should avoid adopting measures causing further turnover (although of a different type) and the negative effects usually associated with these.

 

Before implementing an internal mobility programme within an organisation, some considerations are absolutely crucial in order to subsequently take consistent decisions.
 

The first aspect to consider concerns the decision to internally post all of the positions eventually available within the organisation or otherwise. Even though the business may decide to advertise all the openings internally, this should not prevent the organisation to extend the research also externally, in the event the position could not be properly filled internally. This type of decision should not produce any negative impact on the most important aim of a recruitment procedure, that is to say finding the right person for the right position. Such decisions should also be made duly considering the workforce skills and capabilities currently available and the external labour market conditions.

 

Understanding and knowing the internal pipeline, succession pool and career progression opportunities, as well as having an in depth knowledge of the local labour market trends and features (demographic trends included) is of paramount importance to decide whether it is preferable to source internally or invest time and resources to recruit externally.

 

Research carried out by Taleo provides some interesting and useful hints in order to better cope with the issue. In particular, findings of the Taleo study revealed that organisations having a high rate of internal redeployment may find it more advantageous recruiting externally. The study also warns the organisations using to fill an exceedingly number of positions internally against the likely disruptive effects caused by replacing the vacant positions with the employees participating in the internal mobility programme. Obviously, moving a person from any given position accounts in turn for that position to fall vacant and needing to be hence filled, generating a sort of vicious circle. The fact of the matter is that for each moved person two recruitment processes are thus required: one aiming at replacing the person involved with mobility and the other at filling the vacant position let by the person who will be moved.

 

Internal mobility should not be intended as about merely filling jobs and moving people around (Systematic HR, 2010). These programmes should specifically aim at effectively and properly using resources and talent within an organisation and moving them within the different areas of the business in order to use them most aggressively and achieve competitive edge.
 

Whatever the aim of internal mobility and whatever the way it is implemented, internal mobility is basically and invariably destined for the improvement of individuals’ skills and for providing these possibilities for growth and career advancement.

 

Employers should therefore struggle to offer this opportunity to individuals genuinely and truly committed to their career development, who have what it takes to assume new and different tasks and responsibilities, who are keen to take initiative and who have in some ways showed to be ready to develop and learn new skills.

 

Organisations should also ponder the eventuality to consider a minimum period of permanence in the current position before deeming an individual eligible for the internal mobility programme.

 

When preparing and developing the policy, employers should also take into consideration whether they would be willing to accept applications from the staff involved in disciplinary proceeding, especially whether on account of unsatisfactory performance claims, at least as long as the proceedings have not been resolved.

 

Managers definitely play a remarkable role in the successful implementation of internal mobility programmes so that their full support is definitely required from the outset.

 

As appropriately suggested by Stiles et al (2006), managers should encourage and foster staff move for personal and professional growth and act as mentors and coaches. Managers should also be able to avoid “silo thinking”, that is, to show concern just for their units’ interest, rather than for the benefit of the whole organisation. The effect of such a practice will indeed have a strong negative impact on leadership development and knowledge sharing across the organisation.

 

Open job posting, considered much more likely to succeed in environments whose culture encourages managers to facilitate talent transfer across the organisation, is considered a helpful and successful way to break down the barriers eventually raised by internal “silos.” Yet, open job posting is likely to be very effective not only to retain existing staff but also to attract qualified and skilled individuals as well.

 

Some organisations, in a move which might apparently seem leading to take internal mobility to extremes, extend internal mobility programmes to employee representatives and trade unions. To ensure that employee representatives have the skills and qualities enabling them to be effective negotiators, for instance, Shell provides union representatives special opportunities for mobility.

 

Research shows a clear positive correlation between career advancement opportunities, retention rates and productivity levels (Kelly Services, 2004). Yet, in terms of productivity, an external newcomer can require up to twice the time to reach the same productivity as an internal hire. Studies also show that businesses having and resorting to internal mobility programmes record turnover rates four percent lower than organisations without any internal mobility policy.

 

Introducing internal mobility programmes and providing the necessary tools to effectively implement them is not exactly plain sailing and lot of efforts and resources are obviously required. However, it just takes to carefully consider the cost incurred by the organisation when lose trained staff and replace them to find out whether the investment is worth the efforts or otherwise and can be eventually quickly recouped.

 

Finally, as for the relevance of internal mobility in terms of employment law, more specifically as for what concerns the contract of employment, organisations planning to formulate and implement internal mobility practices within subsidiaries should include in the terms and conditions of employment a mobility clause. Businesses can invoke mobility clauses, specifying that individuals must work in any location as needed by the firm, as long as that discretion is used reasonably by the employer, as usual: “the acid test is whether or not the employer acts reasonably” (Armstrong, 2006).

Longo, R., (2011), The four Ws of internal mobility – what, when, why, who (and how), HR Professionals, [online].


Related articles:

What must be included in an internal mobility policy