Key takeaways:
- Internal mobility drives growth: Internal mobility is a vital strategy during hiring challenges, fostering growth through in-house skill development and career advancement.
- Managerial alignment matters: Encouraging managers to value employees as organizational assets supports collaborative internal mobility driven by open discussions and understanding.
- Recognition creates engagement: Acknowledging managers for talent development fosters loyalty and skill-building, while transparency in sharing mobility data motivates strategic improvement.
Among the key strategies for proving the true ROI of talent marketing is the proactive implementation of internal mobility and the retention of top employees.
As many talent marketing leaders grapple with resource constraints, the ability to maximize existing talent becomes a strategic imperative.
In a recent Talent Marketing Board panel discussion on showcasing the true ROI of talent marketing while navigating economic concerns, senior leaders shared insights on how they’re encouraging internal mobility to elevate talent marketing efforts.
We take a look at how industry leaders are mitigating resource limitations and driving growth and success by retaining top talent and highlighting career development opportunities.
Communicating Internal Mobility Across the Enterprise
Jojo Longnecker, Head of Employer Brand and Talent Marketing at Fidelity Investments, discussed how their emphasis on internal mobility has cultivated stability and resilience.
With 19 years at Fidelity, Jojo cited her own journey as an example of their commitment to nurturing talent from within.
“It’s definitely a priority for us as a company,” Jojo said. “It’s one of our key value props for employees and prospective employees — the career mobility that we offer here at Fidelity.”
She emphasized Fidelity’s support for internal mobility, including resources to help employees evaluate their opportunities.
It’s definitely a priority for us as a company. It’s one of our key value props for employees and prospective employees — the career mobility that we offer here at Fidelity.
Jojo Longnecker, Head of Employer Brand and Talent Marketing at Fidelity Investments
“We actually have a dedicated team within HR focused on helping with career mobility,” she shared.
She also mentioned physical and online resources that aid in this effort. Notably, the company’s values for attracting and retaining talent remain consistent.
“The way you talk about the reasons why you want to stay at Fidelity is the same as the reasons why you want to talk to someone about coming and joining the company,” Jojo said.
Aligning these messages has enhanced internal communication, showcasing their dedication to consistency and transparency.
“We might have different teams working on it, but we’re really saying the same thing,” Jojo added.
Encouraging managers to embrace internal mobility
It’s critical to encourage hiring managers to perceive employees as assets to the entire company, rather than limited team resources, and enable collaboration and alignment with strategic objectives.
I think it’s important to keep a macro level view of what’s going on and not think about myself.
Denielle Waite, Senior Manager of Communications and Employer Brand at Harbor Freight Tools
Denielle Waite, Senior Manager of Communications and Employer Brand at Harbor Freight Tools, gave more insights on encouraging managers to embrace internal mobility.
“I think it’s important to keep a macro level view of what’s going on and not think about myself,” Denielle said, adding how she understands this pain point because she manages a team. “Think of the bigger picture. We want to retain great talent, even if it’s not within our own department, and I care about this person on my team as a human. What they want to do is important to me, and that may not be on my team, and that’s okay.”
Denielle emphasized the significance of open discussions with other business leaders and her own team members. She explained how fostering trust and understanding enables her to grasp their aspirations, facilitate connections, and provide resources.
Recogniz and Reward Managers to Increase Engagement
Steve Crumley, Principal Recruitment Marketing Specialist and Talent Acquisition Systems Analyst at Leidos, shared more on the dynamic within many teams where they perceive ownership of their employees and resist changes.
He highlighted that people tend to follow the behaviors that are rewarded, incentivized, or acknowledged.
Steve explained, “When managers are recognized for being developers of talent, and not necessarily financially rewarded, but recognized as this person who hires good people, trains them up, and helps them get new opportunities to learn and to grow, they help the company build a more loyal candidate and employee base.”
When managers are recognized for being developers of talent … they help the company build a more loyal candidate and employee base.
Steve Crumley, Principal Recruitment Marketing Specialist and Talent Acquisition Systems Analyst at Leidos
Jojo added how incentivizing people goes a long way and mentioned that Fidelity Investments’ HR analytics team shares mobility statistics, including cross-business unit mobility figures, along with established targets for these metrics.
The transparency of sharing these statistics was essentially a way of urging managers to enhance their hiring practices and encouraging their TA team to support this process.
“It becomes one of those things where you’re seeing the metrics, and that helps,” Jojo added.
Establishing Effective Internal Mobility Processes Creates Continued Growth
During a members-only discussion on promoting internal mobility and upskilling employees, Talent Marketing Board members shared that focusing on filling roles in-house has become a pivotal strategy for business leaders navigating hiring slowdowns and resource constraints.
By enabling existing employees to learn new skills and advance their careers, talent marketing leaders can tackle retention challenges and foster a culture of continuous growth.
Members also noted that internal career sites and employee-facing platforms are crucial tools. Beyond traditional applicant tracking system (ATS) alerts, utilizing intranet and career sites empowers employees to explore opportunities, learn from their colleagues’ experiences, and access resources for personal growth.
And one innovative concept came about — leveraging ‘gig work’ to spur internal mobility.
Members discussed how introducing gig opportunities allows employees to contribute diverse skills to projects beyond their usual roles. This not only aids short-term projects but also fosters a shared sense of company objectives.
Strategize with Your Peers on How to Elevate Your Talent Marketing Efforts
Of course, internal mobility programs aren’t that simple. It requires buy-in and a supportive culture across the entire organization.
During the panel discussion, Steve, Jojo, and Denielle explained how internal mobility can bring proven talent to fill roles, increase employee retention, and create content for your talent marketing efforts.
Learning from your peers at companies like Harbor Freight Tools, Leidos, and Fidelity Investments can help you advance your talent marketing strategy.
If you’re interested in learning more about how your peers are combatting resource constraints using internal career opportunities, apply to the Talent Marketing Board to gain more actionable insights.
