Decisions, Decisions, Making Sure Internal Recruitment Succeeds

With managers under pressure to take internal candidates at the expense of possibly better external candidates, Paul Harper Search is recommending that they check very carefully how they manage such internal candidates.

“Hiring the wrong person in the current climate could affect the manager's own employment” said Paul Harper.  “Managers need to be very careful that the decision to employ an internal candidate is the right one and to ensure that the decision is formally agreed and endorsed by their own Directors.”

Paul Harper Search's Internal Candidate Checklist
1. Ensure your boss formally buys-in to the decision; this is especially important if the candidate later fails in the role.
2. Undertake a clear appraisal of strengths and weaknesses of the new employee as soon as they begin their new role.
3. Agree an action plan with the candidate and with your boss.
4. Manage the person very carefully and take action quickly if they are unable to do their job.

Following these stages will ensure the support of your boss if things don’t work out with an internal appointment and also ensure you receive the backing and time to replace externally. It is important to your future that poor team performance caused by a forced internal appointment isn't seen as mismanagement.

BENCHMARKING
Quite how good should an external candidate be to beat an internal candidate?  According to Paul Harper, at least 20%!  “It is increasingly common for managers to be pushed towards an internal candidate who is at threat of redundancy,” explained Paul. “But although having a failing internal candidate can cause problems (see above), not taking account of the often hidden strengths of an internal candidate can be a mistake.”

“We would recommend that the external candidate should be at least 20% stronger.  We have helped benchmark internal candidates’ skills against those in the wider market, but other factors can also be important.  The risk of a culture clash and the ability of a new person to fit into an existing set-up can be incredibly important to the success of a new appointment, and an external candidate is more likely to fall foul of these factors.”

Paul recommends that a full candidate specification is drawn up to allow effective benchmarking. “You may be surprised at who is available and, even with the 20% rule, many managers are deciding on the external candidate.  Such candidates will often be the early leavers, people who have decided they need to move before a restructure in their own company and will also be the stronger, more enthusiastic candidates.  So should you be benchmarking before deciding?

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