10 Internal Job Posting Policy Best Practices

An internal job posting policy is a set of guidelines that dictate how and when employees can apply for open positions within their company. These policies vary from organization to organization, but there are some best practices that all companies should follow.

An internal job posting policy should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. It should also be fair and consistent, and it should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis.

Following these best practices will help ensure that your internal job posting policy is effective and efficient, and that it meets the needs of your organization.

1. Create a job posting policy

A job posting policy ensures that all employees have an equal opportunity to apply for open positions within the company. The policy should state that internal job postings will be made available to all employees for a set period of time before the position is opened up to external candidates.

This policy gives employees the chance to learn about new opportunities, and it also allows managers to assess the skills and experience of their team members. Additionally, a job posting policy can help to prevent favoritism and nepotism in the hiring process.

2. Communicate the internal job posting policy to employees

If employees are unaware of the internal job posting policy, they may not bother applying for open positions. This can lead to a lack of qualified candidates, and ultimately, jobs going unfilled.

Additionally, if employees are unaware of the internal job posting policy, they may apply for jobs they’re not actually interested in or qualified for. This can waste the time of both the employees and the hiring managers.

To avoid these problems, it’s important to communicate the internal job posting policy to employees. The best way to do this is to include the policy in the employee handbook. You can also post the policy on the company intranet or send out an email blast to all employees.

3. Post jobs internally first

When you post a job internally first, it allows your employees the opportunity to apply for the position before it is opened up to external candidates. This gives your employees a chance to prove their worth and skillset for the role, and also shows that you value them as part of your team.

It also allows you to gauge the interest of your employees in the position, and see if there are any internal candidates who would be a good fit for the role. If there are no internal candidates who are a good fit, then you can open up the position to external candidates.

Lastly, posting jobs internally first shows your employees that you are committed to promoting from within and that you value their skills and experience.

4. Give employees time to apply for an internal position before posting externally

When an organization posts a job internally first, it allows employees the opportunity to apply for the position before it is opened up to external candidates. This gives employees a sense of loyalty and appreciation from the company, as well as a chance to prove their worth for the role.

Additionally, when jobs are posted internally first, it allows HR and hiring managers to get a better idea of the talent that is already within the company. This can save time and money in the long run, as there may be no need to post the job externally if there are already qualified internal candidates.

5. Keep track of who applies and when they applied

When an internal job posting is open, it’s not uncommon for employees to apply even if they’re not interested in the role. They may do this because they think it looks good on their record or they want to be considered for future roles.

However, if you keep track of who applies and when they applied, you can weed out these applications and focus on the ones that are truly interested in the role. This will save you time in the long run and help you find the best candidate for the job.

6. Use your applicant tracking system (ATS) to manage internal applicants

When an employee applies for a job internally, their application should go into the same system as external applicants. This ensures that the internal applicant is treated fairly and equally to external applicants.

Additionally, using your ATS to manage internal applicants allows you to keep track of who has applied for what jobs. This information can be useful when making decisions about promotions or other changes within the company.

Finally, using your ATS to manage internal applicants ensures that all of the data related to a particular applicant is stored in one place. This makes it easy to access when needed and eliminates the need to search through multiple systems to find the information you’re looking for.

7. Consider using blind postings

When an organization uses blind postings, it means that the names of the applicants are not visible to the hiring manager. This can help to reduce unconscious bias in the hiring process and ensure that the most qualified candidates are being considered for the role, regardless of their name or other personal factors.

To Blind Post or Not to Blind Post?

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to whether or not to use blind postings. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons and decide what will work best for your organization.

Pros:

– Reduces unconscious bias
– Ensures that the most qualified candidates are being considered

Cons:

– Takes more time to review applications
– May be difficult to implement if you’re not using an applicant tracking system

8. Make sure you have a fair hiring process

If you have a process that’s perceived to be unfair, it will discourage top performers from applying for open positions. This is because they’ll feel like they won’t have a chance of being selected, so why bother going through the effort?

On the other hand, if your process is seen as fair, it will encourage more people to apply, which gives you a larger pool of qualified candidates to choose from. It also helps to build trust within your team, as they’ll feel like they can rely on the system to fairly consider them for promotions.

There are a few key things you can do to make sure your process is fair:

– Use an objective criteria to score applicants
– Have multiple people review each application
– Allow applicants to appeal the decision

9. Have managers interview candidates from outside their department

When a manager only interviews candidates from their own department, they may be more likely to hire someone they already know and are comfortable with. This can lead to nepotism and favoritism, which can create an unhealthy work environment.

On the other hand, if managers are required to interview candidates from other departments, they’ll get to know a wider range of employees and learn about their skills and qualifications. This will help them make a more informed decision when it comes time to fill the open position.

10. Ensure all candidates are treated fairly

When employees feel like they have been treated unfairly during the internal job posting process, it can lead to a feeling of devaluation. This, in turn, can lead to decreased morale and motivation, which can impact productivity levels.

To avoid this, it’s important to have a clear and concise internal job posting policy in place that outlines the process and ensures all candidates are given the same opportunity to apply and be considered for the role.