Your best hires already work for you
While everyone focuses on external hiring and AI screening, many organizations miss their most powerful talent source: current employees. In a world where jobs change every 18-24 months due to AI and tech advancement, internal mobility is more than a “nice to have.” It’s a competitive necessity.
AI is eliminating some tasks while creating new roles. Skills that were valuable two years ago are becoming automated. You have two choices: constantly hire externally while letting go of people whose roles change, or invest in developing your workforce for emerging roles. The first is expensive and demoralizing. The second builds resilience and loyalty.
What makes internal mobility work
Transparency - Employees can’t apply for roles they don’t know exist. Share opportunities before external posting.
Clear skill pathways - Don’t just post jobs and hope people figure it out. Map skills needed for emerging roles and provide development resources.
Manager support - The biggest barrier is often the current manager who doesn’t want to lose a good performer. Address this by making internal development part of manager metrics and celebrating managers who develop talent.
AI-powered matching - Use skills-matching platforms to identify employees whose capabilities translate to emerging roles. The connections might not be obvious.
A real-life example
A healthcare organization eliminated administrative roles due to automation while desperately needing data analysts. Instead of layoffs and new hires, they:
Identified administrators showing analytical thinking
Provided intensive data analysis training
Created hybrid transition roles
Celebrated career transformations publicly
Result: Retained institutional knowledge, saved recruiting time, built loyalty, created advocates for internal development.
Starting small
You don’t need fancy platforms. Start with:
Skill inventories - Survey employees about skills they’re not using in current roles
Rotation programs - Let people spend time in other departments
Career conversations - Train managers to discuss growth interests, not just current performance
The AI connection
Your employees who understand your business are best positioned to figure out how AI should integrate into workflows. External hires bring AI expertise, but internal talent brings context. The combination is powerful.
In a world of rapid change, your ability to develop and redeploy talent internally is a strategic advantage. Your next great employee might already be on your payroll.