Honoring the Internal Candidate
Sometimes, the perfect candidate for a job is sitting in the office next door.
Internal candidates bring strengths including expertise, historical knowledge, existing relationships, and continuity. They have demonstrated their commitment to the organizational mission and likely understand the requirements and idiosyncrasies of the role. Onboarding into the new role can be easier, with less disruption for an organization or team.
However, internal candidates may also be entrenched in current practices or politics, potentially limiting new perspectives and growth opportunities for the organization. An external candidate may bring new ideas and diverse experiences to the team.
Managing Internal Candidates
Managing internal candidates can create confusion and anxiety in a search process. If you are on the hiring committee, it can feel awkward to work next to a person you are effectively evaluating for promotion through a competitive process.
It is important to treat internal candidates (and all candidates!) in your search process with respect and consideration.
Candidates are, after all, people with feelings - and feelings that will impact your organizational reputation. It is especially important to honor internal candidates as part of your community, even as you engage them in the same process and consideration as external candidates.
Here are key recommendations for handling internal candidates:
Accept applications from internal candidates: Make it clear that internal candidates are welcome, and that their candidacy will receive the same careful consideration and confidentiality as external candidates.
Think ahead: When you form the search committee or hiring team, be explicit that people who are considering applying for the role should not join the search committee.
Evaluate internal candidates fairly: Evaluate internal candidates using the same criteria as external candidates. Use the same metrics and evaluation tools and interview format. That means if you are having zoom interviews with external candidates, you also zoom interview the internal candidate - even if they are in the office next to you.
Express appreciation: If an internal candidate does not move forward in the process, express appreciation for their application and (if possible) offer ways they can continue to grow into additional leadership roles within the organization.
Respect their process: Sometimes, an internal candidate who does not get the job may choose to move on from the organization. Treating the candidate with respect, appreciation, and confidentiality throughout the process can help in retaining them if they do not get the position.
When the question of “courtesy interviews” comes up, JUNE Partners recommends erring on the side of including the internal candidate in the next step of the process if they are potentially viable for the job. This means that if the committee or hiring official is on the fence about the candidate, you should go ahead and move them forward. This affords the internal candidate the opportunity to surprise you and provides additional experience for them.
However, we at JUNE do not recommend moving forward an internal candidate if they really are not qualified. This really represents a lack of clarity and transparency about the role and expectations and does not value the time that the candidate may invest in the process.
By honoring internal candidates and treating them with respect throughout the hiring process, organizations can create a positive experience for all candidates and maintain a healthy, supportive work environment.
An internal candidate - and really all candidates - should have clarity about the status of their application and what they can expect at each stage of the process. Be sure that you communicate regularly with internal candidates about the process, while respecting confidentiality for all candidates as appropriate. In other words - an internal candidate should not have any "insider knowledge" about the other candidates in the pool.
Check with HR as some organizations have policies specific to managing internal candidates in the application process.
Are you an internal candidate or considering applying for a role in your organization? Sarah Gaines, the Founder & Principal at JUNE, previously wrote this article for ELAM about considerations for an internal candidate as they decide whether to apply.
