The challenge of being up against an internal job candidate
Twice in the past few weeks clients have told me that they missed out on the job they went for and in the feedback they were told that it had gone to an internal candidate. Both of them felt a mixture of disappointment and annoyance that they had gone to the trouble of applying when it seemed most likely that an internal candidate would always stand a better chance. After all the recruiters already know the quality of their work – and the candidate already knows the business well ensuring that the answers they give hit the mark.
Now I can’t make up my mind if it is as cut and dried as that . Nor can I decide whether the person giving the feedback needs to say so.
On the other hand some time ago another client applied for an internal promotion. It was the organisation’s policy to open the application process up externally. She had already been “acting” in post for a while and – by all accounts – was doing a grand job . She understood the rules but felt that having to apply for a job she had already proved she could do was just a bit – well – insulting I guess. She did get the job and the feedback she got was that – unless one of the other candidates was truly outstanding – that would always have been the case. And that made me angry. Because to me that meant that my client had jumped through hoops to make sure some boxes could be ticked and the other applicants had been treated disrespectfully as they were really there to make up the numbers.
I hold up my hand – I am taking a biased view on this issue as I care about all of the people I mentioned. So please help me out here and share your own stories.
Mar 04, 2009
Its annoying all round but there can be three reasons for having an open process.
1. Legally required
2. The firm has decided not to run an internal labour market. ‘Followers’ in an industry are more likely to do this because they recruit in trained people from the leaders. Universities do too because each Department operates in a separate labour market and no university in the world can afford to train internally. It’s understood training is improved by moving around like the old journeymen.
3. It is good to set the test of beating external candidates. Thereafter the candidate knows they have done so and a Pygmalion effect kicks in. Confidence goes up!
The labour market decisions that the firm has taken should be clear though. Something is going wrong when people don’t understand the system or why it helps the firm be stronger and therefore offer them a better career.
I’ve come in from the outside and had someone come to me candidly and say I beat her out of the job. I told her I was glad she didn’t get my job because she was too good for it (!) and that our colleagues had made the right decision. She should use the extra time at the lower position to poise herself to leap frog over me. Which she duly did to our competitors at a higher level!
Mar 04, 2009
Thanks for this Jo. Of course it makes sense as you explain it. However – emotionally going for a new job ( internally or externally) can be both stressful and exciting. I guess that the impact of then thinking you never stood a chance is greater.
Mar 06, 2009
Excellent points. Maybe I can encourage you to look at it another way?
I ran a search committee the other day and ended up with 3 excellent candidates, one of which was internal. We had made a recommendation on a salary for the position and I think the decision makers were actually thinking of paying the internal candidate less, because this candidate had been acting in the role for almost a year.
Bringing in the two other finalists, allowed me to show the decision makers what the current state of available talent was on the street. All three were excellent and the internal candidate had the advantage of understanding the culture and how to make things happen. Why should he not get paid what he was asking, since he could get it elsewhere and where would that leave the organization.
Having said that, I usually advise folks that if invited back to be a finalist, they should not be shy about asking about internal candidates under consideration.
Knowing that could help you refine your strategy and make some decisions.
Marcie
Mar 07, 2009
Jackie,
In the above situation, I would not see the process as insulting or disrespectful, either to your client or the external candidates involved.
If I were the employer in the above case, even though the internal candidate was performing quite well, I don’t feel that it would hurt to be open minded with respect to any external candidates who offer their services.
That said, as a matter of politeness, it might be appropriate to make external candidates aware from the outset that internal candidates were also under consideration.
Mar 07, 2009
Thanks to both Marcia and Andrew for helping by adding your perspective to this issue. I did say that my post was biased !
I see the point in benchmarking and I like the idea that being successful over external candidates can improve confidence and awareness of talent and skill.
Andrew – thanks for coming by and commenting!