Why internal vacancies offer best chance for career growth

Kenya: Career growth and development within the same organisation gives employees limitless opportunities to develop and grow from within.

In many instances, companies give the first priority to the current employees to fill vacant or newly created positions, before they opt to source for talent from outside.

This is because the management often trusts the people they know and interact with within the organisation or may not have an idea on the skills, experience, abilities, knowledge, and career interests outside employees possess.

Besides, it is considered a good management practice to post job openings internally for employees  who exhibit these abilities to apply so that they gain exposure to other areas of the company. The advantage of applying for a job internally is that you do not have to dress differently from the way you currently do. Internal employees do not have to try to make a good first impression through wearing a suit since the interviewing panel already knows their dressing code and character.

Kerry Ochang, a human resources personnel at Safaricom Ltd says that jobs are earned and not given and it is godd to prove one’s potential by applying for the position. “Your employer or managers might not know how good you are and applying for that internal vacancy is the opportunity to prove your abilities to do even what they did not know you are qualified to do,” he advises.

And in case an employee thinks there is already an employee earmarked for that post, that is politics that is mainly not backed by facts. “Recruitment is a costly exercise and most companies cannot advertise for a post when they already have their pick.”

And when employees treat an internal vacancy casually as mostly happens, he sees it as a matter of attitude.

“One would be misguided not to apply for the internal vacancy when the time comes to apply,” he advises.

Advertised positions

For various reasons, however, studies indicate that many employees do not take these opportunities seriously. Almasi Chief Executive Richard Wooding sees it as a missed opportunity. 

Though all employees ultimately work for themselves, he believes that it is up to them to manage their careers. “But I would feel sad if they do not apply for the internally advertised positions,” he says. Wooding notes that if people do not apply for the positions, then there is a problem within the company.

He observes that favouritism should not make a competent person fail to get a job as  such things have no place in the modern professional world.

“But when people see there is transparency and objectivity in the recruitment exercise, it would send out a clear message on how serious they take their staff,” Wooding notes.

 In most cases, some employees would feel that the company’s managers have someone lined up for that position and any attempt to apply would be in vain.

If you lose, congratulate the winner shake their hands and offer them your support. It also helps to get afeedback from the HR department on why you did not make it. This will help you improve on areas that require more input and  boost your chances.