If You Want Them to Stay, Let Your Employees Make Lateral Moves

If you want to retain your workers, consider the internal hire. 

One-third of workers who sought new jobs within the past year have searched internally within their own organization first, according to a survey of 3,000 candidates conducted by the consulting firm Gartner. So, when you’re searching for your next hire, don’t neglect the talent pool already at your disposal.

Some employees who have been inspired to join the Great Resignation may be swayed to stay if they’re provided with new opportunities and resources. Recent research by the business-to-business digital software company Amdocs shows that workers are deeply interested in training and upskilling that can help them to advance their careers. When employees are given resources to learn and grow, they’re more likely to stay at their company–and they’re better prepared to take on promotions.

Some employees may also be interested in making lateral moves. Research from LinkedIn shows that as many as 59 percent of workers are interested in changing industries–so some employees may stay on board if they have the option of transitioning into a different department that will allow them to develop new skills. Training programs and learning opportunities can also help these workers in their career development: For example, the Cincinnati-based logistics company TQL recently partnered with the B2B training company Apprenti to help sales workers transition into more tech-focused roles. When new talent is hard to come by, it pays to look at the employees you already have with a fresh perspective–and that may help you turn the Great Resignation into the Great Reshuffling instead.