The cost of flawed decisions on talent
Your people are your greatest asset, but if you can’t move them to where they’re needed most, that talent goes to waste.
When internal mobility is broken, it’s not from a lack of opportunity; it’s a direct consequence of flawed decisions. Leaders get stuck in old ways of thinking, prioritising their own team’s short-term needs over the long-term health of the company. They make the flawed decision to hoard talent, fearing they’ll lose a key person, and miss the bigger picture of what that person’s growth could mean for the whole business.
This fear-based decision-making kills internal mobility and sends a clear message: the only way to get ahead is to leave.
The barriers we build ourselves.
You know the saying “death by a thousand cuts?” The barriers to a person’s career growth are often the result of a thousand small, bad decisions made by individual leaders.
Decisions like:
- A manager makes the flawed decision not to tell a team member about an opening on a different team because they “can’t afford to lose them.”
- A leader makes a poor judgement call and dismisses a sideways move as a step back, not realising the skills a person could gain.
These small decisions add up to a big problem: they create a system where the best way for a person to get ahead is to leave the company entirely. This is a massive failure of talent management and a clear sign that a business is not set up to make smart decisions.
A system for a better path
The solution isn’t just about encouraging people to apply for other jobs internally. It’s about fixing the flawed decision-making process at a leadership level.
We need to create a system where leaders are rewarded for developing their people and moving them to where they can have the most impact. This means making transparent decisions about promotions and career paths and actively encouraging people to explore new opportunities within the business.
By implementing a human-centreed, system-strong approach, you can ensure that internal mobility becomes a core strength of your company, not just a buzzword. When leaders have a clear framework for making decisions about talent, they can let go of old fears and focus on what matters: building a resilient business by empowering their people.