Building Internal Mobility Programs to Future-Proof Your Workforce

We’ve long known that companies investing in internal mobility unlock significant advantages—but did you know they see 79% more leadership promotions per employee and a 53% higher retention rate? By equipping talent to grow from within and aligning skills with evolving business needs, internal mobility has become a powerful driver of sustained competitive advantage. Beyond talent development, these programs can reduce hiring costs by up to 18% and accelerate the time-to-fill for critical roles by as much as 30%.

Designing such programs requires clear assessment, implementing various initiatives, and tracking them to create opportunities that lead to employee engagement. When strategically executed, employee engagement programs foster workforce resilience and drive long-term success.

What Is Internal Mobility and Why It Matters

Internal mobility refers to the strategic redeployment of talent into new roles within the organization, aligning individual capabilities with evolving business needs. It enhances retention, speeds up recruitment, and reduces costs, helping create a more flexible workforce.

Definition and Benefits of Internal Mobility

Internal mobility enables the strategic reassignment of employees through vertical, horizontal, or diagonal movements within the organization. Vertical moves typically involve upward progression within the same function, horizontal moves transition employees to equivalent roles across different functions, and diagonal moves blend elements of both. This approach allows employees to align their skills, aspirations, and evolving career goals with the company’s dynamic needs.

This access to a wide range of roles, combined with avenue for upskilling and on-the-job training, translates into numerous employee engagement benefits. For instance, a significant 94% of employees say they are more likely to stay longer with a company that supports their career growth and development. Some of the benefits include:  

• Increased Retention: Employees increasingly choose to grow within a company offering varied paths for growth and professional expansion. 

• Reducing Hiring Costs: Redeploying existing talent within the organization significantly reduces both the time and cost associated with filling critical roles. 

• Adapting to Market Changes: Organizations with internal mobility are more agile when it comes to adapting to new technologies or changing business models to suit demand.  

• Enhancing Skill Usage: Firms can deploy talent more effectively by matching individual capabilities with business requirements, and creating cross-functional and stretch roles whenever necessary.

Impact on Employee Engagement and Retention

Internal mobility boosts employee engagement and retention by offering growth and learning opportunities. When encouraged to explore other roles, employees are intellectually stimulated and feel more engaged, valued, and motivated. Employees who feel supported are also more likely to stay, boosting retention. The ability to grow cross-functionally further enhances an employee’s professional development by broadening their skills and experience across multiple domains.

Designing Effective Internal Mobility Programs

A gap analysis, and objective, quantifiable metrics is the first step to creating an effective internal mobility program. Key metrics for internal mobility include internal hire rate, time to fill internal roles, and employee participation in development programs.

Auditing Skills and Mapping Talent Requirements: A Step-by-Step Approach

Here are 9 steps that have proven efficient in implementing a mobility program:

1. Define the type of program: Identify if the focus will be on lateral shifts, promotions, or project opportunities. This establishes the basis for defining exact requirements.
2. Get management on board: Gain leadership support by explaining the strategic worth of mobility programs to ensure company-wide alignment resource allocation.
3. Audit existing talent map: Assess your workforce’s skills, roles, and capabilities. This helps in identifying strengths, unused potential, and areas that need improvement.
4. Conduct a skill-gap analysis: Identify skill gaps to strategically prioritize learning initiatives and targeted recruitment efforts.
5. Enhance L&D programs: Strengthen learning and development capabilities to address skill gaps effectively. Prioritize training and upskilling initiatives that align with internal mobility goals and prepare employees for future opportunities within the organization. 
6. Promote internal vacancies: Broadcast all available positions to existing employees and outline how each role boosts career progression.  
7. Promote the internal talent mobility program: Showcase the advantages and opportunities offered through the program via newsletters, discussions, and internal forums.
8. Measure the success of the program: Use metrics like internal hiring rate, satisfaction of employees, and retention to assess effectiveness.  
9. Develop a culture that supports internal mobility: Create an environment that supports internal movement and recognises those who have moved within the company and impacted outcomes.

Fostering Cross-Location Opportunities for Employees

Many global firms are actively leveraging their Global Capability Centers (GCCs) to support geographical mobility, which helps reduce skill gaps and respond to changing demands. 

Leveraging GCCs for Geographical Mobility and Career Growth

GCCs align geographic mobility with business strategy, driving talent acquisition and development globally. The impact of such mobility can be seen in employee satisfaction and retention. Research indicates that 64% of employees globally remain with their company following a long-term assignment.

Also, 92% of employees consider such experiences to be life changing. In addition, 89% consider international mobility to be critical to business flexibility. These figures highlight the increasing importance of geographical career movement, with GCCs being drivers.

Examples of Global Companies Implementing Mobility Initiatives

Here’s a detailed overview of the approach and results of three global companies that have successfully implemented mobility initiatives:

1. Microsoft: Microsoft has updated its talent mobility strategy to match global business needs. The company adopted a more agile model, focusing on agility, employee experience, and compliance. This approach supports cross-border moves for projects and remote work. Microsoft’s shift offers a look at the future of capability-based innovation.
   
   
2. NBCUniversal: NBCUniversal supports career growth through an internal mobility program via two key efforts. The ‘Meet Your Recruiters’ program helps retain staff by offering virtual chats for referrals and internal roles. ‘Hot Jobs’ shares open roles, letting employees apply or refer to them on the internal site. These steps help NBCUniversal build a future-ready workforce by growing talent from within.
   
   
3. Schneider Electric: Schneider Electric introduced ‘Open Talent Market’, an AI-based internal mobility platform that enabled employees to search for jobs, gigs, and mentorships by their current job titles. With 85,000 registered users, the initiative took a strong hold, and the firm continued to develop the platform by emphasising skills-based training, supported by a focused team. The initiative focused on easier internal movement and deep commitment to employee retention.

Success Metrics for Internal Mobility Programs 

For teams looking to measure employee engagement while developing such programmes, the following tips and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can provide valuable guidance.  

How to Measure Employee Engagement and Retention Metrics

• Begin by monitoring the number of employees willingly leaving the organisation. A high turnover rate may indicate underlying issues with employee engagement and retention.  

• Track the duration of employee tenure within the company. A high retention rate typically reflects a positive, engaging work environment that supports long-term commitment. 

• Focus on patterns of absenteeism, as these serve as an early indicator of dissatisfaction among employees. 

• Take into account the public reputation of your organisation, such as Glassdoor ratings. These offer insights into employee emotions and workplace culture. 

• Assess the Return on Investment (ROI) of employee engagement initiatives to ensure that resources are allocated effectively. 

• Monitor customer feedback, as there is a direct correlation between employee engagement and customer satisfaction. Engaged employees typically contribute to a more positive customer experience. 

• Utilise validated tools such as the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) or Gallup surveys. Use them to obtain a reliable, scientific assessment of your firm’s engagement levels.

Tracking KPIs for Program Effectiveness

Track the impact of these programs with these KPIs: 

• Percentage of Internally Filled Positions: Gauge the number of vacant positions that are filled by existing employees. A high percentage indicates good internal career growth and talent utilisation. 

• Internal Mobility Metrics for Managers: Monitor how frequently team members are promoted or transferred by a manager. This measures how well leaders are facilitating internal mobility. 

• Nature of Mobility Metrics: Assesses the nature of internal moves such as lateral, vertical, or cross-functional. This assists in determining if mobility is improving skill acquisition and flexibility. 

• Diversity and Inclusion Ratios: Measure internal movement by demographic categories to assess equal access to opportunity and identify where inclusive improvement is required. 

Case Study 

In a strategic partnership with a top U.S. airline, ANSR helped set up a Global Capability Center (GCC) in Bengaluru. The goal was to boost digital transformation and improve the airline’s tech infrastructure to scale operations while maintaining quality during a global talent crunch. 

ANSR tackled this by promoting internal mobility through upskilling and reskilling programs like #TakeTwo. This program supported experienced women returning to tech roles. The initiative enabled employees to move into advanced roles, closing skill gaps, and aligning talent with business goals. As a result, the GCC built APIs supporting $20 billion in revenue.

Looking to transform your workforce? Connect with ANSR today for a personalised service consultation and discover how we can help you unlock the full potential of enterprise talent. Schedule a consultation today and take the first step toward building a future-ready firm.