Limiting Internal Movement

The two most common approaches to this strategy are to limit the number of positions an employee may post for within a given time period and to extend the amount of time an employee is required to stay in a position before being able to “post out.”

It seems as if every organization has tried the first approach at least once. That may be because it also addresses the concern that some employees spend too much time looking for other positions. Typically this policy limits employees to posting or pursuing between 4 and 10 positions a year. While limiting employee posting may appear to help internal position retention, it is fraught with problems. For instance, what if the best match—for the employee and the company—opens up after the employee has used his or her posting limit? This practice frustrates employees, hobbles internal movement, and seems to foster exceptions becoming the norm—always a bad thing. And if some employees are spending too much time looking for other positions it’s the responsibility of the hiring manager and HR to address it, not change the rules for everyone.

Countless hiring managers complain that having an employee in a position for just 6 to 12 months is not enough. “Just when I get them fully up to speed they’re moving on,” is a common refrain. In most cases we’d agree, but two years is also too long for most positions. Minimum time-in-position requirements are appropriate for both the organization and employees. But organizations must recognize that if they are too long, it may well prompt employees to leave the company. Six months may be appropriate for positions that require a minimal learning curve. One to a maximum of two years is appropriate for positions that require more time to optimize performance. HR and managers should also realize that policy shouldn’t be used to compensate for bad practices. Managers and the organization should be doing what they can to make employees want to stay.

Instead of mandates limiting posting or long and rigid time in position requirements, we favor eliminating posting limitations and establishing minimum time in a position from six months to two years, based on the position, with equitable consideration for exceptions. Companies including Johnson & Johnson have documented that open and well-administered job posting programs enhance employee communications, development, and, retention.