Recruitment policy - roles only advertised internally?

[TheDogAndDuck]

I've just been having a chat with a former colleague who mentioned that a role is coming up that might suit someone we know. Turns out the employer is advertising internally before going out to external recruitment. This is a permanent role. Apparently its company policy.

I was surprised as I thought most people advertised roles externally if they could? Is this an Equal Ops/EDI issue?

Our friend would be perfect for this and I'm feeling a bit bad about getting hopes up.

A lot of places, certainly in the public sector, have a policy of internal first, then only going external if not successful. It’s to help develop/promote existing staff first. If it’s not filled internally, presumably they will then go to external advert.

This is standard practice in a lot of civil service roles so i dont think there is anything against taking this approach.

It's quite common. Roles are advertised internally and sometimes only go externally if they don't have anyone suitable internally. Or a role has to be advertised internally first. Makes sense. It's much cheaper, keeps talent in-house and means they're hiring a known quantity with a track record they're familiar with.

Get your friend who would be great for the role to send their CV (highlighting skills that will be beneficial for the role) speculatively to either to the head of that team that the role is in, or to HR expressing an interest in the that type of role. I would make sure they are not linked on LinkedIn, to your other friend. You may find they consider your friend for the role alongside internal applicants.

That should be @TheDogAndDuck

We have had potential redundancy notices active for 7 years. No way does any job go external until internal recruitment has been exhausted, except in rare circumstances. The law says that people at risk should be first in line. Nothing to do with equal opportunities. Everything to do with not making people redundant unless there is no other choice.

Thank you. I am surprised to hear its common practice - I have had Equal Ops/EDI drilled into me for so long I just thought an open recruitment policy would be the norm.

No redundancy risk here as far as I know. I can appreciate why the policy would apply in those circumstances, though.

I’ve worked places where you have to advertise for say 2 weeks before advertising externally. it was something of a tick box though - nobody would stop you hiring an external candidate who was a contact if you already had a preferred candidate in mind and you could justify why the internal candidates weren’t as good. Or if you wanted to advertise externally you’d just run the clock on internal candidate review so you could do both.

Now, getting approval to hire an agency, a whole different ball game…