Developing a sustainable talent acquisition plan that promotes internal mobility

A talent acquisition plan that works: from external recruitment to internal mobility

The labor market is tight. Vacancies remain open longer, recruitment costs are rising, and suitable candidates are scarce. Yet organizations often miss an enormous talent pool: their own employees. A sustainable talent acquisition plan isn’t just about external recruitment. It’s about a strategic balance between attracting new talent and developing existing employees. Organizations that structurally embed internal mobility in their talent acquisition strategy reduce their recruitment costs, increase engagement, and retain crucial organizational knowledge. Yet practice often lags behind. Many HR departments treat recruitment and development as separate domains. The result? Employees who look elsewhere for growth opportunities while the organization recruits externally for positions that could have been filled internally.

What is internal mobility exactly? internal mobility goes beyond an occasional promotion or transfer. it’s a systematic approach where employees actively advance, change roles, or develop new skills within the organization. this can be horizontal, a move to another department with comparable responsibilities. or vertical, a classic promotion to a higher position. but lateral movements also count: employees who temporarily work on projects to build new competencies. the difference from traditional talent management? internal mobility is proactive and continuous. it doesn’t wait until a vacancy arises, but anticipates future needs and creates growth paths before employees start looking elsewhere.

The business case for internal mobility

The benefits are measurable and significant. Organizations that promote internal mobility see their time-to-fill for vacancies decrease by an average of 30 to 40 percent. An internal candidate already knows the organizational culture, the processes, and the stakeholders. The onboarding period is considerably shorter. Recruitment costs also drop drastically. Where external recruitment quickly costs between 5,000 and 15,000 euros per position, the costs for internal mobility are primarily linked to development and training. An investment that moreover benefits multiple employees. But the impact goes beyond financial benefits. Employees who see growth opportunities within their organization are significantly more engaged. They stay longer, invest more in their development, and function as ambassadors. Retention increases, and with it you retain organizational knowledge that would otherwise be lost.

The three pillars of strategic talent management

An effective talent acquisition plan rests on three fundamental pillars: attracting, developing, and retaining talent. These pillars cannot be seen separately, but form an integrated system. The first pillar, attracting, is about employer branding and recruitment. But internal mobility also plays a role here: employees who advance internally are your best recruiters. Their stories about development opportunities attract like-minded professionals. The second pillar, developing, forms the core of internal mobility. This requires systematic skills mapping, development programs, and a culture where learning is the norm. Organizations that invest here create a talent pool that flexibly responds to changing needs. The third pillar, retaining, closes the system. Retention isn’t an HR trick but the logical consequence of meaningful work, growth opportunities, and appreciation. Internal mobility here isn’t a cost but an investment that pays back directly.

From skills-thinking to skills-working

Traditional talent acquisition looks at positions and diplomas. Sustainable talent acquisition looks at skills and potential. This requires a fundamental shift in how you view your organization. Start with a thorough inventory of skills. What competencies do your employees have now? And more importantly: what competencies do they want to develop? This goes beyond annual performance reviews. It requires continuous dialogue and transparent systems where employees can share their skills and ambitions. Link this internal skills mapping to your strategic workforce planning. What skills will you need in six months, one year, three years? Where are the gaps? And more importantly: which of these gaps can you fill internally through targeted development? This approach makes your organization more agile. Instead of spending months searching for the perfect external candidate with exactly the right mix of experience, you develop internal employees who already have 80 percent of the required skills and are motivated to learn the remaining 20 percent.

Transparency as foundation

Internal mobility flourishes in transparent organizations. Employees must know what opportunities exist, what skills are needed for them, and how they can develop. This starts with internally posting vacancies before they’re advertised externally. Sounds logical, but many organizations still don’t do this structurally. Give internal candidates a fair chance and a head start in the process. But go further. Also share information about future developments, new projects, and strategic priorities. Employees who have insight into where the organization is heading can proactively prepare for it. Additionally, create a culture where internal applications are encouraged, not discouraged. Too often managers hold onto talent out of fear of losing it. A short-term reflex that backfires in the long term. Employees who feel trapped eventually leave anyway, but then to another organization.

Development as a continuous process

Internal mobility requires a different view of development. Not as an annual ritual, but as a continuous process. Not as individual responsibility, but as a shared priority between employee, manager, and organization. Invest in accessible learning opportunities. Think of internal academies, online learning platforms, mentoring programs, and job rotation. Make it easy for employees to acquire new skills, even if these aren’t directly relevant to their current position. Also facilitate experimentation space. Let employees spend 10 or 20 percent of their time on projects outside their direct responsibility. This not only expands their skills, but also provides insight into other parts of the organization and builds networks that later prove valuable. Link development to concrete growth paths. Employees must see what’s possible and what steps are needed for it. These don’t have to be linear career paths; precisely the diversity of possibilities makes internal mobility attractive.

Technology as enabler, not as goal

Modern HR technology can significantly accelerate internal mobility. Skills databases, AI-driven matching between employees and vacancies, and development platforms make the process more scalable and transparent. But technology is a means, not a goal. Don’t start with an expensive system, but with clear processes and a culture that values internal mobility. Technology strengthens good practices, but doesn’t compensate for a lack of strategy or commitment. Platforms like Deepler help organizations to continuously gain insight into what’s happening among employees. What development needs exist? Where are talents that remain underutilized? These data-driven insights form the basis for targeted interventions and turn internal mobility from an ambition into a reality.

The role of managers

Managers make or break internal mobility. They are the link between organizational strategy and individual employees. They see talent, stimulate development, and facilitate movement, or not. Therefore invest in developing managers as talent coaches. Teach them how to conduct development conversations that go beyond the current position. How they help employees explore their ambitions, even if those lie outside their own team. Also important is measuring the right metrics. If managers are only assessed on their own team’s performance, a perverse incentive arises to hold onto talent. Add metrics about talent flow, development, and internal placements. Make sharing talent a positive signal, not a loss.

Sustainable employability as guiding principle

Internal mobility directly contributes to sustainable employability. This concept rests on three pillars: health and vitality, knowledge and competencies, and motivation and engagement. By regularly offering employees new challenges, you keep work interesting and prevent stagnation. This increases motivation and reduces the risk of burnout or boreout. Employees keep learning, growing, and contributing. At the same time, you build a resilient organization. Employees who have held multiple roles understand the organization better, think more broadly, and can respond more flexibly to changes. This breadth is crucial in a time when business models change faster than ever. Sustainable employability isn’t an HR theme but a strategic necessity. Organizations that take this seriously are better prepared for the future and more attractive to talent looking for more than just a salary.

From plan to practice

A sustainable talent acquisition plan that promotes internal mobility requires commitment at all levels. From the boardroom to the shop floor. It’s not a quick win but a strategic choice with long-term impact. Start small but think big. Begin with one department or team where you pilot internal mobility. Learn what works, where resistance exists, and how you can improve processes. Share successes and learn from failures. Ensure clear communication about what internal mobility means, why it’s important, and how employees can benefit from it. Make it concrete with examples and stories of colleagues who have advanced internally. Measure the impact. How many vacancies are filled internally? How are retention figures developing? What do employees say in engagement surveys about growth opportunities? This data helps optimize the program and maintain support. Internal mobility isn’t a threat to external recruitment, but a powerful complement. It makes your talent acquisition strategy more complete, sustainable, and effective. And in a tight labor market, that’s no longer a nice to have, but a necessity.