Internal Talent Mobility: Think Projects, Not Jobs! | SHRM

An organization’s ability to redeploy its internal talent quickly—where and when needed—can provide a competitive advantage. And as firms build this capability, a segment of them is turning to the internal talent marketplace (ITM). The ITM brings together buyers (managers of work within the organization) and sellers (workers within the firm) to satisfy mutual needs. This article summarizes the ITM concept and starts with the notion that every firm has “hidden talent” that can be unlocked to meet talent needs. It submits that firms can break jobs into projects, and workers can be “matched to projects outside of their day-to-day responsibilities–without changing jobs.” While a technology platform is essential when enabling an ITM at scale, an ITM is just as much about a mindset shift as it is a technology solution. It requires firms to let go of outdated career models based merely on linear progression. It also calls for managers to be open to considering “nonobvious” talent for their projects while sharing (vs. hoarding) their talent. If you are considering building an ITM, I suggest developing a set of principles and behaviors that enable an ITM mindset and culture. You can then evaluate your firm on these criteria to determine opportunities for accelerating ITM adoption. The article’s author (Edie Goldberg) co-wrote the recently released book, The Inside Gig: How Sharing Untapped Talent Across Boundaries Unleashes Organizational Capacity, which you should check out if you have interest in this topic.