Internal mobility | The answer to employee engagement for 2021?

As we continue to work remotely, keeping our employees engaged should remain high on the agenda for businesses.

As the world has had to adapt to the Covid-19 pandemic, our workforce has had to work differently and develop new skills. Has this shift resulted in a new definition of 'talent' to recognise the skills of those that have been able to adapt and remain highly productive in a virtual or hybrid environment? How do we ensure that these versatile employees remain motivated? Could the hiring of these employees internally into new roles within our business, otherwise known as 'internal mobility', be a catalyst to drive employee engagement for 2021?

A shift in attitude since the Covid-19 pandemic

Pre-2020, several HR surveys indicated that on average 1 in 4 new hires left within their first six months, creating disruption and uncertainty. The main reasons given were that the role wasn’t what they expected it to be, they didn’t get on with their colleagues or manager, they didn’t like the company culture, and they saw no path for progression. Of course, the high numbers of people that we see out of work now in 2021 may mean people are more likely to stay put for a little bit longer, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are satisfied, productive or engaged. If line managers are firefighting to keep the business afloat and there are no established systems for internal development or mobility, then there is a high chance that businesses simply retain expensive but disengaged new hires.

The question is, how can businesses use internal mobility to develop and therefore engage employees in 2021?