To hire internally or externally? That is the question

It’s a burning, age-old question that recruiters ask themselves whenever it comes time to appoint a new manager: should you promote an existing employee or bring in someone new? 

While the trade-off between budget, quality and time is always shifting, having the right leaders to make decisions is a critical step to building and maintaining an effective organisation. When you’re in a sector that’s consistently challenged on its levels of productivity and efficiency, it’s potentially even more important.

Quality lies on the inside – or does it?

Both internal and external candidates come with their own benefits and challenges.

External candidates can bring new experience, knowledge and thinking to a business, and this can positively influence and disrupt its culture. For example, leaders with significant experience often step into a new role and introduce tried and tested strategies they’ve picked up elsewhere, potentially boosting productivity and efficiency. Of course, the key there is knowing whether the strategy is right for the organisation and its culture.