Do We Really Promote from Within?

 

Years ago, I worked for a large education organization.

It remains one of the best places I have ever worked.

Not because of the salary. Not because of the title.

Because I had an outstanding manager, worked with an exceptional team, and had the privilege of serving students who made every day meaningful.

When the organization began experiencing financial challenges, campuses started closing. Our manager, who genuinely cared about our futures, encouraged us to begin exploring opportunities elsewhere within the company.

It seemed like sound advice.

After all, organizations often tell us they value internal talent and encourage employees to grow their careers from within.

But what happened next surprised me. Very few of us could even secure interviews.

I was fortunate enough to receive one interview, but I left feeling like an external candidate rather than someone who had already demonstrated success within the organization. After following up two weeks later (passed the date I was told I would hear back), I was told the position had gone in another direction. The person on the phone ended the conversation by saying:

"Congratulations on getting an interview."

That sentence has stayed with me for years. Not because I didn't get the position. But because it made me wonder whether internal mobility was truly a pathway or simply an aspiration.

Then the pandemic arrived.

The organization continued to contract, campuses closed, and many talented colleagues eventually found themselves without jobs. To the best of my knowledge, few, if any of us, were able to transition into other roles within the broader organization before those layoffs occurred.

That experience has made me reflect on a larger leadership question.

Do organizations genuinely promote from within, or do we simply say we do?

A true internal career pathway is more than an internal job board.

It should include:

• Clear expectations for advancement.
• Transparent qualifications.
• Development opportunities.
• Mentorship.
• Feedback when someone isn't selected.
• A roadmap that employees can actually follow.

Too often, organizations spend significant time and resources recruiting external talent while overlooking people who have already demonstrated commitment, performance, and institutional knowledge.

When experienced employees leave because they cannot see a future, organizations lose more than a position.

They lose relationships. They lose history. They lose trust. They lose the people who understand why things are done the way they are.

Recruiting new talent is important. Retaining and developing proven talent is leadership.

Leadership Reflection:

If one of your highest-performing employees asked today, "What do I need to do to advance here?" would your organization have a clear answer?

Dr. Flavius A. B. Akerele III, EdD, MBA

#Leadership #TalentDevelopment #SuccessionPlanning #HigherEducation #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeRetention #OrganizationalCulture #InstitutionalKnowledge