Internal hiring is a critical yet often underdeveloped strategy—only 6% of organizations excel at moving employees between roles, with 49% citing a lack of relevant processes as a major barrier. One way to solve this problem is to implement a standardized internal job posting template to drive internal mobility.
This article discusses internal job posting and what it entails, how it can reduce time to hire and increase internal mobility, and how a well-designed template can help streamline the process. It also includes a free internal job posting template you can customize to drive internal hiring and mobility at your organization.
Contents
What is an internal job posting?
The benefits of internal hiring
What to include in an internal job posting
Why use an internal job posting template?
Free internal job posting template
3 internal job posting announcement examples
Posting internal jobs: 6 HR tips
What is an internal job posting?
An internal job posting (also known as an internal position, notice of vacancy, or internal job advertisement) is a job opening shared exclusively within a company to allow existing employees to fill open roles.
The primary purpose and benefit of internal recruitment is to give current employees career growth and skills development opportunities through upward or lateral mobility within their organization. HR’s role in this area involves creating and sharing internal job postings, ensuring transparency and fairness, and giving all parties involved consistent feedback.
The benefits of internal hiring
Committing to internal advancement signals that the company values its workforce and is invested in employees’ long-term professional journey. Here are other main benefits of internal hiring:
Shorter hiring and onboarding processes
Hiring internally reduces time to hire, since you already know and can access the candidates. As such, you can skip external advertising, screening, and background checks. Additionally, as internal hires already understand the company culture and systems, they need a shorter onboarding period for their new roles, resulting in a shorter time to productivity.
Cost-effectiveness
Internal hiring saves on external recruitment expenses (e.g., job board fees, recruitment agency commissions, and background checks), especially for senior leadership roles. And while external hires tend to earn 18% to 20% more than internal hires, they receive lower performance evaluations and have higher exit rates in their first two years.
Improved morale and retention
Offering clear pathways for advancement through internal job postings boosts morale and engagement among staff, leading in turn to higher employee retention rates. In fact, internally appointed employees remain at their organizations 60% longer, with average tenures of nearly five years compared to just over three years for external hires.
Lower overall risk
Internal hires generally present lower risk to their company. Access to their performance data and disciplinary records, as well as a good understanding of their work ethic and cultural fit, can help you reduce the uncertainty associated with external hires. This allows you to make more informed hiring decisions based on known characteristics.
Strong L&D culture
Regularly posting internal positions helps reinforce a culture of continuous learning and development. It clearly shows that your organization supports skill enhancement and career progression. This, in turn, encourages employees to engage in their own professional growth, as they know their efforts can lead to new opportunities within your company.
What to include in an internal job posting
Creating clear, comprehensive internal job postings will help you attract the right talent from within your company, manage expectations, and ensure a smooth application process. Here are the elements every effective internal job posting should include:
- Job title and department: Clearly state the job title and the department under which it falls. This gives employees context and helps them gauge their own interest.
- The role’s purpose: Briefly explain the job’s strategic importance within its team and the broader organization. This helps candidates understand its potential impact.
- Key responsibilities: List the role’s primary responsibilities. Be as specific and accurate as possible to offer a realistic picture of the day-to-day work the role entails.
- Required skills/qualifications: List the skills, knowledge, and experience the role requires. This may include certifications, years of experience, or software proficiency.
- Other eligibility criteria: To avoid confusion, specify all relevant eligibility criteria (e.g., ‘must have been in current role for a minimum of X months/years’).
- Application process and deadline: Provide a submission deadline and explain how employees should apply (e.g., through email or the internal HR portal.
- Point of contact: Provide the name and contact details of the relevant HR rep or hiring manager, so that employees can contact them with their questions or concerns.
Why use an internal job posting template?
An internal job posting template can help streamline the hiring process, benefiting both your HR team and top talent. Here are some reasons why you should use an internal job posting template:
1. Saves time
Developing a brand-new job posting for every vacancy is time-consuming. However, a standardized internal job posting template allows your HR team to quickly populate all the necessary details without writing every new position announcement from scratch.
2. Ensures consistency and professionalism
A standardized internal job posting template guarantees that all your internal job ads will maintain a consistent look and professional feel, which will reflect well on your hiring team and build trust among potential candidates in your HR team and the company in general.
3. Reduces errors or missing information
Because of its predefined fields and sections, as well as detailed guidelines on how to use it, a well-designed internal job posting template can double as a checklist. This can help significantly reduce the likelihood of errors and omission of crucial information.
4. Helps employees understand and act on opportunities
A template provides a consistent format that tells candidates the exact responsibilities and criteria associated with each role, as well as the application instructions. This helps them quickly understand new positions and confidently take relevant opportunities.
5. Can be reused and adapted for various roles
The main advantage of a template is its adaptability. Once created, it can be easily customized to cover a wide range of internal positions, from entry-level to senior leadership roles. This can also help you to build and expand your HR toolkit library.
Learn to handle internal recruitment expertly
Build your skills in handling internal recruitment professionally and expertly, from internal job postings to making the right hiring decisions.
AIHR’s Sourcing and Recruitment Certificate Program teaches you to create compelling job descriptions to attract the right candidates. Identify and engage suitable applicants, and measure the candidate experience and recruitment funnel.
Free internal job posting template
To help you with your internal hiring process, AIHR has developed a free, customizable internal job posting template. This template will save you time, streamline your process, and help you ensure consistency across roles and divisions. Download the template below.
3 internal job posting announcement examples
Need ideas for how to frame your internal job posting announcements? Here are three examples of different messaging formats to inspire you:
Example 1: Internal job posting message on Slack / Microsoft Teams
| Subject: Grow your career with our new vacancy in marketing Hey team, We have exciting news: Our Marketing Department is seeking a Senior Project Coordinator to help us launch incredible campaigns. This internal job posting is a fantastic opportunity to further develop your skills and contribute to our strategic growth. At [Company Name], we’re passionate about nurturing talent from within, and this role offers a direct path for advancement. Ready to make an impact? Learn more and apply here [job application link]. We encourage all qualifying staff members to explore this opportunity and consider how your unique skills can contribute to our mission. |
Example 2: Internal job posting email
| Subject: Internal vacancy for Senior Project Coordinator (Marketing Department) Dear team, As part of [Company Name]’s commitment to cultivating internal talent and providing ongoing development pathways for our existing staff, we’re pleased to announce an internal job posting for the role of Senior Project Coordinator in the Marketing Department. This internal position offers a unique opportunity for a passionate, experienced individual to play a pivotal role in managing our campaigns and driving our key objectives. We’re dedicated to empowering our employees with career progression, and this vacancy reflects our ongoing investment in your future. Ready to make an impact? Learn more and apply here: [job application link]. If you have any questions, please contact [HR contact name and email]. Thank you for your continued dedication to [Company Name]. Sincerely, Your Human Resources Team |
Example 3: Internal job posting announcement on your HR portal
| Internal job posting: Senior Project Coordinator Department: Marketing Department Overview: [Company Name] is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior Project Coordinator to join our Marketing Department. This crucial internal hire will guide project efforts, mentor junior team members, and contribute to the strategic planning and execution of our marketing initiatives. We’re deeply invested in the growth and development of our employees, and this role represents a significant career advancement opportunity within our organization. Key responsibilities: • Lead the design, development, and deployment of scalable marketing campaigns. • Manage project timelines. • Ensure adherence to best practices. • Mentor and guide project team members. • Collaborate with product management and other departments to define project requirements and solutions. • Conduct project reviews and ensure high-quality, successful outcomes. Required qualifications and experience: • Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field. • Minimum seven years’ experience in project coordination, with at least three years in a mid-level role. • Proficiency in Asana, Jira, Salesforce, and Agile methodologies. • Demonstrated leadership and problem-solving skills. • Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities. Eligibility rules: • Must have been in current role for a minimum of 12 months. • Must have ‘Meets Expectations’ or higher on their most recent performance review. Our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging: At [Company Name], we’re dedicated to cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment where all employees feel they belong. This internal position is open to all qualified employees. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds who meet the role’s requirements. We believe in building strong teams through internal talent development and providing everyone with equitable pathways for growth and development. Application process and deadline: Interested and qualified staff members should submit their résumés and a cover letter through this HR portal by [application deadline]. For more information: For confidential inquiries about this internal job posting, please contact [HR representative / Hiring Manager name] at [relevant email address / internal chat handle]. |
6 HR tips for posting internal jobs
The following six HR tips for internal job postings can help you maximize the impact of your internal hiring process:
- Communicate clearly and early: To increase post visibility, announce your new vacancies through various channels, such as email, internal comms, and team meetings. Early communication to employees and managers can boost application rates and reduce your company’s time to fill.
- Be transparent about the process and criteria: Transparency helps manage expectations. Clearly outline each step in your application process, from submission to the final decision stage. Be upfront about the required skills, experience, and eligibility rules to minimize frustration and ensure fairness.
- Encourage all eligible employees to apply: Ensure DEIB by encouraging applications from all qualified employees, regardless of ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, or background. Help employees see internal appointments as key development opportunities, not just a means to fill talent gaps.
- Follow up with applicants: All applicants deserve timely, respectful feedback. Clearly outline the next steps and timelines for successful candidates. For those not selected, take the time to provide constructive feedback and encourage their continued development to maintain morale.
- Track internal mobility data: Implement a system to help your HR team track important metrics, such as application rates, success rates, time to fill, and retention rates. You can use this data to help identify trends and improve your internal hiring program wherever necessary.
- Align postings with your DEIB goals: Companies that highlight diversity attract 26% more applications from women. To encourage applications from underrepresented demographics, be sure to use fair eligibility criteria, as well as inclusive language in your internal job postings.
To sum up
A clear internal hiring process and the right tools — e.g., a standardized internal job posting template — can help you drive faster hiring, better retention and engagement, and improved internal mobility. It’s a simple, high-impact way to show your company is serious about developing its people.
AIHR’s free, customizable internal job posting template can help save your team time, keep your postings clear and consistent, and make internal opportunities more visible and accessible. By making internal hiring easier, you can also create a culture where career growth is a key part of your company’s culture.
