Talent Exists, but Internal Transfers Are Blocked: How to Change Department Heads' Choices

Consider a situation during next year's workforce planning meetings where new business projects struggle to hire talent, yet existing departments discourage qualified employees from applying internally. What is lacking in this scenario may not simply be the company's total headcount, but rather the rules for moving talent to the roles where they are needed. To increase internal mobility, companies must go beyond simply posting job openings by jointly designing the handover costs for the sending department and the performance responsibilities for the receiving department. When Company Talent Becomes Locked as Departmental Assets Explaining why department heads hold onto skilled employees purely as an act of self-interest leaves solutions limited to requests for cooperation. The moment an employee transfers, the existing customer context and operational expertise depart with them, while th…