Internal job posting policy

Policy brief & purpose

Our internal job posting policy outlines our instructions for posting and communicating vacancies internally before doing so externally. We are committed to investing in our employees and helping them advance their careers within our company whenever possible.

Scope

This policy applies to our full-time and part-time employees (both permanent and temporary.)

Policy elements

Preparing an internal job posting

Our internal job postings should follow the same guidelines as external job postings. They should include:

• Job title.
• Location.
• Department.
• Duties and requirements.
• Instructions on how to apply and deadline.
• Equal employment opportunity (EEO) statement.

As an exception, internal job postings don’t need to include our company’s description and mission statement.

Posting a job internally

Internal job postings should appear in at least one of the following places:

• Emails to staff.
• Bulletin boards.
• Company intranet.
• Internal newsletter.

HR and hiring managers are responsible for communicating internal job postings to everyone who may be eligible to apply.

Each job may be posted internally for [a week] before it’s posted externally. If a position has to be filled quickly, HR may post a job both internally and externally and assess candidates from both sources simultaneously. Internal candidates may be given preference over external candidates when possible.

Although we typically post jobs, we may occasionally fill positions through other means (e.g. directly promoting an employee or searching through our existing candidate database.) Generally, we don’t have to post a job either externally or internally unless necessary.

In any case, our company is an equal opportunity employer. We will not allow favoritism or discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics.

Employees who will be considered for a position

We’ll consider employees who apply to our job postings if they:

• Meet each position’s minimum criteria.
• Perform their current jobs satisfactorily.
• Have held their current position for at least [X months/ years.]
• Were not subjected to disciplinary action in the past [X years.]

Employees who are short-listed will be invited to an interview. They won’t need to go through other hiring stages (e.g. pre-employment screening or background check.)

Applicants from different locations

Internal applicants may come from different company locations. In cases when an internal applicant lives in a different city or country, HR will consider relocating the employee on a case-by-case basis.

If relocation isn’t possible (e.g. relocation expenses aren’t included in the budget), HR is responsible for mentioning this in the job posting. HR is also responsible for communicating that posting to eligible employees only.

Procedure

We’ll follow this procedure to post jobs internally:

• HR and hiring managers discuss whether they should post a job internally.
• HR drafts the job description with input from hiring managers.
• [VP of HR, Head of HR etc.] approves the job description.
• HR posts the job and communicates the listing immediately to employees.
• HR/ hiring managers receive and evaluate internal applications, checking employee performance records if needed.
• HR will inform all internal candidates about the status of their application.

If an employee declines an offer, their decision will not affect their current job. If they accept an offer, they should meet with their managers to discuss a transfer. An employee’s transfer may be delayed until their current position is filled.

To apply properly, employees should follow instructions mentioned in the job posting. Employees are not obligated to inform their managers about their job application at this stage. Employees or HR should notify managers if their team members are short-listed and invited for an interview.

HR is responsible for keeping accurate records of applications and interviews.

Further reading

• The best places to post your job openings
• Internal job posting email template