why are companies so keen on recruiting externally instead of promoting from within?

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Every company I’ve worked at seems to have a bias towards hiring externally rather than internally.

I’ve worked with some exceptional performers but the company still preferred to hire externally.

Is there reason for this that is kept quiet?

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15 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Because succession planning is almost never taken seriously. People work for years as a “deputy”, thinking they’ll move up while the decision makers know they won’t and will never tell them so because they want them to continue toiling away at the job they’re doing now.

Companies are amoral.

Anonymous 0 Comments

I’ve experienced the complete opposite in my job hunt over the past couple of months.

Extremely positive feedback but decided to go with an internal candidate

Anonymous 0 Comments

Hope. Hope that a complete unknown is better than a known imperfect. (This is what drives my particular organization.)

Anonymous 0 Comments

I believe it’s law in at least some places in the US or mandated in some contracts to try to avoid nepotism/promoting favorites from within. I’ve also worked places where Union contracts said a company had to look within before looking outside the company.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Many of these answers I agree with. But the one I’ve heard in the past from upper management is that it’s easier to replace a mediocre manager then an excellent technician/worker. Meaning for example if you are a bulldozer operator and know your machine and it’s operation in and out you are worth more to the company there then in a management position where you may not excel. Then the person they replace to operate that bulldozer is barely competent the company has taken a loss. So they would rather keep the good operator and hire a mediocre manager from outside.