Internal Posting of Job Openings

Cathy Fremont

We recently filled a newly created position with an existing employee. The choice of the employee was made by the person she would be working for & with, not by HR. Another employee commented that she was surprised that we had not posted the job and opened it to application by other employees. We do not have any such policy in our HR Manual and I wanted to be sure that there is no legal requirement to post positions, whether we hire externally or select an existing employee.

Margaret Morford

Cathy,

I know of no federal legal requirement that an employer post jobs. I doubt that your state has one either. You would need state specific legal advice to be sure. If you will post your state, Christy (who keeps the Forum running for us) is usually pretty good at getting the editor of the employment law letter in that state to comment.

Margaret Morford
theHRedge
615-371-8200
[email]mmorford@mleesmith.com[/email]
[url]http://www.thehredge.net[/url]

dhnyct

This continues to be a big issue in our office as well. Employees want to know when new opportunities are available, but some managers are reluctant/resistant to the practice. Currently there is no written policy regarding job postings. Is there a sample policy that addresses both sides of the issue?

jude

If you're an affirmative action employer I thought you were required to post all open positions internally as part of your Affirmative Action Program. Does anyone have any comments on this?

Margaret Morford

I have a policy that allows a manager to promote someone in his/her area without posting, but requires that he/she post any job that will be filled by someone outside the department. Internal candidates have a certain amount of time to apply before the job can be posted outside the company. Jobs above a certain level (officer positions) are exempted from this policy. I'll send it to you if you will send me you fax number.

Margaret Morford
theHRedge
615-371-8200
[email]mmorford@mleesmith.com[/email]
[url]http://www.thehredge.net[/url]

Gillian

There is no legal requirement to post jobs, either federal or in California. The post about Affirmative Action is correct - auditors of Affirmative Action plans will insist on the creation of a consistent posting procedure as part of a conciliation agreement.

Rockie

We do post positions internally by posting on our bulletin board and sending via email. There are pros and cons to this. Pros are we give employees an opportunity to know about job openings and promotion opportunities.The biggest con is that employees feel they have a proprietary interest in the position and should be considered above all outside applicants. I am an advocate of considering outside applicants as well as internal for positions. What you will find if you only consider employees is that problems seem to move from department to department. The supervisor who is in my office complaining about an employee endlessly is the first one praising the employee to the sky when they want to transfer. Get the picture? It's always good to get new blood into an organization.

dhnyct

Rockie's "biggest con" is the main concern expressed by our managers. I also agree that new blood can provide new life and ideas, but not posting creates too much "bad blood". There's got to be an acceptable compromise.

Margaret...Please fax your policy to 770 960 2473...Thanks!!!

Jez

Although I do not believe this is legally required, it is good practice just the same. Our internal posting policy states the following:

- All positions below the level of Manager will be posted.
- Positions will be posted for 10 calendar on the job posting board.
- Postings will consist of a description of duties and responsibilities and salary grade.
- Interested candidates must submit an "Internal Application" to Human Resources. Candidates must have their supervisor sign the "Internal Application" prior to submitting to HR. Teh supervisor's signature is an
acknowledgment not an endorsement of the employee's application for a posted position.
- Human Resources will forward only qualified candidates to the appropriate
hiring supervisor. All qualified internal applicants will be considered prior to external candidates.
- Candidates will be scheduled in advance, to be interviewed by HR and the requesting department. Internal cindidates are to be treated in teh same manner as external candidates. Candidates Should have their resume and any other materials needed for an interview.
- All candidates will be notified of the outcome within a reasonable amount of time, by HR and the hiring department.

Generallly, ee's must have more than three months of service in their current positon to be eligible to apply for a posted position.

We will attempt to fill new or vacant positions at the manager level or above, when possible, through internal promotions or transfers. While positions at this level will not be posted, HR will make every effort to communicate details of such vacancies. It is the responsibility of the department head to communciated such openings to their employees. Staff members wh o wish to apply many do so by notifying the HR Office.

Jessica

We list the following in our Employee Manual of Personnel Policies and Procedures. It has been an effective policy for us because it shows our intent to consider internal applicants without tying our hands behind our backs. We often have employees approach us upon hearing about a resignation, and are still well within our policy if we decide to respond to those inquiries. We also have more flexibility than larger companies in this regard as we usually have about 15-18 employees.

POSITION POSTING PROGRAM
COMPANY believes in providing eligible and qualified employees with the opportunity to advance within the organization. The position-posting program provides employees with a means of indicating their interest in advancing to higher level positions.

Notice of most position openings will be posted, subject to the exceptions stated below. The notice will contain a summary description of available positions and a closing date. COMPANY does not guarantee position openings will be filled by employees from within COMPANY.

Internal position openings that are posted will be posted for five (5) working days. If an employee is on leave, COMPANY is under no obligation to notify them of available positions. An employee may elect to contact the supervisor to discuss current openings or possible future openings that may be available.

Exceptions: Position openings may not be posted if the following conditions exist:
A. If a position has a title change only and responsibilities remain the same.

B. If a reassignment occurs.

C. Management in its discretion elects not to post a position opening.


APPLYING FOR INTERNALLY POSTED POSITIONS
A. All employees must be in their current position for a minimum of six (6) consecutive months to be eligible to apply for a posted position.

B. To apply, employees should complete and submit to Human Resources an Application for Employment by the posted closing date. Applications can be obtained from Human Resources or a supervisor.