“Do I have a future here?”
It’s one of the most important — and often unspoken — questions driving whether your people stay, or quietly start looking elsewhere. In the future, the best people won’t stay just because they like the work. They’ll stay because they’re thriving, and because they believe they belong.
We talk a lot about attracting great people.
But what about moving and growing the great people you already have?
This has been a recurring theme in my conversations with leaders recently, especially those thinking seriously about what it takes to build future-ready teams.
Internal mobility is part of the solution.
And yet… it’s one of the most underused levers in many organisations today.
The research is clear:
📉 66% of employees say they would consider leaving their organisation due to a lack of internal career opportunities
📊 Employees who make internal moves are nearly 2x more likely to stay long term than those who don’t
🔍 Despite this, only 1 in 5 employees feel they can effectively explore opportunities internally.
So part of the opportunity in retaining great people is to understand deeply the capability you already have.
Does this sound familiar – “We’ve got great people… but they’re stuck. We need to move talent to where it matters most — not just where it’s always been.”
This is not uncommon.
The truth is, most organisations already have the capability they need.
It’s just not always visible, connected, or moving.
So here’s the challenge:
As a leader of brilliant humans — or someone leading people and culture — are you asking bold questions like:
🔎 How do we make it easier for people to grow without leaving?
🔎 How do we spot capability and shift it to where it’s needed most?
🔎 How do we build a culture where talent flow is normal, not disruptive?
🧠 Do we really know the problem we’re trying to solve here?
What internal mobility really looks like:
It’s not just promotions or posting the job ads on your teams or slack.
It’s a culture.
A culture where:
🙌 The value people can add, across teams, projects, and divisions, is visible
🙌 Careers aren’t limited to climbing a ladder, but open to lateral moves, stretch roles, and secondments
🙌 Movement is celebrated, not resisted
🙌 You unlock internal potential before you go to market
🙌 You think differently about outcomes, and who’s best placed to deliver them
What’s working in other organisations?
Some are launching internal talent marketplaces.
Others are using project-based work or “gigs” as low-risk ways to trial movement.
Some are starting with career conversations and manager training.
And the most progressive? They’re hiring internally first by default, and tracking mobility as a success metric, not an afterthought.
It doesn’t have to be overly complicated require big tech shifts and new platforms
Sometimes, it starts with:
– a mindset shift
– understanding transferable skills
– a pilot internal gig
– moving to an outcomes driven culture
– or a simple, intentional question
🎬 Try this one with your team:
“What’s a skill you’d love to use more here that you don’t get to today?”
That one question can surface strengths, spark joy, and shift how you see the capability already right in front of you.
👉If you’re interested in understanding what the barriers are to creating a culture of internal mobility – comment BARRIERS and I’ll send you through some info around not only what the barriers are, but where the support is lacking in organisations.
☕If this is something you’re exploring too, and you want to bounce ideas around, I’d love to chat and share some of my insights, research and what I’m seeing.
Drop me a message, and lets grab coffee or a virtual chat.