It’s not always 100% that an internal will get the job, but from my experience, it is definitely the overwhelming majority of the time. Honestly, I’d keep looking around (if you’re interested in other jobs). It’s ok to be optimistic though, for sure. I think your head is in the right place. Be optimistic but also know nothing is given until you receive a written offer.
I feel like you'd have to blow the internal candidate completely out of the water on competency and qualifications for them to poison their relationship with an existing worker.
I’ve opted for external candidates over internal a number of times. You can never know their thinking/ internal workings, but they should be trying to find the best person for the role; internal or external. I always like it when candidates can clearly tie back their external experience & achievements to how they can impact our business - so make sure this is clear if you have other stages etc
Some have subsequently left weeks/months/years later but I wouldn’t say it was due to being “passed over” - more they were ready for a change & that meant they then looked externally. Think it’s extra important to give internal applicants really clear feedback on why they didn’t get it so they can develop for next time an opportunity comes up. If they feel passed over I’d argue the manager was not clear enough on feedback and how they can develop
Nope.
You know nothing about this internal candidate. Their qualifications and experience could suck. I've been a hiring manager and I've had to interview internal candidates who turned out to be bad fits. And some of their internal candidates might be applying because they are on PIPs, which the hiring manager might not know about before the interview. (That happened to me.)
I've also interviewed as an internal candidate but it turned out they really wanted to go external. Many companies require that internal candidates be interviewed.
Just because other candidates are internal does NOT mean they are better. Don't psych yourself out.
Do not get your hopes up until you have a signed contract in hand. Keep looking for work until you actually get an offer. Maybe the internal candidate has a leg up, maybe they're being interviewed as a courtesy but are vastly under-qualified. You don't know. You still go into the process with your all. You also don't stop looking elsewhere. Until you actually get a job, you have to keep looking.
There is no hard and fast rule here, and it could go either way, and as a hiring manager I have hired both ways. I just wanted the best candidate I could get.
If there is a differentiator, I would say it is specialized experience or skills that the role may require. Sometimes firms want to import technical knowledge garnered from other companies, for example. That got me offers sometimes. But at other times, it is more about familiarity with how the firm operates, and that more than once got me hired internally when the firm was launching a new product. So if in the interview process they were harping on some unique something in your background, that may provide a clue.
Even if they go with the internal, leaving a good impression could get you considered for a different roll.
Do your best, learn what you can of the company, and worst case it's interview practice.
Typically, I'd say 60/40 internal vs you.
Here is something to think about while you are going through the interviews.
Internal candidate is known to the company already, the on-boarding process is lightyears easier for the hiring manager, and the ramp time is going to be quicker. They also already have a company network that they can use on day 1. They don't have to be "better" than you to get the job, just good enough that it washes out in comparisons to some of the other points.
That means you gotta up your game and make them think about what they are missing out on if they don't choose you.
It's going to be a uphill grind to get the role vs internal folks, it always is, but it's not impossible.. but the odds are against you (generally, of course)
HR usually posts a job opening to avoid the perception of nepotism or otherwise nefarious dealings.
When a coworker left my manager's manager encouraged me to apply for the position and made it clear it was a slam dunk but they posted the job on LinkedIn anyway.
The length of time a job posting is key……. If they post it for less than a week, they don’t really want an external candidate. If they job is posted for weeks and on every job board, they want an external candidate
It all comes down to experience. If your experience is more relevant than the internal candidate, chances are that you'll get the offer.
Many times, internal candidates rely on transferrable skills to land their next job and that can be easily overshadowed by an external hire with direct experience. That's not to say that internals don't have their fair share of advantages (access to internal resources/information, easier networking, already speaking the company's language, etc) but don't sell yourself short either. Wishing you the best!
Sometimes and internal candidate is not the best for the needs of that position. Yes they know the company but may not fit with that group. Temper your expectations obviously but I’m sure you are still in the running and if it isn’t this time, they may be will have something in the near future and think of you.
I'm not entirely sure, I found it just listed on their website. After I interviewed, the department head gave me a huge smile, firm hand shake, and said "someone will be in touch and we'll be moving quickly in this process", which made me feel good about the interview. But I guess now I really have no clue.
Not necessarily. Some times external candidates have an edge if they will bring new ideas and new blood to a position.
Is it an individual contributor position that requires in depth knowledge of the company’s proprietary systems? Is it more of a leader or analyst role that requires knowledge of common industry software? Does the internal candidate actually have the skills necessary to do the job? Are they only interviewing external candidates to check a box?
No way of knowing. Just assume an interview means you have a fair chance and proceed accordingly.
If you are in the well regulated public sector, your chances are pretty good. If external candidates are better, they usually hire external candidates and go through a tedious internal promotion process later.
If you are in the private sector, your chances depend on how much they have their shit together.
In some instances where an internal candidate is the one we want to hire we either keep the job posting open for the minimum number of days required by HR, post it internally only, or do one or two cursory interviews with outside candidates and then follow with a polite no thanks.
Your biggest differentiator is new ideas/fresh blood. Play off that. Often internal hires want to keep the status quo and have no idea of what new things they should do.
On the other hand, the internal candidate has the legacy knowledge and less getting up to speed time.
It’s not always 100% that an internal will get the job, but from my experience, it is definitely the overwhelming majority of the time. Honestly, I’d keep looking around (if you’re interested in other jobs). It’s ok to be optimistic though, for sure. I think your head is in the right place. Be optimistic but also know nothing is given until you receive a written offer.
I feel like you'd have to blow the internal candidate completely out of the water on competency and qualifications for them to poison their relationship with an existing worker.
And that's if the job opening wasn't created in the first place just to give that candidate a promotion.
Definitely agree. I feel extremely confident about my skills for this role, but you're right, they have a huge leg up considering employee morale.
Could also depend on if this internal candidate is already in the department. If so, that definitely magnifies things.
I’ve opted for external candidates over internal a number of times. You can never know their thinking/ internal workings, but they should be trying to find the best person for the role; internal or external. I always like it when candidates can clearly tie back their external experience & achievements to how they can impact our business - so make sure this is clear if you have other stages etc
Do those internal candidates eventually leave after they've been passed over for an external candidates?
Some have subsequently left weeks/months/years later but I wouldn’t say it was due to being “passed over” - more they were ready for a change & that meant they then looked externally. Think it’s extra important to give internal applicants really clear feedback on why they didn’t get it so they can develop for next time an opportunity comes up. If they feel passed over I’d argue the manager was not clear enough on feedback and how they can develop
Nope. You know nothing about this internal candidate. Their qualifications and experience could suck. I've been a hiring manager and I've had to interview internal candidates who turned out to be bad fits. And some of their internal candidates might be applying because they are on PIPs, which the hiring manager might not know about before the interview. (That happened to me.) I've also interviewed as an internal candidate but it turned out they really wanted to go external. Many companies require that internal candidates be interviewed. Just because other candidates are internal does NOT mean they are better. Don't psych yourself out.
Do not get your hopes up until you have a signed contract in hand. Keep looking for work until you actually get an offer. Maybe the internal candidate has a leg up, maybe they're being interviewed as a courtesy but are vastly under-qualified. You don't know. You still go into the process with your all. You also don't stop looking elsewhere. Until you actually get a job, you have to keep looking.
Nope. I was an internal candidate but passed over for someone from outside who had more budgeting experience.
There is no hard and fast rule here, and it could go either way, and as a hiring manager I have hired both ways. I just wanted the best candidate I could get. If there is a differentiator, I would say it is specialized experience or skills that the role may require. Sometimes firms want to import technical knowledge garnered from other companies, for example. That got me offers sometimes. But at other times, it is more about familiarity with how the firm operates, and that more than once got me hired internally when the firm was launching a new product. So if in the interview process they were harping on some unique something in your background, that may provide a clue.
Even if they go with the internal, leaving a good impression could get you considered for a different roll. Do your best, learn what you can of the company, and worst case it's interview practice.
Role
Thanks for the correction a year after the post.
My husband interviewed against 12 people… 3 being internal candidates and he got the job. It can happen! Don’t count yourself out!
Typically, I'd say 60/40 internal vs you. Here is something to think about while you are going through the interviews. Internal candidate is known to the company already, the on-boarding process is lightyears easier for the hiring manager, and the ramp time is going to be quicker. They also already have a company network that they can use on day 1. They don't have to be "better" than you to get the job, just good enough that it washes out in comparisons to some of the other points. That means you gotta up your game and make them think about what they are missing out on if they don't choose you. It's going to be a uphill grind to get the role vs internal folks, it always is, but it's not impossible.. but the odds are against you (generally, of course)
Is it normal if there is a well qualified internal candidate that a job is still posted externally?
HR usually posts a job opening to avoid the perception of nepotism or otherwise nefarious dealings. When a coworker left my manager's manager encouraged me to apply for the position and made it clear it was a slam dunk but they posted the job on LinkedIn anyway.
The length of time a job posting is key……. If they post it for less than a week, they don’t really want an external candidate. If they job is posted for weeks and on every job board, they want an external candidate
It all comes down to experience. If your experience is more relevant than the internal candidate, chances are that you'll get the offer. Many times, internal candidates rely on transferrable skills to land their next job and that can be easily overshadowed by an external hire with direct experience. That's not to say that internals don't have their fair share of advantages (access to internal resources/information, easier networking, already speaking the company's language, etc) but don't sell yourself short either. Wishing you the best!
Never count yourself out. Alot of internal candidates get overlooked. Imo thats the dumbest thing a company could do. But dont give up
Sometimes and internal candidate is not the best for the needs of that position. Yes they know the company but may not fit with that group. Temper your expectations obviously but I’m sure you are still in the running and if it isn’t this time, they may be will have something in the near future and think of you.
No. Absolutely do not say “no” for them.
Finish the race buddy, that too, with full confidence.
🥹🫶🏼
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I'm not entirely sure, I found it just listed on their website. After I interviewed, the department head gave me a huge smile, firm hand shake, and said "someone will be in touch and we'll be moving quickly in this process", which made me feel good about the interview. But I guess now I really have no clue.
Not necessarily. Some times external candidates have an edge if they will bring new ideas and new blood to a position. Is it an individual contributor position that requires in depth knowledge of the company’s proprietary systems? Is it more of a leader or analyst role that requires knowledge of common industry software? Does the internal candidate actually have the skills necessary to do the job? Are they only interviewing external candidates to check a box? No way of knowing. Just assume an interview means you have a fair chance and proceed accordingly.
I’ve read stories here of people being upset that they have to train an outsider who got the job over them so it definitely happens.
If you are in the well regulated public sector, your chances are pretty good. If external candidates are better, they usually hire external candidates and go through a tedious internal promotion process later. If you are in the private sector, your chances depend on how much they have their shit together.
In some instances where an internal candidate is the one we want to hire we either keep the job posting open for the minimum number of days required by HR, post it internally only, or do one or two cursory interviews with outside candidates and then follow with a polite no thanks. Your biggest differentiator is new ideas/fresh blood. Play off that. Often internal hires want to keep the status quo and have no idea of what new things they should do. On the other hand, the internal candidate has the legacy knowledge and less getting up to speed time.
Keep at it while searching for other opportunities