Internal Candidates: Your Work Reputation is Your Real Interview
Have you ever been the internal candidate for a position? If you have, you probably learned that being the internal candidate does not mean you are a shoe-in.
In fact, the truth is that in your interview, every misstep, mistake, emotional outburst, and angry reaction that ever happened comes with you to the interview process — even if those moments aren’t brought up. And yes, of course, every success, moment of brilliance, and all those extra hours you put in to save the day are part of your story as well.
Surprisingly, external candidates can have an advantage over you because, unless disclosed somehow, all those moments of being human haven’t been witnessed by members of the hiring committee.
If you are hoping to advance within your current workplace, remember that you are interviewing every moment that you are working there.
What you are remembered for includes:
How you manage your emotional energy.
How you handle conflict.
The clarity of your communication.
Your willingness to collaborate.
How you proactively seek support when faced with problems.
Where you step in to lead, and when you follow.
How you empower others.
Therefore, it is essential that you are modeling these behaviors daily.
I once was interviewing for a position in my department and an internal candidate who was known for being difficult in another department applied.
When I asked the candidate, “What will be different when you work under me?”, the response was, “I don’t like the work I’m doing now but I’d love to be part of Marketing. That’s work I can get excited about it.”
Well, for me that answer wasn’t good enough. I told her I’d consider her for a position after I see growth in where she is at. Then I hedged my bets with someone from outside the company.
Sustaining an internal candidate after they are selected can be challenging.
In next week’s email I will share a bit about how a manager can best support and be transparent with an internal candidate so that expectations can be clear.
If you’d like to begin building your skills in the areas discussed above, our “Tackling Difficult Conversations with Confidence” online workshop ($149) will get you there. Check it out today. https://ncdprocess.com/course/tdcc