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TALENT FLOW (10%)

TALENT MOBILITY.

People are stuck. Managers hoard their best people. Skills don't flow to impact.

6mo
Avg transfer time
15%
Internal mobility rate
40%
Target mobility rate

THE PROBLEM

Low Talent Flow means people can't move to where they'd create the most value. They're locked in roles by managers, politics, or invisible walls.

🔒Internal transfers take months of negotiation
đŸŠčManagers block moves of best performers
đŸšȘPeople leave company to change roles
⚖Skills shortages next to skills surplus
🚧"Not my department" prevents cross-functional help
😔High performers feel trapped and disengage

WHY IT HAPPENS

Manager Incentives

Managers are measured on their team's output, not on developing people for the org.

Replacement Cost

Losing someone means hiring, training, ramping. Easier to just block the move.

Career Paths = Ladders

Only "up" counts as progress. Lateral moves seen as stagnation.

No Visibility

People don't know what opportunities exist. Skills aren't visible across the org.

THE FIX

01

Make Internal Moves Frictionless

Employees should be able to apply internally without manager permission. Remove the "permission to explore" barrier. Let conversations happen first.

// Internal mobility policy

✓ Apply without current manager approval

✓ Hiring manager can interview freely

✓ Current manager notified only on offer

✓ 30-day transition period guaranteed

02

Reward Managers Who Develop, Not Hoard

Track "talent exported" as a positive metric. Managers who grow people into new roles should be celebrated, not penalized.

03

Create Short-Term Project Mobility

Before permanent moves, enable 2-4 week rotations or project assignments. Low-risk way for people to explore and build cross-team relationships.

04

Make Skills Visible

Internal skills database or profiles that show what people know, not just their job title. Make it easy to find "who knows X" across the org.

05

Celebrate Lateral Moves

Publicly recognize people who take on new challenges. Kill the stigma that only promotions count. Breadth of experience is an asset.

HOW TO MEASURE PROGRESS

Internal mobility rate
15%40%
Time from application to transfer
6 months30 days
Retention of internal transfer requesters
40%90%
Cross-functional project participation
10%50%

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