Ease of entry, exit, and mobility. How fluidly can talent move to where it creates the most value?
FLUID VS STAGNANT
People move to where they're needed. Internal mobility is common. Hiring is fast and responsive. Top performers stay because they want to.
Either a revolving door or a prison. People leave for better opportunities or they're trapped by golden handcuffs. Nobody moves internally.
Talent flow is organizational circulation.When flow stops, the organization becomes stagnant. Ideas stop spreading. Skills stop developing. The best people leave for places where they can grow.
Organizations with low talent flow often think they have a hiring problem. They actually have a staying problem. The best people self-select out, leaving those who can't or won't leave. This creates a negative cycle that makes the organization even less attractive.
Internal mobility is the norm. People move between squads regularly.
20% time, internal transfers, low friction between teams.
Tenure locks people in place. Hiring is political. Departure is rare.
Civil service protections. Rigid hierarchies. Low voluntary turnover.