30 Jul Talent Hoarding

When Holding On Becomes the Real Bottleneck

In talent acquisition, we often focus heavily on pipelines: attracting, engaging, and hiring top candidates. But a growing challenge lies elsewhere — in what happens when organizations won’t let talent move on. In a market obsessed with sourcing and attracting talent, are we overlooking the silent problem of not letting it go, as to say Talent Hoarding?

Recognizing Talent Hoarding

“Talent hoarding” is the tendency—often driven by managerial incentives—to keep employees, especially high-performers, in place rather than enabling their movement internally. A 2022 field study showed three-quarters of managers exhibiting this behavior, significantly inhibiting applications and internal career progression.

LinkedIn data highlights a rising trend in internal mobility: the rate of employees changing roles internally grew by 30% from 2021 to 2023, rising from 18.7% to 24.4% of employees. Despite this growth, only 15% of organizations offer formal mobility programs, and just one in five employees feels confident they could make an internal move (from a LinkedIn Article)

The Hidden Cost for Clients and Partners

When internal talent flow fails, open roles persist not because of a lack of external candidates, but because internal bottlenecks remain unresolved. Organizations miss out on retention, engagement, and productivity—which is costly.

According to LinkedIn, internal movers have a 64% chance of staying three years, versus 45% for those who never moved internally.

Unlocking Mobility: Turning Insight Into Action

Addressing talent hoarding requires more than just awareness — it takes a coordinated approach that brings together HR, leadership, and strategic advisors who understand both internal dynamics and external benchmarks.

Empowering Employees

First, organizations benefit from empowering employees to explore new opportunities internally without unnecessary barriers. Yet, many companies still require managerial approval before internal moves, creating friction. Encouraging open access to internal roles—through internal marketplaces or clear mobility policies—can shift this culture and give employees the autonomy they expect. Here, an external talent partner with visibility across multiple organizations can offer proven frameworks and tools that clients may not have yet in place.

Visibility

Another important lever is visibility. Many employees simply aren’t aware of the possibilities inside their own organization. According to recent LinkedIn research, nearly half say it’s easier to find a job outside than inside their company. This isn’t just a communication issue — it’s a missed opportunity. Providing better access to internal openings, career paths, and skills development programs helps retain top talent. A talent advisor with experience across industries can help benchmark internal practices and uncover hidden mobility blockers.

Leadership

Equally important is the role of managers. In many organizations, people leaders are not evaluated on how well they develop and release talent. In fact, resistance from direct managers remains one of the most cited obstacles to internal mobility. Encouraging leadership to see themselves not just as team managers, but as talent incubators for the wider organization, is a cultural shift that often requires external input. This is where a strategic search partner can be critical — offering not just candidates, but insight into how high-performing organizations structure incentives to foster movement.

Skills

Lastly, skills alignment remains a major challenge. Internal candidates often don’t match role requirements perfectly — but with targeted development, they could. The ability to spot potential, not just match skills, is what differentiates high-impact talent strategies. Partners who operate at executive and leadership levels are particularly effective here, because they bring perspective on what potential looks like beyond the résumé, and can advise on how to close the last-mile skill gap internally or externally.

Internal mobility is more than a retention tactic—it’s a strategic imperative. Healthy organizations view talent as dynamic: letting it flow in, through, and out when needed.

Collaborating for Greater Talent Impact

Internal mobility is essential for organizational growth and adaptability. However, understanding and overcoming the unique challenges each company faces often benefits from a collaborative approach. Partners with broad experience across markets and industries can provide valuable insights and proven frameworks that complement internal efforts.

By working together, organizations and their trusted Search Partner Advisors can create environments where talent flows more freely, fostering development and retention. In this way, companies not only fill positions but build lasting capabilities — unlocking the full potential of their workforce.

How can your organization and your executive search partners work hand-in-hand to ensure talent flows seamlessly both inside and outside your company, unlocking the full potential of your workforce?

Gaia Urati