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Current employees Vs Outsiders

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gaerne58

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Hi all,

I'm just curious whether current employees of TOC's have more chance of succeeding in a different career within their current location over someone outside applying for a new job.

The way I understand it, the first bout of assessments are hard to avoid for anyone, so the selection process is based purely on whether you've passed or not. But what about the interview selection process and the interview itself? Surely if you are from that same depot and you know the people you are interviewing you're a shoe in!? Clearly if the shoe was on the other foot I would think the other way
 
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Ianno87

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If you have a decent interview/selectiob process, it should make no difference whatsoever.
 

ComUtoR

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Whilst this is a hotly debated topic and easily searched...

The best advantage is life itself. People have different life experiences and some come from employment and some come from the general day to day. Someone who worked in retail would have some excellent customer service example. Someone in the armed forces would potentially have emergency situations covered. A telephonist would have excellent communication skills.

There is no such thing as a 'shoe in' Advantageous maybe but everyone is pretty equal due to how the interviews take place. Potentially it may be worse for an internal because people know what your really like.
 

train-safe

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Personally I don't think the whole external/internal thing matters anymore, if you have a good app/interview thats all that matters
 

C J Snarzell

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gaerne58

I created a similar thread like this one last year and I ruffled a few feathers at the time amongst other forum members. I'm still a great believer that internal candidates will always have the edge over external candidates because they can evidence skills and experience that is closely suited to the organisation and the role they are going for.

That said I totally agree with my fellow forum members on here who state its all down to who performs the best on the day of the interview. Sometimes a TOC will be looking for new blood to bring into their organisation - someone who is enthusiastic, positive and brings fresh ideas (an external candidate is always best for this).

With internal candidates - it's swings & roundabouts. What I have experienced at a couple of assessment days I have been to is this - internal candidates knowing members of the assessment team (i.e. having worked with them and being on first name terms with them!). This can be both a good or bad thing - the internal candidate may be an outstanding employee (the interviewers know they will be making a wise choice if they give this person the job) but they could of course be a problem employee with a reputation that preceeds them. I personally don't agree with this - interviewers should always be impartial to their candidates.

As an external candidate you have the advantage of not being known to an assessment or interview panel so they cannot form any preconceived ideas about you - other than what they see on the day! In my view this can only be a good thing.

It really is food for thought but there are clearly pros and cons to both sides of the argument.

CJ
 
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gaerne58

Member
Joined
28 Mar 2019
Messages
46
Thanks for the input and insight. Also I apologize for bringing this up again, I did search, honestly, but my keywords must have been flaky and returned rubbish results...

I know in the past I have been rejected in favour of external candidates for a position I was well skilled in and had been doing for years. Needless to say I was quite upset by that decision and I felt I could step up to the challenge. I don't know at the time whether my interview was poor or they knew me well enough to know I was too young to take on such a role. At least I got an interview back then!

I guess no one knows what goes on behind closed doors when 'they' decide who is offered the position, and the candidates probably wouldn't know how each other faired. On the other side, it must be difficult when a number of staff from the same depot apply for the same position if one gets in over the other. And then there's the manager who might not want people to leave.

P.S. Feel free to close this topic, I found the one C J started last year.
 
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