When you need to fill an open position in marketing, you have a choice: seek an outside candidate, or hire from within.

It’s an important question, and it deserves your consideration. Here’s what to consider when weighing internal promotion vs. outside hiring.

Do you have the inside talent you need?

Chances are your people already have a host of positive traits that mesh well with the company’s culture. Promoting a qualified person from inside your company boosts morale and makes the transition easier for the newly promoted employee and the rest of the team.

It is essential, however, to ensure the person you have in mind is able to learn and do well in the new role. A common internal-promoting mistake is to promote people into a role before they’re ready—at which point the entire organization suffers.

Is it time for a shakeup?

New people bring in new energy and new ideas. New energy and ideas can create productive disruption that generates new energy, ideas and growth within your existing teams. In addition, hiring from outside can be valuable if no one on your existing team is quite ready to learn their way into the responsibilities of the role.

When looking for outside candidates, seek not only the skills needed to fill the role, but also the ability to learn quickly. New hires will need to learn the team, the company and the culture from the ground up. If a new person struggles, they may find their authority undermined quickly.

Have you sought a knowledgeable outside perspective?

Your staffing partner can help you weigh your options, including analyzing the talent you have and helping you determine whether an outside job search is a wise choice. If you’re looking for specific capabilities, your recruiter can also lead the search, allowing you to focus on the day-to-day tasks of keeping your team motivated and productive.

At SMR Group Ltd, our recruiters specialize in connecting our clients in the biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device industries with some of the best sales and marketing talent available. Contact us today to learn more.