John DeNavi is Director of Partner Development for Forage, part of EAB and Seramount. In this role, he is responsible for supporting new partner organizations by helping them build world class recruiting programs using Forage technology. Before joining Forage, John spent 10 years at a leading global executive search firm working across APAC and North America. There, he delivered C-level search and leadership development programs for the world’s top companies. John has an MBA from INSEAD and a Bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Sydney.
Topics
Employee Experience, Future of Work, Recruitment
For years, Forage has partnered with talent acquisition leaders to build more effective hiring pipelines. But hiring alone isn’t closing skill gaps fast enough. Our partners have pushed us to think bigger—how do we ensure employees can continue growing within an organization rather than seeking opportunities elsewhere?
The Answer: Internal Mobility and Talent Management
When companies invest in internal talent, they reap benefits beyond just filling open roles. Employees gain a clearer sense of career progression, businesses build more agile and resilient workforces, and retention rates improve dramatically. But too often, internal mobility programs fall short because employees lack clear pathways to transition into new roles.
Why Internal Mobility Matters Now More than Ever
The job market is shifting. According to CNBC, we’re in a “low hire, low fire” economy, where hiring rates have slowed and companies are focusing more on retaining existing employees. With fewer external hiring opportunities, organizations must turn inward to develop the talent they already have, which means better retention rates, higher employee engagement, and ultimately cost savings.
Employees who experience internal movement are 64% more likely to stay with an organization for three years, compared to just 45% of those who don’t move internally. According to LinkedIn, companies with strong internal mobility programs see a 17% boost in learner engagement as employees seek ways to upskill for new opportunities. Hiring internally is more cost-effective than hiring externally. In fact, external hirers can cost 18%–20% more than internal hires.
The Roadblocks to Internal Mobility
If internal mobility delivers such clear benefits, why aren’t these programs more commonplace? Many organizations recognize the value, but several barriers prevent it from being widely adopted. These include:
- Visibility issues: Employees often don’t know about open internal roles, and organizations may lack the right technology or processes to promote them.
- Disconnects across the business: With limited understanding of how their skills might be transferable, many internal candidates don’t have the confidence to move across the business.
- Reactionary pipelines: For internal candidates, there is no dedicated “candidate experience,” meaning there are no steady pipelines for recruiters to reliably source internal talent.
How Job Simulations Bridge the Gap
To successfully implement internal mobility programs, organizations need to bridge the gap between talent management, learning and development (L&D), and real job experiences.
Forage Job Simulations, designed to help candidates explore careers, are now emerging as a powerful tool for internal mobility. By offering hands-on, role-specific experiences, they give employees a low-risk, high-impact way to prepare for new opportunities.
Here’s how job simulations support internal career growth:
Skill Development: Employees build critical, job-relevant skills before formally stepping into a new role.
Career Exploration: Simulations help employees test-drive different functions, leading to more informed career moves.
Confidence and Readiness: A risk-free environment ensures employees feel prepared to make the leap.
By integrating job simulations into internal mobility programs, talent development and L&D teams, HR Business Partners, and heads of Talent can create a structured, scalable way to develop talent rather than relying on passive learning or self-directed career navigation.
Future-Proofing Your Workforce
With hiring slowing and skill gaps widening, companies can’t afford to leave internal mobility to chance. Employees want growth, and organizations need adaptable talent. Investing in experiential learning—such as job simulations—creates a win-win: engaged employees who stay longer and a workforce that’s ready for the future.
We are exploring these strategies and more with our Fortune 500 partners. If you’re interested in learning more, let’s talk!
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