Talent Edge Weekly - Issue #296

The impact of internal mobility policies on talent movement, Chief HR officers and the board, the employer-employee relationship, internal mobility metrics, and measuring the impact of skills-based talent practices.

Author

Brian Heger
May 11, 2025

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Welcome to this issue of Talent Edge Weekly!

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THIS WEEK'S CONTENT

Below are links and descriptions of the topics covered in this issue. If you're interested in my deep dive, you can read the full newsletter.

Also, check out my job cuts tracker & Chief HR Officer move of the week.

Let’s dive in! ⬇️

THIS WEEK'S EDGE 

INTERNAL MOBILITY

My cheat sheet with questions to help organizations more critically evaluate aspects of their internal mobility policies.

Internal mobility (IM)—the movement of employees across different roles and opportunities within the same organization—is critical to effective talent management. While many companies are investing in technology to enable internal talent movement, it’s equally important to consider the non-technological factors that can either enable or hinder this movement. One of the most significant of these is internal mobility policies and guidelines. Although such guidelines are intended to streamline processes, ensure compliance, and minimize business disruption, they can also create unnecessary barriers by over-regulating the conditions under which internal moves occur. The key is to ensure these policies are thoughtfully crafted to support both organizational goals and employee growth. To help organizations, I’ve created this cheat sheet that highlights examples of six common internal mobility policy factors (such as tenure requirements, manager approval, level restrictions) and questions to help organizations think through each aspect of that policy. The output can help leaders determine when a policy may be warranted and when it could unnecessarily create barriers to internal mobility.

CHIEF HR OFFICER

A new article on how CHRO-board engagement is evolving at publicly traded companies in the US and Europe.

Boards of Directors are placing greater emphasis on human capital and capability topics. Yet, a November 2024 survey of 500+ board members shows only one-third believe their boards are effective in this area. A key reason cited is the volume of data and lack of context, which hinders strategic discussions. This is where the Chief HR Officer (CHRO) can add significant value. In a new article by Matteo Tonello of The Conference Board, he explores the evolving CHRO role in the boardroom. One section notes that “Boards and CEOs expect CHROs to act as enterprise leaders who align human capital strategy with financial, operational, and risk priorities and drive workforce strategy, succession planning, M&A, and transformation in collaboration with the wider C-suite.” However, a CHRO’s impact depends on two factors: 1) the strength of their CEO partnership and 2) the depth of their board engagement. Those strong on both can shape strategy and drive transformation; those who aren’t risk being underleveraged. The article also outlines ways CHROs can boost board influence and avoid four common derailers. It’s a valuable read for CHROs, aspiring heads of HR, and HR team members supporting board-facing efforts. I’m also resharing The Conference Board’s paper, Telling the Human Capital Management Story, which offers ideas for tailoring human capital narratives to boards and other stakeholders.

CULTURE & RETURN-TO-OFFICE

A new article on how broken trust and expectations in the employer-employee relationship fuel return-to-office tensions.

Return-to-office (RTO) mandates have dominated headlines over the past two years. However, as highlighted in this new article, the real issue runs deeper: a breakdown in the psychological contract—the implicit, trust-based understanding of what employees owe their company and what the company owes them. While the article explores the origins of this concept, one of its central points is that leaders often apply an “ethics of justice” approach—creating uniform policies—while employees increasingly seek an “ethics of care” that recognizes individual needs and contexts. This disconnect can lead to frustration and eroded trust, especially when RTO policies lack flexibility. The authors suggest empowering managers to adapt policies to local and individual circumstances. This post isn’t about which RTO decision an organization should make; rather, it’s to emphasize that how those decisions are made and implemented has broader implications for the employee-employer relationship. For those interested in the RTO conversation, I’m resharing two articles: 1) Does Returning to the Office Support Your Company’s Strategy? and 2) a Microsoft WorkLab article on setting in-person expectations based on “moments that matter”—where in-person connection offers unique advantages.

TALENT MANAGEMENT

My PDF on sample internal mobility metrics that can help measure the effectiveness of an organization’s internal mobility efforts.

As organizations continue to invest in internal mobility (IM), measuring the impact of these efforts is essential for maximizing return on investment. My one-page cheat sheet includes nine example metrics to help organizations assess various aspects of IM. Each metric provides a definition, explains why it is important, and highlights a sample practice tied to it. For example, the “Time-to-Fill for Internals” metric tracks the average time it takes to fill a position with an internal candidate compared to external hiring. This matters because faster internal hiring can reduce productivity gaps and minimize disruption. A sample practice to improve this metric is streamlining the internal application process by reducing approval requirements and shortening interview stages without sacrificing quality. These metrics are just examples. Use them as a starting point to think through which metrics—whether on this list or not—are most important to you. Lastly, while individual metrics are important, they can be even more powerful when used together to inform a narrative that helps refine your talent strategy. If you want to go deeper with me and other internal HR practitioners on topics like this, learn more about my private, paid community, Talent Edge Circle.

SKILLS-BASED TALENT PRACTICES

A 28-page report on how talent practitioners can measure the impact of skills-based talent practices at their companies.

This 28-page report offers practical recommendations for quantifying the impact of skills-based talent practices. Developed through a collaboration between Business Roundtable member company leaders and expert partners as part of the Multiple Pathways Initiative, participating companies include American Express, Chevron, Medtronic, Target, and Walmart, among others. One of the report’s key features is a framework of 10 critical questions organizations should answer to evaluate the impact of skills-based practices—each paired with suggested metrics. The questions are grouped into three categories: 1) practice adoption, 2) employee impact, and 3) business impact. For example, under practice adoption, one question asks: Are we actually hiring more people based on skills? A corresponding metric might be: the percentage of new hires without a 4-year degree out of total job postings that do not require one. Additional ideas are also explored. As a bonus, I’m resharing another Business Roundtable paper, Cultivating a Skills-Based Culture, which highlights early lessons from companies working to embed skills-based practices. A key takeaway is the need to clarify the “why” behind skills-based practices. Without a clearly defined purpose, these efforts risk being deprioritized or perceived as performative rather than strategic.

Want to explore talent management practices in-depth with me and other internal HR practitioners? Learn about my new Talent Edge Circle community! Please note that this is a paid community. Already a member? Login here

MOST POPULAR FROM LAST WEEK

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

My one-page infographic with practical actions to help leaders, managers, and employees realign their goals for the next few months of the performance year.

JOB CUTS AND LAYOFF TRACKER

Check out my tracker of announcements from a segment of organizations that have conducted job cuts and layoffs since the start of 2023.

A few job cuts announced this past week:

  • Match Group (NASDAQ: MTCH). The dating app company announced it is laying off 13% of its workforce—approximately 325 employees—as part of a reorganization to cut costs, reduce management layers, and centralize key functions.

  • PwC. The Big Four professional services firm announced it has laid off 1,500 U.S. employees—about 2% of its workforce—primarily in audit and tax roles, citing low attrition and the need to restructure.

  • Panasonic Holdings (OTCMKTS: PCRHY). The electronics giant announced plans to cut about 10,000 jobs—roughly 5% of its global workforce—as part of a major restructuring to exit unprofitable businesses. 

 Click here to access all listed announcements.

CHIEF HR OFFICER MOVE OF THE WEEK

This past week, 8 new Chief HR Officer announcements were posted on CHROs on the Go, my subscription-based platform tracking movement in and out of the CHRO role. This week’s CHRO move of the week is:

  • Omnicom Group (NEW YORK, NEW YORK) [NYSE: OMC]— a leading provider of data-inspired, creative marketing and sales solutions—announced the appointment of Susan Catalano as Chief People Officer for the U.S. Catalano joins from WeWork, where she served as Chief People Officer & Chief Administrative Officer for the last six years. ​​

Susan Catalano

CHROs on the Go has over 4,000 archived announcements in its database, with new announcements added daily!

If you are already a subscriber to CHROs on the Go, log in here.

FROM ME ON LINKEDIN

Catch up on what you may have missed from me on LinkedIn:

✂️ ‘Read Online’  if email cuts off

THE BEST OF APRIL 2025

Did you miss the “Best of April ” issue of Talent Edge Weekly? If so, check out issue #294, which includes 15 of the most popular resources from the month.

Thank you to our sponsor, Draup, who sponsored the Best of April.

Download Draup’s report, AI-Driven Skills-Based Talent Architecture, and learn how organizations are unlocking the potential of their skills-based practices. 

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💡 WANT MORE?

Want to explore talent management practices in-depth with me and other internal HR practitioners? Learn about my new Talent Edge Circle community! Please note that this is a paid community. Already a member? Login here 

Talent Edge Weekly is written by Brian Heger, a human resources practitioner. You can connect with Brian on Linkedin and brianheger.com