The president of Microsoft in Russia tells us how to choose between internal and external candidates for the vacant post .

In order to make an important decision , we always need to weigh the “pros ” and “cons .” Sometimes we even write down all the pros and cons on the sheet of paper , which helps us make things easier . Personally, I rarely do so , as some of the pros and cons are not always equivalent.

But there are some situations in which decision- making is the standard procedure . One such situation for me was a choice between external and internal candidate for one of the vacancies in our company. As a rule , I choose internal for several reasons:

1. You are already well aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the employee. It may not seem as attractive as the exterior , but it is only an illusion , as an internal candidate is more loyal to the company and has been verified , it is well acquainted with the structure of the company and the business processes that take place in it. He does not need to adapt , to meet with colleagues, software hardware, software, and internal rules . If you place a bet on his strengths, while at the same time helping to fight with weak , you can achieve considerable .

2 . Typically, an external candidate seems to be more competent and strong. First, all new always seems more attractive. Second, an external candidate always strive to present yourself in the best light . For many people, the transition to the new company is not looking for the best implementation of their abilities, but a way to make a career . And each new company and position they view as another step in the career ladder. This does not mean that they are bad professionals, but to sell themselves as expensive as possible for them is much more important. And not every company approaches a staff member .

3 . The interview is always a bit of a lottery . Sometimes good people can not present himself well in the interview , and therefore does not make the best impression . This is especially typical of certain types of persons , for example , creative professionals or researchers. And especially do not praise himself accepted in Russia . In addition, applicants are often found , which can produce a false impression regarding their knowledge , skills and experience. Perhaps each manager familiar with the situation , when the candidate expectations far exceed the reality.

4 . Always try to protect and support its people. When you hire an external candidate (especially for the head ) , it is stressful not only for himself but also for the employees who will continue to work with him. In the Russian office of Microsoft is trying to do the work and interaction with colleagues are more comfortable , but still completely eliminate the possibility of conflicts we can not. And the emergence of the new man – this is primarily a risk that the relations in the team may get worse .

5 . The optimal time employee without losing their motivation is really low. On average , it’s somewhere in 3-5 years ( depends on the post). That is, every time you hire an outside person, you , to some extent reduces the motivation of one of its employees , who hoped to hold this post . We have created a system in which every employee in our company can build a career , it lays out regularly with his manager . This gives considerable assurance of frustration.