Internal mobility: what it is and what it means

Internal mobility is the movement of people between roles or functions within the same company, in contrast with turnover, which concerns permanently leaving the organization. The two have opposite effects on retention: healthy internal mobility offers visible growth paths and reduces the pressure to leave, while weak internal mobility closes off development opportunities and feeds voluntary resignations toward outside companies that are seen as more dynamic.

Distinctive: movement of people between roles or functions
Distinctive: within the same company
Essential: permanently leaving the organization
Constant: within the same company

Glossary

Internal mobility

The movement of people between roles or functions within the same company; healthy internal mobility reduces external turnover, weak internal mobility feeds it.