Covid-19 Fuels Internal Hires In Asia-Pacific

Prior to COVID-19, recruiting was already going through a period of change. The rise of analytical and digital tools, the increasing focus on diversity, and the shift in skills needed meant the role of the recruiter was evolving.

But now recruiters and HR face a unique challenge of filling roles in an environment where talent is increasingly inclined to stay where they are and many organisations are contemplating or have initiated hiring freezes.

While internal mobility has always been important, in today’s climate, recruiters are focusing more and more on existing talent and Asia- Pacific is embracing this trend. The average rate of internal mobility* in Asia-Pacific increased by about 15% in 2020, compared to a year earlier.

(*Internal mobility rate is calculated as the transitions made within the same organisation, to dissimilar roles, as a percentage of all transitions.)

We analysed LinkedIn’s data to gain insights on how the region is pacing, and took a deep dive into the type of roles, functions and industries with the highest internal mobility rates across key markets. These insights can help any talent professionals get the right mix between looking internally and externally to fill gaps in their workforce.

Asia-Pacific outpaces global trends in internal mobility rates

Globally the internal mobility rate between April to August 2020 was 19.5%, but many Asia-Pacific countries are sitting above that. Indonesia is the regional leader, with a 24% rate of internal mobility, followed by New Zealand at 22%, and Singapore at 21%. It's also worth noting that the region's two largest markets, China and India are both below the global average.