Internal Mobility as a Talent Strategy, Not a Side Project: A Conversation with HP’s Martin Stier

HP Inc.’s Martin Stier, Head of Global Talent Acquisition and Chief Inclusion Officer, sat down with Veris Insights’ Dr. Andrew Monroe, VP of Research, and Aash Gupta, Head of Member Impact, to discuss how leading organizations are redefining internal mobility. This is a summary of their conversation, which explored strategies for overcoming barriers, scaling programs, and unlocking the full potential of internal talent to build more agile, future-ready teams.

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In today’s labor market, the phrase “frozen hiring” has shifted from a temporary condition to a defining characteristic of the environment. Job openings, hires, and quits have all declined in tandem, signaling not just cooling, but a full freeze. As Dr. Andrew Monroe noted, “We’re not just seeing a cooling job market; we are seeing a fully frozen job market.”

For Heads of Talent Acquisition, this has sparked a major pivot: if you can’t hire your way into the future, you have to grow from within it. Most leaders–about 70% in our surveys–say that they’re focusing more on internal mobility this year than they have in the past.

A Frozen Market, a Refocused Mission

External hiring pipelines have slowed, requisitions are on pause, and skills needs–particularly in areas like AI fluency and agile problem-solving–are outpacing supply. Amid that stagnation, TA leaders are asking: “How do we unlock the talent that’s already here?”

Dr. Monroe put it plainly: “When TA leaders are under a ton of pressure to deliver value, thinking about external candidates can be not just expensive; it can be inefficiency and risky. Internal mobility is more controllable amid all this external uncertainty.”

Internal mobility isn’t just a short-term fix to frozen hiring. It’s becoming the most strategic lever TA can pull to build adaptability, retain talent, and drive performance in unpredictable conditions.

The Barriers are Real, but Solvable

Even as enthusiasm grows, leaders acknowledge that internal mobility remains easier said than done. The obstacles fall into three main categories: 

• Manager buy-in: As Dr. Monroe shared, “For many managers, internal mobility can feel like losing your best talent without any kind of compensatory reward.” That tension can make even the most promising programs stall. But forward-leaning organizations are experimenting with new incentives, rewarding “talent exporters” who develop and release talent into the broader enterprise. 

 

 

 

• Awareness gaps: A surprising 90% of TA leaders say one of their biggest hurdles is that employees simply never see internal opportunities. It’s a solvable communication problem, yet one that requires deliberate, ongoing visibility into roles and career paths. 
• Outdated process: Many companies still treat internal applications the same as external ones, with the same cumbersome procedures. Without clear internal application paths, internal mobility risks being viewed as an afterthought rather than a core function of talent strategy. 

 

As Martin Stier humbly emphasized, this is an evolving landscape: “We [at HP Inc.] haven’t figured it all out, but we’re experimenting with tools and capabilities that create an environment where internal movement is appreciated and valued.”

At HP Inc., that includes training managers to initiate career conversations, launching AI-based learning programs, and utilizing tools like Eightfold to accelerate skills-mapping. “We want people to feel safe applying internally,” Stier said. “That confidence comes from transparency and support from managers.”

 

 

The Payoff: Retention, Cost Savings, and a Culture of Growth

The return on investment is clear. Internal mobility delivers: 

• Stronger retention: Employees who see a path to grow within their company are significantly less likely to leave. As Monroe noted, “Internal mobility provides a safety valve. It gives people the room to move, develop, and stay engaged.” 
• Faster fill rates and lower costs: Internal hires ramp faster and require less onboarding, reducing time-to-fill and cost-per-hire. 
• A culture of growth: As Stier described, internal mobility “creates an environment where employees can be confident they can grow and continue to develop.” That cultural benefit extends beyond retention; it fuels engagement and capability building across an organization. 

 

Some organizations are even seeing measurable financial savings. One large tech company saved over a million dollars in severance and hiring costs by mapping skills internally and redeploying talent instead of executing a reduction in force.

Building a System, Not a Side Project

Both Dr. Monroe and Stier agreed: Success in internal mobility requires more than good intentions. It requires systems thinking. “Internal mobility only works if it’s treated as a system rather than a side project,” Monroe said.

That means integrating TA, learning and development, and HR operations. It means equipping managers to act as coaches, not gatekeepers. And it means building technology and cultural infrastructure that turn mobility into an everyday norm, not an exception.

As Stier reflected on HP’s ongoing journey, he framed it both as a responsibility and an opportunity: “The talent belongs to the talent first. Our job is to create an environment where they can grow, move, and bring their best selves to the company’s future.”