Technology leaders face a persistent challenge in finding qualified IT talent in an increasingly competitive market. While automated job boards and external recruiters dominate most hiring strategies, a valuable solution often goes unnoticed. Many existing employees could excel in technology roles with the right opportunity and support.

Internal transfers aren’t just about filling open roles. When done correctly, they are faster to start, keep people engaged longer, and create loyalty that new hires rarely have from the start. The employee who already knows how your business works, what the culture is like, and how to get things done brings value that skills alone can’t replace.

But finding the right people and helping them make the switch takes more than good intentions. You need a clear plan that considers their technical skills, whether they’ll fit with the team, and what’s actually possible.

Here’s how to build an effective internal IT pipeline.

The Business Case for Internal Transfers

Before diving into tactics, understand why this matters strategically:

• Faster Time to Productivity: Internal candidates already know your systems, stakeholders, and business context. A finance analyst moving to a data engineering role doesn’t need three months to understand what your financial data actually means, they’ve already lived it.

• Improved Retention: Employees who see growth opportunities stay longer. Offering IT career paths to non-technical staff demonstrates investment in their development and creates powerful retention incentives.

• Cost Efficiency: External IT recruiting is expensive. Agency fees, potential relocation costs, competitive salary premiums. Internal transfers eliminate most of these costs while reducing hiring risk.

• Cultural Continuity: Someone who’s succeeded in your organization understands how work actually gets done. They know which stakeholders move the needle, which processes are sacred, and how to navigate organizational complexity.

First, Identify High-Potential Candidates

Not everyone makes a good IT professional, no matter how enthusiastic they are. The key is finding employees who have the right mix of aptitude, genuine interest, and strong work ethic.

Look for Specific Indicators:

• Problem-Solving Mindset: – Do they naturally fix problems? The marketing coordinator who solved the department’s workflow issue or the operations manager who built Excel spreadsheets to improve scheduling both show technical thinking.

• Continuous Learning: Are they already teaching themselves new skills? Employees who take online courses, ask for stretch assignments, or volunteer for projects outside their job description show the self-motivation essential for technology roles.

• Process Optimization: Do they naturally improve systems? Look for people who instinctively streamline workflows, identify inefficiencies, and propose better ways of doing things. This systematic thinking is fundamental to technology work.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Do they work well across departments? IT roles require constant collaboration. Employees who already navigate organizational complexity successfully will adapt faster.

Create Formal Identification Mechanisms:

Don’t rely solely on hiring managers to surface great candidates. Try implementing structured approaches, even in their most basic form, they’re generally effective:

• Internal Job Shadowing: Let interested employees spend time with IT teams to understand what the work actually entails.

• Tech Interest Groups: Create informal communities where employees can explore technology topics. Those who consistently engage are strong candidates.

The best candidates aren’t always obvious. It’s important to cast a wide net and look beyond traditional technical backgrounds.

Second, Assess Readiness and Fit

Interest doesn’t equal capability. Before committing resources to a transfer, honestly evaluate whether the candidate can succeed in their target role.

• Technical Aptitude: Can they learn what they need to know fast enough? Some IT jobs need deep technical skills that take years to build. Others care more about understanding the business than coding. Match what the candidate can become to what the job needs.

• Learning Agility: How quickly do they pick up new concepts? Technology evolves constantly, so strong candidates need to learn fast and adapt to change.

• Frustration Tolerance: Can they handle unclear problems and setbacks? Fixing code or solving infrastructure issues takes persistence. Employees who give up easily will struggle.

• Communication Skills: Can they translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences? Many IT roles require explaining complex topics to stakeholders who don’t share their technical background.

• Realistic Expectations: Do they understand what the job actually involves? Many people have an idealized view of IT work without knowing what it’s really like. Make sure candidates know what they’re getting into.

Conduct Structured Interviews:

Treat internal candidates with the same rigor you’d apply to external hires. This means:

• Technical assessments that match the role’s level.

• Behavioral interviews focused on learning agility and problem-solving.

• Candid conversations about compensation expectations and career trajectory.

Be honest about gaps. If someone lacks critical skills but shows strong potential, acknowledge what they’ll need to develop.

Third, Design Effective Transition Programs

Successful transfers require structured support. Dropping an internal candidate into a technical role without preparation sets them up for failure.

Create Tiered Transition Paths:

• Rotational Assignments: For employees with some technical experience, create 3-6 month rotations through different IT functions. This builds breadth while identifying the best fit.

• Direct Transition: For employees with strong technical foundations, provide intensive onboarding and mentorship but move them into the role immediately.

Provide Comprehensive Training:

Don’t expect new employees to figure it out alone. Invest in their development to the extent financial resources allow:

• Continuing Education: Fund relevant certifications, bootcamps, or degree programs. A training investment is negligible compared to external recruiting costs.

• Mentorship: Pair each transferring employee with an experienced IT professional who can guide their development and answer questions.

• Hands-On Projects: Assign meaningful work that builds skills progressively. Start with smaller, well-defined projects and increase complexity as competency grows.

• Learning Time: Dedicate hours each week for self-directed learning. Make it clear this isn’t “if you have spare time” but a core part of their role if needed.

Fourth, Support Long-Term Success

Getting someone into an IT role is just the beginning. Sustained success requires ongoing support and development.

• Check-Ins when NEEDED: Schedule one-on-ones only when needed, don’t make them performative. Use the first year to address challenges, celebrate progress, and adjust support as needed.

• Culture: Normalize mistakes and questions. Transferring employees often feel pressure to prove themselves. Create environments where asking for help is encouraged.

• Career Pathing: Show them what success looks like beyond their current role. Clear advancement opportunities motivate continued development.

Monitor progress honestly. Some transfers won’t work out despite everyone’s best efforts. If someone’s struggling, have candid conversations early rather than letting issues fester.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Even well-intentioned transfer attempts can stumble. Try to avoid these mistakes:

• Lowering Standards: Internal transfers should meet the same performance standards as external hires. Don’t make exceptions that undermine team credibility.

• Inadequate Training: Assuming new team members will “figure it out” leads to frustration and failure. Invest properly in development.

• Insufficient Support: Assigning a struggling employee to an already-overwhelmed team without additional resources sets everyone up to fail.

• Ignoring Cultural Dynamics: Sometimes previous relationships create awkward dynamics when reporting structures change. Address these proactively.

Measuring Success

Building internal IT talent pipelines creates cultures of growth and loyalty.

As technology becomes essential across all business functions, the most successful companies won’t just hire more engineers. They’ll develop technical skills throughout their workforce, creating employees who understand both business and technology.

Your next great IT hire might already work in accounting, operations, or customer service. They understand your business deeply and just need the opportunity to apply that knowledge to technology work.