Why Cisco’s CEO Hates Interviewing Internal Talent

Chuck Robbins, CEO of Cisco, has revealed that he thinks there is no point to interviewing internal talent. 

In an interview with TBPN, he said: “I think when we have two or three internal candidates for a promotion, the whole interview process is stupid. 

“What are we going to learn about them when we sit down in a room for 30 minutes and ask them questions when we can watch them work?”

Instead of interviews, Chuck believes that observing employees in their day-to-day roles is a more accurate predictor of how they will perform, saying “every day you’re working is an interview for your next job.”

This means seeing success in a role both alone and as part of a team, according to Chuck, who says: “If your peer group would look at your promotion announcement and go, 'that makes perfect sense,' then you've done your job, right?

“And if you can't look in the mirror and say, 'OK, those people, would they be happy, would they believe it's the right decision?' And if they wouldn't, you're probably not quite where you ought to be.”

Building pipelines for internal mobility 

Ensuring a strong internal mobility strategy is in place is particularly important, with research from The Conference Board showing that CEO turnover is rising – even at higher-performing companies. 

To improve talent retention, Harvard Business Review recommends building up development strategies for employees that are connected to real business outcomes, so employees can see opportunities for growth within the business. 

Cisco has prioritised this within its “one company, many careers” talent strategy, which encourages employees to see their career as a series of experiences. 

It does this through reskilling initiatives – with the company having mapped a variety of job roles to specific skills, so employees can understand where their skill set can develop to fit in new roles within the company.  

Employees can also take on temporary roles within the company through rotational programmes and have access to coaching services, all to help them continue to move internally. 

This has led to a remarkably high average tenure of eight years - compared to an average of three to five years for the majority of companies in Silicon Valley. 

How Cisco attracts top talent

When hiring, Cisco says it looks for employees who have leadership qualities who will fit well within the company in the long term. 

Kelly Jones, Chief People Officer at Cisco, spoke to Business Insider about the company’s talent acquisition strategy, saying: “We want to know, not only have you done these things, but are you intellectually curious? 

“Are you intellectually and emotionally agile? Are you someone who brings your team along with you?”

To find this high calibre of talent in a market that is growing increasingly more competitive – with 79% of recruiters telling a LinkedIn survey they believe finding skilled candidates is becoming more challenging – Cisco leans on its employee advocacy strategy. 

The company actively trains employees on how to best use social media to promote the company through posts about work culture and life at the company to build up a talent pipeline. 

By encouraging staff to share their firsthand experiences with the company online, Cisco is able to boost its credibility and reach a wider pool of potential candidates.