Q: We’ve always posted open positions internally as we believe in promoting from within. But lately we’re finding that current employees who interview but aren’t selected for a promotion are leaving us quickly. We don’t know if we would have lost them anyway, but some members of our leadership team think we should stop posting open positions and hire externally. Can you help us?

A: Please don’t stop posting open positions internally. There are several valid reasons why it is a good idea to promote from within. Among them: It provides career paths for current staff, saves recruiting costs, boosts morale, reduces onboarding time, and creates another possible internal move.

As for your issue of employees resigning quickly after not getting an internal promotion, I suspect that could have more to do with how the employee was informed they weren’t getting the job than the fact that the job went to someone else.

To start with, managers need to be trained in how to communicate the news. The decision must be based on the requirements of the open position and how the internal candidate’s skills and abilities missed the mark. Once that message is delivered, the second part of the discussion should be what the employee needs to do to increase their skills.

If this conversation goes well, the employee now knows why they didn’t get the job, that their qualifications were carefully considered, and has some concrete information on what they need to do to increase their chances of being successful the next time a similar job is open.

If your organization isn’t providing frequent learning and development opportunities, you will not retain your staff.

Consider writing a script that managers can use as a guideline. However, be sure not to make any promises that can’t be kept, such as “Next one is yours” or “If you get this degree, you will be promoted.”

I also hope your organization does exit interviews. If so, this issue should be addressed directly. Ask the terminating staffer if one of the reasons they are leaving is due to not getting the opening for a posted position. Their response may help you determine actions to take.

Employees today are interested in developing their skills. If your organization isn’t providing frequent learning and development opportunities, you will not retain your staff—no matter what promotional opportunities you offer them.

This may be a good time for you to review your learning and development offerings and to develop a retention strategy that includes development plans for each employee. That may minimize the internal job posting issue as you will have fewer jobs open if your staff stays with you longer.