I don’t think it really matters where the new hire comes from. It would be a plus if it is within the same company because that only means there is room to grow and be promoted. However, experience is absolutely necessary for the position. If you are within the same company, you might be familiar with the procedures the company follows, nevertheless, it is important to be very knowledgeable on how to perform your job in broad terms so you can be reliable for the team you are working with.

I think that there are benefits to hiring both in the company and from outside the company for a project team. Hiring from with in the company provides the project manager with someone who is familiar with the company culture and processes.  In addition, hiring with in the company will provide the project team with internal candidates who are motivated and committed to the company's goals. These internal candidate will also require less time to adapt and not require any sort of training to get accustomed to company ways. Internal hiring also demonstrates the ability to grow and develop with in the company. On the other hand, hiring from outside the company can bring fresh perspectives, new ideas, and diverse experiences to the project team. External candidates may also bring specific skills and expertise that are not currently present within the company. This can be particularly beneficial for projects that require specialized knowledge or experience, or that involve working with external partners or stakeholders. Overall, the decision of a project manager to hire from with in the company or source outside the company is not a simple task and requires many factors to make a final decision.

As @kaf43 there are benefits to either side of whether one decides to hire project managers within the company or externally. I also agree with @vv48 and how it does not necessarily matter where the project manager is hired from, as long as they are equipped with the skills and the experience to successfully lead a team to completion for the project based off the requirements for it. If the company hires internally it allows for their employees to grow professionally within the company making them more helpful and valuable for the company (the company may not have to pay as high of a salary for an internal hire compared to an external hire). Additionally, internal hires would be beneficial for the team as the individual being hired would already be familiar with the company culture, values, goals, and procedures which would all be helpful in their transition from a team member to a project manager. On the other hand, external hiring could bring in new skills, perspective, techniques, experiences etc. that may not be present in the current company's work environment. This different background could help enhance the project by bringing in new innovative ideas that may not have been seen by an internal hire. Overall, I think that the particular project would drive the decision of whether to hire a PM internally or externally based on the projects demands and vision.

While external hiring can diversify staff, bring new skills to the team, and create a larger talent pool, internal hiring has a large amount of benefits that make it more beneficial to project managers. A reduction in hiring costs is one of the main benefits with less time needed to advertise the position and no need for extra compensation on new-hire related fees, allowing for more funds that can be focused towards the process. Training periods  can also be shorter due to employee familiarity with how the company works. Internal hiring is also an opportunity for employees to experience promotion within a company, and has the potential to boost morale. 

I believe that considering the importance of budget in terms of project management, the reduced finances involving internal hiring makes it the more beneficial option. Considering this, what kind of external hire do you believe would be beneficial to bring to a team that is worth the expenses associated with external hiring?

From a medical device intern’s perspective, I believe that hiring from within the company is often the better choice, especially for roles that require deep understanding of internal processes. Many tasks, even for the same role at different institutions, have a particular way of being done. That being said, internal hires have a leg up over external hires as they are already familiar with the company’s quality systems and compliance culture. In turn, this can greatly reduce onboarding time and the risk of missteps in such a highly regulated industry, which companies usually find as costly. They also tend to have established relationships with cross-functional teams, making communication easier as well as more efficient. This is not to say that external hires cant bring fresh perspectives though, which is something to consider with internal hires. 

This can be a tricky question for many project managers. Often, the argument hiring internally is that familiarity with the company. This is familiarity with all aspect of the company, including people, processes, documentation, and product. Therefore, there would be not a need to spend time and effort in training and doing those things which an external hire would have to do. However, the important question that the project manager needs to ask is this, what is the work ethic of this person? How do they function within the dynamic of their team? There are many important questions regarding their care for their work and the passion they have for the work. What is the benefit of hiring internally, yet the candidate is lacking in other areas as well. For an external hire, yes, they are not familiar with the company or the processes, however, they may bring valuable knowledge from backgrounds of different companies or disciplines. This can prove to be valuable and useful to the project manager. Sometimes, new perspectives are needed.

Hiring policies for a project manager in the context of project execution and metrics management, especially in medical device development, must prioritize both technical expertise and regulatory knowledge. Candidates should have a strong background in project management methodologies like PMP or Agile, along with experience in handling complex metrics frameworks. Familiarity with medical device regulations such as FDA, ISO 13485, and risk management standards is essential. The policy should emphasize proven leadership skills, as the project manager must guide cross-functional teams and ensure accurate metric tracking. Effective communication and change management capabilities are crucial for adapting metrics and processes throughout the project lifecycle. Screening processes should include scenario-based assessments to evaluate decision-making under regulatory and time constraints. Ultimately, hiring policies must align with the organization’s commitment to quality, compliance, and data-driven execution in medical device projects.

The question of hiring from within the company or from outside is not about choosing one option as universally better, but about matching the hiring decision to the needs of the project. A project manager should first look at what the team is missing rather than where the candidate is coming from.

When a project is time-sensitive or depends heavily on internal systems and coordination, internal hiring can reduce risk. An internal candidate already understands company processes, communication styles, and expectations. This allows the team to move forward without delays caused by onboarding or adjustment periods. In situations where execution speed and predictability matter, this can make a noticeable difference.

On the downside‚ if you are always filling roles from within‚ teams can become myopic if the same people are working together for a long time with unchallenged assumptions․ An external hire can question the way things are done‚ bring in new processes‚ or bring in their experience from other companies to help with a struggling project․

A useful way to think about it is like tuning a car for performance. Internal hires are like fine-tuning the engine that is already in place. The system runs smoother and more reliably because everything is already compatible. External hires are like installing a new performance part. It has the potential to improve output, but only if it integrates properly with the rest of the system. If it does not, it can create new issues instead of solving existing ones.

Another issue is team fit․ An external hire may underperform if they cannot fit in with the existing team․ An internal hire may do better simply by having already established trust and effective communication․ Promotion of an internal candidate who is unqualified but not obviously so is always a risk‚ and feedback about this risk usually only becomes available once the new hire is on the job․

This raises an important point. How should a project manager determine if a project is suffering from a lack of skill versus a lack of new ideas, and how would that influence the decision to hire internally or externally?

An important note to consider is what position the manager is hiring for and whether that position is high level or not. Bringing in an outside hire to fill in a role that none at your current company are interested in or would qualify for would be a solid choice, however, hiring from within, if possible is often better. This way you already know the employees strengths and weaknesses. 

This opens up new opportunities for those working internally to shift positions and try new things, this helps employee retainment and motivation. In my company for example, an employee left to another company, he ended up coming back to work with us and was subsequently shifted to a design position he was very well suited for. 

As many user posts have mentioned, there are benefits to hiring within the company and from outside sources. Generally, it would be better to hire within the company because the employees would know how the company operates. They would know the policies, standards, and systems of the company, making it easier for them to adhere to what the company stands for and what the company tolerates or allows. With that being said, there is also the lower risk of “bad” performance from the internal hiring because the project manager would know their work ethnic and performance based on their previous projects. Their skills would also be evaluated on previous projects, making it easier for the project managers to select their team members based on their skills and appropriate roles needed for the project. There are also some risks involved with hiring internally because it could cause some morale issues like some personal disagreements or discouragements among employees on why they were not chosen or hired for the position of the project. Also, there could be the issue with not having an internal employee that fits the requirements and roles needed for that specific project. Internal hiring is the safest option to consistent progress and operational roles.

Hence, hiring outside the company could provide the project manager and company with that one person and opportunity to expand the company goals. Outside resources may have more skills than within the company itself. With their additional resources, it could help the project managers fulfill their vacant spot when no one inside the company can be due to lack of skills and knowledge. With their addition, it would help broaden the team’s background and network while bringing in new ideas to the company for a new perspective. This would also help strengthen the idea of collaboration of the company and another company, but it could also be costly to hire outside employees, and these employees may struggle to “fit in” to the work culture being in a new place and work environment. External hiring is more for collaboration, lack of resources, need to expand company goals, or a need for newer skill sets.

Selection of whether to hire within or externally for a project manager may rely on each individual project’s uniqueness; however, there can be many advantages to hiring internally. These advantages include: familiarity with the company's processes, culture, and expectations—leading to quicker onboarding time and a more efficient project, especially in highly regulated industries where understanding of internal procedures is vital. Additionally, internally hired employees may already have a strong working relationship with fellow team members, increasing the overall level of communication and collaboration.

There is also potential benefit to bringing in new external talent; they will introduce different ways of addressing problem and new types of experience from other businesses that can help make your project successful. This is particularly true if you don’t have someone inside the company that can help with the particular area of specialization required by the project, or if the project has challenges that require new ways of approaching it. Hiring from outside your company can generally take longer for an employee to learn how to fit in and adapt to your organization’s internal procedures or culture. Therefore, I feel that the best approach would be to look at project timelines, complexity, and required skills when deciding which option to pursue. What are your thoughts as a project manager to determine whether or not you need to bring in innovative or new sources of expertise compared to being efficient and familiar?

I think project managers should consider both internal and external hiring because each has its own advantages, but it really depends on the situation. Hiring from within the company can be beneficial since those employees already understand the company culture, processes, and expectations, which can make transitions smoother and faster. It can also boost morale because it shows there are opportunities for growth. On the other hand, hiring from outside can bring in fresh perspectives, new ideas, and different experiences that the current team may not have, which can be especially valuable if the project requires new skills or innovation. I don’t think one option is always better than the other, but if I had to choose, I would say internal hiring works best when the company already has strong talent that can grow into the role, while external hiring is better when there are skill gaps or a need for new thinking.

When hiring, whether externally or internally, the PM should consider the project team's size and the need for full-time or part-time availability. The project team’s location is also important, as there may be preferences for either external or internal hiring based on remote or geographic demands. As many have shared, experience is important, but experience-level requirements may vary by project or organization. There may be preferences for recent graduates or, conversely, for employees with a longer record of completed projects. A PM may prefer an internal hire because they trust them more than anyone outside the company. They are more likely to make decisions that align with the project or the overall program. Likewise, the PM has to consider the organization's culture and values. If the organization appreciates new perspectives, then that may result in more external hires. Or, if project team members tend to leave after a period of time, the organization has no option but to hire externally. Project teams can be tailored greatly to boost project performance, and using lessons learned should narrow the options. 

In my opinion, the preference on the hiring process of the project manager should relay on many other factors besides the company that the employee is apart of. I believe that there are many benefits on hiring people that are outside the range of familiarity the company is used to. Going outside with the company will lead to a new style of approaching problems and identifying solutions that could prove to be beneficial to the growth of the project. Though hiring inside the company can also allow for a more reliable because of the added factor of regular communication with the member group. So each scenario would definitely have its pros and cons, though I believe that with the proper assistance and work a proper project manger could be found no matter where.