Make vs. Buy: Talent Decisions That Shape Business Growth

A hiring manager comes to you with a new role they need filled.

Your first question probably isn't, "Where should I post this job?" 

It's:

Can we “make” the talent or do we need to “buy” the talent?

Do you already have someone who could grow into the role? Or is this a moment when you need to bring in skills and experience from the outside?

It sounds like a simple enough choice. Until there’s an open req, work piling up, and a hiring manager who wanted someone in the seat yesterday.

Then “make or buy?” gets a whole lot more complicated.

Maybe there’s someone on your team who’s almost ready. Maybe your organization has realized they need a new skill that doesn't exist on the team yet...but you don't know how long finding that skill will really take.

And it's natural, given all of that, for a team's instinct to be to open the req, start sourcing, and get candidates into the pipeline and into interviews. But the fast answer isn't necessarily the right answer. And can often ignore the bigger question:

Where is the best talent for this role actually going to come from?

That's why “make vs. buy” isn't really an either/or hiring question. It's a talent question.

In this blog, we'll get into when to “make” talent, when to “buy” it, and how to figure out which approach makes the most sense for your business.

In plain terms, “make vs. buy” (sometimes called “build vs. buy”) is the choice between developing talent you already have—making it, through internal mobility—and hiring it from outside, or buying it. The best answer is usually a mix, decided role by role.

Key Takeaways

• “Make vs. buy” is a talent question, not just a hiring question—start with the skills the business needs, not the open req.
• Make (develop internally) when the skill can be learned in your timeframe and someone is close to ready; internal mobility keeps knowledge and loyalty in the business.
• Buy (hire externally) when the skill is specialized, net-new, or needed faster than you can build it.
• 51% of active job seekers have already looked for a new role inside their current company, so your next hire may already work for you.
• Run the five-question checklist below before you open a req—then, when you do buy, make the search count.

Seeing Both Sides of the Coin: Deciding Between Make vs. Buy

There’s no one right answer to the make vs. buy question.

Building from within can create new opportunities for your people while keeping valuable knowledge and experience in the business. Hiring from the outside can bring in skills, expertise, and perspectives your team doesn’t have today.

The right answer will hinge on factors like: what you need, how quickly you need it, and what talent you already have to work with.

When Does It Make Sense to “Make” Talent?

Before you open a new req, it’s worth taking a look at the talent you already have in your org chart and the opportunities for internal mobility within your team.”

Your existing employees know the ins and outs of the company; they know what customers expect, they know all the little things that can take months to pick up--like who to go for when you have that one question. And some of them are already looking for their next role. Maybe within your company.

Additional data from our 2026 Job Seeker Nation survey found that 51% of active job seekers have searched for a new position within their current company.

Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a perfect candidate waiting in the wings who checks every box for that open req.

There probably isn’t. But there may be someone who checks enough of them.

Think about the employee who’s already picked up parts of the job, or the person with the right core skills who needs experience in one or two areas. With some training, mentorship, or a chance to stretch into something new, they may be able to grow into the role you have open on your desk.

But it’s important to remember that “making” talent isn’t about forcing an internal move to work just to say you did it. It’s about knowing what talent you already have, what you can build, and where your people want to go next.

And in the cases where it all lines up? Your next great hire might not be a new hire at all.

Check out our internal mobility best practices guide for more tips and tricks.

When Does It Make Sense to “Buy” Talent?

Then there are the times when the skills you need simply don't exist within your organization.

Maybe you’re launching a new product. Entering a new market. Adopting a new technology. Or building a capability your organization has never had before.

You could develop that expertise internally. But can you develop it fast enough to meet your business goals? And make sure you aren't hindering any projects along the way?

Sometimes the answer is no.

That’s when “buying” talent can be the right path forward.

Bringing in someone from the outside can fill a skills gap quickly—and bring new experience, ideas, and expertise into the organization along with them.

But remember: the more specialized the skills, the smaller the pool may be—and chances are, you’re not the only company looking for them.

So before you hit publish on your job description, make sure your team is clear on what kinds of skills they need, what skills are just nice to have, and what will really make a difference for the business moving forward. From there, a strong recruitment marketing strategy can help you get more intentional about who you’re trying to reach and how you connect with them.

Finding the right person takes time. So does interviewing, hiring, and getting them up to speed. But for roles where the skills you need are hard to build internally, bringing in someone who already has them can be worth the wait.

How to Decide: The “Make or Buy” Checklist

So how do you know when to build talent from within and when it’s time to look outside your org?

Before you open the req, run through a few questions:

Where is the business headed and what skills do you need to get there?

Start with what the business is trying to accomplish, not just the role that happens to be open right now. What skills will your team need to get there? If you can spot those needs before they become urgent, you have more time to figure out whether to develop them internally or look outside.

What do you actually need this person to be able to do?

Forget the job title for a minute. Get specific about the skills the work actually requires.

Do you already have some of those skills in-house?

Look beyond the obvious people. Someone on another team may have relevant experience. Someone else may have adjacent skills and need only a little development to get there.

Is the skill realistic to develop in the timeframe you have?

There’s a big difference between a skill someone could pick up through training or experience in a few months and expertise that takes years to develop. Be realistic about what you can build and how much support it will take.

What does the external talent market look like?

Just because a skill is hard to build doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to buy. How available is the talent? How much competition is there for top candidates? And what will it take to bring the right person in?

Once you’ve answered those questions, you'll have a much better picture of whether it makes sense to develop the talent you have or start looking for something you don’t.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “make vs. buy” mean in hiring?

It's the decision to develop (make) talent you already have or hire (buy) it from outside. “Making” usually means internal mobility—training or promoting an existing employee into the role—while “buying” means recruiting someone external who already has the skills. Most teams use a mix, decided role by role.

When should you build vs. buy talent?

Build when the skill can realistically be developed in your timeframe and someone on the team is close to ready; buy when the skill is specialized, net-new, or needed faster than you can grow it. Start from the business goal and the specific skills it requires, not the job title on the open req.

What are the benefits of internal mobility?

Internal mobility keeps hard-won company knowledge in the business, gives employees a path to grow, and often fills a role faster and cheaper than an external search. It also helps retention: 51% of active job seekers have already looked for a new position inside their current company.

How do you decide between developing talent and hiring externally?

Run a short checklist: where is the business headed, what skills does the work actually require, do you already have some of them in-house, is the skill realistic to develop in your timeframe, and what does the external talent market look like? The answers tell you whether to build a talent pipeline from within or buy from outside.

When It’s Time to "Buy” Talent, Make the Search Count

Sometimes, the skills your business needs next aren’t already in-house. And when “buy” is the answer, you need a recruiting strategy that helps you find the right talent and keep them engaged.

Lever helps recruiting teams find and engage great candidates, build stronger talent pipelines, and stay connected with the people who can help move the business forward.

Because knowing you need to hire externally is only the first decision. Finding the right person is what comes next.

Ready to find the talent your business needs? Learn more about Lever.