Turning Internal Mobility Into a Durable Capability with Angie Peterson, Coursera
Tue Jan 27 2026
Clarity is the foundation of any effective internal mobility program.
Angie Peterson, Talent Operations & Programs Manager at Coursera, joins Shannon to break down how her team turned employee feedback into a durable system for internal career growth. After survey data showed employees didn’t understand how to move internally, Angie partnered with L&D to diagnose the real blockers, conduct listening circles, and reframe internal mobility as a company-wide operating model.
She walks through how Coursera moved from one-off efforts to a shared language, accessible tools, and a structure that centers employee agency. Because of this, a scalable system was made that gives people confidence to navigate their careers, and gives the business better retention and planning.
Key takeaways:
Clarity changes behavior: Most internal mobility issues are due to confusion, not lack of opportunity.Start with shared language: Defining terms company-wide is a low-lift, high-impact first step.Use what you have: Coursera kept 70% of its existing materials but packaged them better.Make internal hiring feel human: Candidate experience doesn’t end after someone joins the company, it only starts there.Timestamps:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:43) Meet Angie Peterson
(02:13) Why internal mobility is often underutilized
(03:53) What Coursera learned from its employee engagement survey
(06:52) How listening circles revealed the real blockers
(10:28) Why internal mobility is an operating model, not a perk
(13:42) What Coursera kept, repackaged, and rebuilt from their existing program
(15:18) Launching the internal mobility hub and resources
(17:50) The unexpected value of a career chatbot
(19:58) Addressing mentorship without building a full program
(21:16) How Coursera enabled hiring managers and recruiters
(24:28) Measuring early signals of program impact
(28:01) Making internal mobility a durable business system
(30:13) Where to connect with Angie
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Clarity is the foundation of any effective internal mobility program. Angie Peterson, Talent Operations & Programs Manager at Coursera, joins Shannon to break down how her team turned employee feedback into a durable system for internal career growth. After survey data showed employees didn’t understand how to move internally, Angie partnered with L&D to diagnose the real blockers, conduct listening circles, and reframe internal mobility as a company-wide operating model. She walks through how Coursera moved from one-off efforts to a shared language, accessible tools, and a structure that centers employee agency. Because of this, a scalable system was made that gives people confidence to navigate their careers, and gives the business better retention and planning. Key takeaways: Clarity changes behavior: Most internal mobility issues are due to confusion, not lack of opportunity.Start with shared language: Defining terms company-wide is a low-lift, high-impact first step.Use what you have: Coursera kept 70% of its existing materials but packaged them better.Make internal hiring feel human: Candidate experience doesn’t end after someone joins the company, it only starts there.Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:43) Meet Angie Peterson (02:13) Why internal mobility is often underutilized (03:53) What Coursera learned from its employee engagement survey (06:52) How listening circles revealed the real blockers (10:28) Why internal mobility is an operating model, not a perk (13:42) What Coursera kept, repackaged, and rebuilt from their existing program (15:18) Launching the internal mobility hub and resources (17:50) The unexpected value of a career chatbot (19:58) Addressing mentorship without building a full program (21:16) How Coursera enabled hiring managers and recruiters (24:28) Measuring early signals of program impact (28:01) Making internal mobility a durable business system (30:13) Where to connect with Angie