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Cross-boarding and Onboarding: what is the difference?

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Cross-boarding and onboarding are the methods of recruiting a person to a job vacancy. Both of the methods have different advantages and disadvantages.

Cross-boarding:

Cross-boarding is the process of looking for existing employees in the organization. The employer chooses his talents after assessing who can be suitable for the vacant position. It can be a promotion or change of position. This process leverages the existing resources in the organization to perform the tasks that arise in the organization, rather than searching for new employees outside.

Onboarding:

Onboarding is the process of hiring new people on the job vacant. Employer chooses the new employees after several tests and interviews. Employers select the employees that pass through the examination for the job. Human resource management of the organization are responsible of this process. It allows the outside resources into the organization to perform the tasks that arise in it, rather than appointing the employees from within the organization.

Crossboarding and Onboarding have their benefits. They also differ from each other. The difference between Crossboarding and Onboarding is as follows:

Risk factor:

The risk factor is differentiated on the basis that which method has the high risk involved or not. 

Crossboarding: The risk is not so high in this method. The cross-boarded employee can be less proficient in his job as compared to the previous job. But the risk is still less than hiring an external candidate. Because he worked with the organization in the past.

Onboarding: The risk is high in this method. The employer doesn’t know much about the new employee. The new employee can be proficient in his job or could be incompetent to the job. He doesn’t know much about the organization, so he will take time to adjust to the new environment.

Talent and Ideas:

Each employee has different talents and ideas for the benefit of the organization. This factor differentiates between these two factors as:

Crossboarding: Crossboarding doesn’t allow new talent. Since the employer selects the employees from within the organization. The employer either promotes or shifts to another job the same talent. New ideas may take place, but will not be something that the organization did not have before.

Onboarding:  Onboarding allows new talent. This process of selection allows for the appointment of employees from outside. When the new talent enters into the organization, they also come with new talent and ideas. These fresh ideas can be beneficial to the organization.

Cost:

The cost is involved in appointing new employees in the organization. It is differentiated on the basis that which method is more cost-effective.

Crossboarding: Crossboarding is less costly. Because the recruitment process is played within the organization, so, it costs less. Because there is no need to pay the salary of a new employee. The company pays the same employee in the organization for another job.

Onboarding: Onboarding is less cost-effective. The recruitment process includes tests and interviewing costs of the hiring of a new employee. After that, the salary of the new employee also gets added into the cost. It takes more time and cost as compared to the cross-boarding process.

Employee retention: 

Employee retention refers to the ability to retain the employees in the organization. The methods differ in a way that has increased employee retention in the organization.

Crossboarding: Crossboarding boosts employee retention by keeping the employees within the organization, by just switching the employee from one job to another. It also encourages the other employees who see their fellow employee’s internal transfer in the organization. They may not leave the organization thinking that they may also get a similar opportunity in the future.

Onboarding:  Onboarding is not that effective for employee retention. When the employer hires new employees in his organization, the retention rate is increased but there is a possibility of those employees leaving the job. But if the employer implements the Onboarding process effectively, the new employees will retain their jobs. As a result, this will increase the employee retention rate of the organization.

Experience:

The employee who has worked in the same organization in the past has experience with the same organization, whereas, the employee who is new in the organization may have experienced from the other organization. This differentiates as:

Crossboarding: In this process, when you hire an employee from the same organization. That employee has a connection with the managers, staff, and the organization in the past job. It benefits the employee to easily get the job because he has relative experience of the work.

Onboarding: In this process, the employee is new to the organization and doesn’t know about the organization. But he may have work experience from another organization. Which may or may not be beneficial for the organization. The employee has to make connections with the other employees of the team. The employee may require training for the job and can take time to adjust to the new environment.