Crossboarding, a solution to the talent drain

The flight of talent and the high turnover rates of qualified professionals continue to be major challenges to face. Implementing a crossboarding project in the company will allow employees to feel happier and more committed, thus improving their sense of belonging and, with it, their desire to contribute and “not to stray”.

What is Crossboarding?

We define the Crossboarding process as the integration and transition of employees who move from one team, department or functional area to another within the same company.

By implementing a crossboarding project, we can contribute significantly to the retention of talent, the development of employee skills and, yes, also to the improvement of operational efficiency.

Successful crossboarding involves careful planning and implementing effective strategies to ensure a smooth and successful transition for employees who are moving to new roles, teams, or areas within an organization.

10 key points for successful crossboarding

1. Proactive planning: Identifies talent needs and development opportunities within the organization. Anticipate staff movements and proactively plan crossboarding.
2. Integration into organizational culture: Facilitate the integration of the employee into the organizational culture, introducing them to team members, sharing the values and mission of the company, and encouraging participation in team activities.
3. Definition and clear communication of expectations and objectives: Establish clear expectations about the goals and objectives in the new role, as well as key performance indicators to evaluate success. Communicate with employees about available crossboarding opportunities, selection criteria and associated benefits. It provides clarity about expectations, roles and responsibilities in the new role, and the transition process.
4. Personalized orientation and training programs: Design orientation and training programs adapted to the individual needs of employees who are moving to new roles or teams. This can include technical training, immersion in organizational culture, and learning new tools and processes.
5. Mentoring and ongoing support: Assign mentors or sponsors to employees who are going through the crossboarding process. These mentors can provide guidance, support, and feedback to facilitate a successful transition.
6. Ongoing evaluation and feedback: Conduct regular evaluations to monitor employee progress during the crossboarding process. Provide constructive feedback and adjust the plan as needed to address any challenges or areas for improvement.
7. Recognition and celebration of achievements: Recognize and celebrate the achievements and milestones achieved by the employee during their successful transition to the new role or team. This may include formal recognition, additional development opportunities, or financial incentives.
8. Inclusive and collaborative culture: It promotes an organizational culture that values diversity, inclusion and collaboration between teams and departments. This can help employees feel welcome and supported during their crossboarding process.
9. Feedback and continuous evaluation: Provide regular feedback and opportunities to evaluate employee progress during the crossboarding process, identifying areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. Request feedback from employees who have been through the process and adjust practices accordingly.
10. Long-term monitoring: Continue to provide long-term support and follow-up after completing the crossboarding process to ensure continued adaptation and successful performance in the new role.

By implementing these strategies, we can significantly improve the crossboarding process and make the most of internal talent, promoting professional growth, effective collaboration within the organization and thus avoiding talent drain.

Preventing talent drain has a significant impact on various areas of a company, contributing to both operational stability and long-term growth.

The most significant impacts if you avoid talent drain

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Increased Productivity:

• Reduced downtime: reduces the time needed to find, hire and train new employees.
• Cumulative experience: Employees with more time in the company have a deeper understanding of internal processes and can work more efficiently.
• Continuity in projects: Stable teams can maintain continuity in projects, avoiding interruptions and loss of knowledge.

Cost Reduction:

• Lower recruitment costs: The reduction in the need to hire and train new employees significantly lowers associated costs.
• Savings on training: require less continuous training compared to new employees who must be trained from scratch.
• Reduction of costs due to errors: Experienced employees tend to make fewer mistakes, reducing the costs associated with correcting them and improving the quality of work.

Improving the Work Environment:

• Positive work environment: Stability in the work team improves morale and the work environment, which in turn increases employee satisfaction and commitment.
• Organizational culture: Employees linked to the company are ambassadors of organizational culture, helping to maintain and strengthen the company's values, vision and objectives.
• Labor relations: Strong and lasting relationships between employees encourage better teamwork and collaboration.

Innovation and Creativity:

• Institutional knowledge: Employees with more time with the company have a deeper understanding of the business and can contribute more effectively to innovation.
• Trust to innovate: A stable and secure environment encourages employees to be more creative and proactive in generating new ideas.

Improving Business Reputation:

• Employer brand: Companies with low turnover are seen as good employers, attracting high-quality candidates.
• Trust from customers and partners: Retaining talent projects an image of stability and reliability, which is attractive to customers and business partners.

Internal Talent Development:

• Career plan: Employees who remain with the company have more opportunities to develop and advance their professional careers.
• Internal leadership: Retaining employees allows the company to develop internal leaders who understand the organization well and are aligned with its vision and objectives.

Impact on Financial Performance:

• Sustainability: Companies with high talent retention tend to have better long-term financial performance due to continuity in operation and reduced costs.
• Profitability: The combination of higher productivity, lower turnover and reduced costs leads to greater profitability.

Capacity to Respond to Changes:

• Adaptability: A stable and experienced team is better able to adapt to changes in the market, technology and other relevant areas.
• Resilience: Retaining key employees increases a company's resilience to unforeseen challenges.

Avoiding talent drain not only improves a company's operational and financial performance, but it also contributes to the creation of a positive work environment and to the company's ability to innovate and adapt to future changes. Companies that manage to make their most talented employees fall in love with them are better positioned to achieve and maintain long-term success.

At Izo, we develop 360º crossboarding projects as part of the strategic definition of the Employee Experience methodology, always on the basis that happy employees are more productive, more faithful, more creative and supportive. It's not always possible to offer vertical promotion within the company, but we can always offer possibilities for improvement through training, empowerment and internal change. However, don't forget that the basis of every Experience strategy is listening and you should always design your project from, by and for your collaborators.