According to recent research highlighted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), now is the time for professionals in the Human Resources (HR) department to step up and fully embrace cross-training programs. By many counts, 60% of the workforce in North America is underengaged, and employee retention is a huge problem. Fortunately, members of the C-suite and HR professionals alike are beginning to see the many benefits of cross-training their employees.
Cross-training programs prepare employees to do more than a single job. Here are the major benefits your company will enjoy once you implement a cross-training program:
- Highly engaged workers who are more agile and own a diverse skill set they can implement across the organization
- More durable workforce, since others can step up when someone needs to take a vacation or when someone leaves the organization
- Cooperative work environment driven by teamwork and greater understanding of diverse skill sets, workflows, and workloads
- Efficient business operations that are not siloed but viewed holistically, alongside the strategic initiatives of the entire organization
It’s important to know that there are different types of cross-training programs to choose from (listed below) if you’re serious about implementing a cross-training program.
Cross-Training Across Departments
Have employees shadow someone in a different department so they understand the scope of work the other department is responsible for daily, especially when the departments’ operations are directly linked. For example, phone sales reps could greatly benefit from understanding how orders are processed and handled in the order fulfilment department and billing department. This way, they can circumvent customer concerns while they’re placing orders over the phone, and they will understand firsthand how the orders will be handled once they’re placed on the customer’s behalf.
Cross-Training Skill Sets
Perhaps the most valuable type of cross-training to implement is cross-training skill sets. You could have all employees learn the same platforms and systems your organization uses to alleviate confusion and backlogged work that only a handful of people can currently do. You could also train engineers in business writing, and train marketers to code. Enhancing individual skill sets challenges employees, which keeps them engaged and leaves them better prepared to take on more advanced leadership roles with your organization, roles that will require a well-rounded background and diverse skill set.
Different Roles and Job Rotation Cross-Training
The best managers are those who understand the ins and outs of the different roles they’re responsible for managing. A well-structured cross-training program could entail employees executing different job roles over the course of a few months at a time as they rotate through different roles. For instance, someone who wants to know everything there is about marketing might act as a media planner for your organization for a few months and then rotate on to a copywriter role a few months later, until they have rotated through most or all the marketing roles available in your organization.
Use one or more of the types of cross-training listed above to develop a more well-rounded staff who will be the future leaders of your organization.