8 Reasons Why Your Company Needs Cross-Trained Employees

It’s the height of flu season, and you walked in to work this morning only to discover that half your team is out sick. What do you do? Panic? Pack it up and call it a day?

This scenario is where cross training shines. It’s not just about flexibility but also building a resilient, versatile team ready to tackle any challenge. Cross training empowers employees to step into multiple roles, fostering a dynamic and engaged workforce.

By embracing cross training, you boost efficiency, enhance collaboration, and ensure seamless coverage during peak periods or unexpected absences. More importantly, it creates a culture of continuous learning and growth, which employees want: 89% of workers say that professional development in their field is important to keeping them more engaged at work.

Dive into the benefits and strategies of cross training, and discover how it can strengthen your organization!

What is Cross Training?

Cross training is a professional strategy where employees are trained to perform tasks and responsibilities outside their primary roles. This practice builds a more versatile workforce by allowing employees to gain skills and experience in different areas.

This approach can significantly improve overall efficiency, enhance team collaboration, and provide better coverage during absences or peak periods. Moreover, cross training boosts employee engagement and job satisfaction by offering new learning opportunities and career development paths.

By implementing cross training, you can foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptability, helping your team be prepared to meet new challenges and drive the organization forward.

The Benefits of Cross Training Employees

1. Cross-Trained Employees Are More Efficient and Productive

When cross-trained, employees can take on multiple tasks and complete them quickly. This is because they gain a better understanding of how the company works, which allows them to think more strategically and identify areas where certain skills can be best utilized.

For example, say your marketing department needs to put together a new campaign about a product launch. Typically your marketing team would need to tap the product team to answer questions about how the new feature works and the steps involved in developing your product.

Without cross-training, your marketing team is at the mercy of your product team’s availability and schedule. With cross-training, your marketing team will get firsthand experience in the product department. That empowers them to be able to make decisions on upcoming product launches on their own, removing their reliance on the product team.

When done correctly, cross-training gives employees the power of shared knowledge without needing more team members. This not only saves employee onboarding costs but time as well!

2. A Shared Workload Increases Flexibility and Reduces Stress

Nine out of 10of workers say their emotional wellness impacts their productivity, and workforce shortages can cause  stress levels to rise. With a cross-trained workforce, team members can fill in workforce shortages, creating more flexibility in their schedules. As a result, sharing the workload reduces stress and helps everyone stay focused. 

By sharing responsibilities and balancing the work across multiple employees, everyone can contribute to various roles and take time off when needed. This can help build a more engaged workforce and foster stronger relationships among coworkers.

In addition, shared workloads can promote collaboration within an organization. When they understand each others’ roles, individuals can know when to work with a certain team and how to work together most effectively. For example, a product team might have an idea, but they know (thanks to cross training) that the development team has expertise that could benefit them. That enables both teams to work together for a better product. These are some tips for implementing shared workloads in your organization:

• Document procedures for each role and the specific tasks involved.
• Identify the areas where work already overlaps across teams or departments.
• Assign employees to train others on how to perform their functions.
• Set up a group or one-to-one training for professional development.

3. Employee Cross-Training Improves Communication

Cross-training helps employees learn about each other’s strengths and weaknesses. By understanding how each person contributes to the organization’s overall success, individuals can better know how to  communicate effectively.

For example, when two different departments are working on the same project, cross-trained employees can quickly anticipate their coworkers’ needs. They can plan ahead and produce the content or needed deliverables without asking for it.

This can help drive employee engagement, which is essential for driving long-term growth and success in any business.

4. Enhanced Employee Skillsets Boost Employee Motivation

By learning new tasks, employees expand their knowledge, making them more valuable to the company and boosting their workplace motivation. Whether in a traditional office setting or a virtual environment, enhancing employees’ skill sets through cross-training can help them stay engaged and excited about their work.

Cross-training employees, like any other strategic employee benefit, can significantly enhance your business. As work performance improves through this training, your business becomes more competitive. These programs help your team members discover hidden talents and increase your company's agility, making this strategy advantageous regardless of your business's size or industry.

Here are some suggestions for enhancing specific skills:

• Break down tasks into subtasks that are smaller and more manageable.
• Make sure that each employee has a clear understanding of what they are expected to learn.
• Provide ongoing support and feedback throughout the process to ensure employees get the most out of their training.

5. Cross-Training Employees Increases Job Satisfaction and Prevents Burnout

Burnout is an all-too-common hazard of the modern workplace, and it can have serious consequences for employees’ wellbeing. Cross-training helps prevent burnout and keeps employees engaged.

When employees feel burnt out in their positions, their creativity suffers. If they don't see opportunities for growth within your organization, they may start looking for new jobs. 

Conversely, when employees believe there is potential for growth, they are more likely to take advantage of training opportunities. This enhances individual skills and increases their loyalty and engagement with the company.

To make cross-training an appealing opportunity rather than an added responsibility, ask your employees what skills they are interested in developing. Successful cross-training often involves creating personalized training plans that align with each individual's aspirations and needs.

6. Risk Mitigation and Business Continuity

The workplace can be full of the unexpected. A coworker might leave, or someone calls in sick. There might be an emergency where someone can’t handle their responsibilities for some time. None of this can be predicted, but it can be handled with successful cross-training. 

Cross-training prepares your team members to work across departments. They have additional training to handle different types of responsibilities. That way when the unexpected happens, you’re able to utilize that cross-training to maintain business continuity. You don’t lose time or resources when something happens and can instead have your cross-trained employees hop onto necessary tasks. That matters especially in industries where even a little bit of lost time can be costly. 

All in all, cross-training is a way for your company to mitigate risk. There’s always a risk that someone will be unable to work for whatever reason. When you have employees who are trained in a variety of areas, you’re lowering that risk. 

7. Innovation and Problem-Solving

When your employees cross-train, they’re exposed to different ways of working and thinking. Even if they aren’t actively using those tools in their day-to-day work, cross-training can still help workers innovate. 

Cross-training encourages individuals to think outside of the box when challenges arrive. They’re able to approach obstacles with fresh perspectives that they gained from learning about other roles and departments.  

8. Cross-Trained Employees Can Inform Your HR Practices

During the cross-training process, you’ll be able to gather valuable feedback from your people that increases the sustainability of your business. As people gain experience in areas they haven’t worked in before, they may have thoughts about how human resources can improve training. Consider using these new perspectives and ideas to enhance your training and the day-to-day life of your workers.

For example, your employees might tell you about difficulties getting started with a certain software program. Your team can take that feedback and adjust your onboarding process to help new team members adapt quickly. 

Types of Employee Cross-Training 

There are several types of cross training that organizations can implement to enhance their workforce's versatility:

Job Rotation

Employees switch roles with colleagues on a temporary basis. This helps them understand different functions within the organization and develop a broader skill set.

Mentorship Programs

Senior employees mentor junior employees in different departments, sharing their knowledge and skills. This helps junior staff gain insights and expertise in various areas.

Workshops and Seminars

Employees participate in workshops and seminars focused on different skills or areas of expertise. These sessions can be internal or external and provide targeted learning opportunities.

Job Shadowing

Employees observe colleagues in different roles to learn about their tasks and responsibilities. This provides practical insights and helps employees understand the intricacies of other positions.

Project-Based Cross Training

 Employees work on projects outside their usual roles. This type of cross training provides hands-on experience and helps employees develop skills in new areas.

Temporary Assignments

Employees are temporarily assigned to different roles or departments. This allows them to gain experience and skills in new areas while still returning to their original position after the assignment.

E-Learning Courses

Online courses and training modules allow employees to learn new skills at their own pace. This is a flexible option that can be tailored to individual needs and schedules.

A robust cross-training program is likely to include several different kinds of initiatives. This gives employees multiple opportunities to engage in this professional development, and supports multiple learning styles.

Measure Success with These Cross-Trained Employee KPIs 

Measuring the success of a cross training program is essential to ensure it meets organizational goals and delivers value. Measuring these metrics before you roll out your program and then tracking how they change over time gives you a window into the program’s impact on your organization. 

1. Employee Skill Growth

• Skills Assessment Scores: Measure improvements in specific skills through regular assessments before and after cross training.
• Certification Completion Rates: Track the number of employees who complete relevant certifications or training modules.

2. Employee Engagement and Satisfaction

• Employee Feedback: Conduct surveys to gather employee opinions on the cross training program and its impact on their job satisfaction.
• Participation Rates: Monitor the number of employees who volunteer for or participate in cross training opportunities.

3. Productivity and Performance

• Task Proficiency: Evaluate how quickly employees can perform new tasks learned through cross training.
• Error Rates: Track the number of mistakes made by employees in their new roles compared to before the training.

4. Retention and Turnover Rates

• Employee Retention: Measure the retention rates of employees who have participated in cross training versus those who have not.
• Voluntary Turnover: Track the turnover rate of employees who leave voluntarily, comparing those who have undergone cross training to those who have not.

5. Operational Efficiency

• Coverage During Absences: Monitor how effectively cross-trained employees can cover for colleagues during absences or peak periods.
• Time to Fill Internal Vacancies: Track the time it takes to fill internal job vacancies with cross-trained employees.

6. Cost Savings and ROI

• Training Costs: Compare the costs of cross training programs to the savings from reduced turnover, improved productivity, and fewer hiring needs.
• Return on Investment (ROI): Calculate the ROI of cross training by comparing the financial benefits to the program’s costs.

7. Internal Mobility

• Promotion Rates: Track the number of employees who receive promotions after participating in cross training.
• Internal Job Applications: Measure the number of cross-trained employees applying for internal job postings.

Support Employee Development with Wellness Programs 

Implementing cross-training programs can deliver a host of benefits. From enhancing operational efficiency to keeping your team members motivated, these boons can ultimately help you combat problems like burnout and a lack of engagement.

Cross-training is just one way to boost employee engagement. Wellbeing programs are another powerful asset. Eighty-five percent of companies find these types of initiatives support employee engagement. On top of that, 85% of HR leaders say wellness programs decrease talent management costs, including efforts in retention and engagement. These programs support your people and reduce your company’s expenses.

Talk to a Wellbeing Specialist to learn more about how wellness programs can benefit your company. 

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• How to Drive Success with Organizational Development and Training
• Eight Tactics to Improve Organizational Training and Development