What Are the Benefits of Cross Training Employees?
The term cross-training means to teach an employee job functions outside his regular duties. For example, you may train an administrative assistant to do additional job functions related to human resources. Or, you may cross-train a forklift operator to perform the job duties of a shipping and receiving clerk. Establishing cross-training may take some planning, but there are definite benefits to the practice.
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Personnel Flexibility
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When more than one person is trained for a job function, the trained person can be called upon in many situations to benefit the company. For example, if a person in the accounts payable department needs to have surgery, a person who has been cross-trained can step in and fill the position until the accounts payable clerk returns. By having someone cross-trained with the knowledge of a particular job, it improves the company's ability to perform.
Employee Benefits
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When an employee is trained in a job function outside her current position, she gains job skills for career growth. If the company has a sudden growth that requires additional staffing, the cross-trained person has the skills to move into the position. This is also an asset when a downturn occurs within the company. A person who has more than one job skill has a better chance of keeping her job than someone who can only perform one job function.
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Job Rotation
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A variation on cross-training is called job rotation. An employee is assigned to another position for a longer period of time such as one month, six months or even longer. The employee takes on the responsibility of the job during this time period beyond being a trainee. Job rotation is beneficial to the company because it improves processes and teamwork. For example, if an employee moves into a management position on a job rotation, he needs a good process outline of how the job is performed. He will clarify inconsistencies and improve the overall process. He may also have a new perspective of current processes and have ways to streamline the business. This can be profitable for the company, as unnecessary work is eliminated.
Company Benefits
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Specific company advantages are achieved by using cross-training. When employees move to different departments, it allows them to see more of the "big picture" of the company. For example, if a person from shipping and receiving cross-trains in accounts payable, she may see ways to improve how the two departments work together. Perhaps the shipping and receiving department has four steps that must be taken to submit the paperwork to accounts payable. Due to her knowledge of both departments, the employee may see how to reduce or eliminate a step or two. This reduces overall costs to the company.
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References
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