Cross-Training to Create an Effective Workforce

Why You Should Cross-Train Your Workforce

A fundamental concept in workforce management is cross-training. Cross-training involves equipping employees with the skills, capabilities, and knowledge to perform various job responsibilities. This practice ensures that companies are well-prepared for unforeseen circumstances and periods of high workload and demand, during which all employees must collaborate effectively. Additionally, it addresses situations when a crucial team member is unavailable, requiring another employee with specialized skills or knowledge to step in and handle the absent worker's tasks.

On an individual level, cross-training gives employees knowledge beyond their primary role. This approach enhances organizational flexibility and broadens employees' skill sets. An additional advantage is that it offers each team member a more comprehensive grasp of the organization's inner workings. This empowering strategy also ensures readiness for unforeseen circumstances when an entirely different skill set may be required to maintain the organization's seamless operation.??

Additionally, cross-training serves the secondary cause of creating an opportunity for employees to expand their knowledge, gain leadership opportunities, and increase their overall job satisfaction. According to SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, a satisfied workforce is 68% less likely to leave. Creating a positive work environment is crucial in the warehousing and distribution industry, which experiences over 46% higher turnover than the average industry.

Creating a positive work environment is crucial in the warehousing and distribution industry, which experiences over 46% higher turnover than the average industry.

Cross-training not only prepares companies for exigencies but strengthens team relationships. Employees who might otherwise have been siloed in their specific areas of expertise can broaden their organizational knowledge. This fosters team connections and information sharing and makes it more likely that employees will routinely reach out to others for help. As a result, the quality and scope of the work accomplished improves. Furthermore, process and workflow design can also experience improvements as cross-trained employees are motivated to acquire new perspectives and propose solutions that positively impact the entire organization. Some companies incorporate cross-training into their succession planning strategies. In this model, employees in lower-level leadership positions train alongside higher-ranking individuals. This practice allows senior executives to accurately assess which employees are likely to thrive in more demanding roles. Potential successors are easily identified as junior employees gain insight into the company's overarching functioning and what it takes to lead the company or division.??

Cross-Training Methods

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to cross-training. Your program might align two departments with similar situations and needs- making the positions well-suited for cross-training. Or, your training program may seek to extend employees' breadth of knowledge by placing them in positions requiring radically different skills and abilities to succeed. Whichever you choose, it's essential to choose the most appropriate cross-training method based upon your own needs and goals. On-the-job or shadowing may be the most common approach, but sometimes, instructor-led training can be a worthy supplement or a primary process. For many in today's digitally enabled workplace, the convenience and flexibility of online training, or e-learning, makes the remote approach viable as well.

Firstly, employees must always have and follow a written standard operating procedure (SOP). The SOP needs to be accessible to all and followed without exception. Start by gathering your SOPs, then plan your curriculum. You may start in a classroom setting, or you can set the tone at your shift start-up.??Regardless of which method you choose, follow it without fail. Within your training curriculum, ensure that you communicate objectives clearly, set performance objectives, and evaluate criteria. Your plan should also be concise, clear, and accessible to all.

One method of cross-training is "learning by doing," which means providing employees with the space, time, and training to learn various functions and roles and allowing them to utilize these skills immediately. This on-the-job aspect of cross-training, often preceding outside classes and modules, renders the methodology both accessible and relevant.??

Ensure that you communicate objectives clearly, set performance objectives, and evaluate criteria.

Implementing a cross-training program requires creating a chart of everyone on the team and carefully considering their job responsibilities and descriptions. Then, evaluate on-the-job knowledge and match employees with departments or functions that require their skills.

Another aspect of a successful cross-training program is rotating employees regularly. Schedule employees in different areas in which they've been trained or are in training during off-peak hours and seasons. This way, you are not taking an essential employee out of their primary role at a time when they're needed there the most. This is accomplished through a thorough matrix, or chart of employees and areas of proficiency, and an engaged management team that can identify strengths and weaknesses in their employees. You may find that an employee performs adequately in one area but shines brightly in another. That employee can fill in but will only create long-term success in a role where they are entirely comfortable.??Be cautious about placing an employee in an area where their performance is only adequate. Remember, a happy employee always outperforms an unsatisfied employee; and a feeling of success is crucial in ensuring job satisfaction.

Put Your Plan in Place and Reap the Rewards

If you are ready to begin your cross-training journey, congratulations! Cross-training allows you to create an agile workforce of high-performing employees who are satisfied with their roles and opportunities. Companies that actively cross-train their employees enjoy reduced recruiting and retainment costs. Employees who feel their employer is active in their career development perform better and stay at their employer longer.??

Simply put, the net positive return on cross-training your employees is immeasurable. From goodwill to reduced costs and increased productivity, it pays to start cross-training your workforce today.

If you're interested in learning more about how to cross-train your workforce or if you would like to engage a labor solutions provider to create and manage a robust labor program that includes cross-training, increased output, guaranteed quality, and direct labor savings, contact iJility today.

iJility is a niche business specializing in distribution, B2B, B2C, and returns. We handle functions within your facilities while guaranteeing a transactional value, saving our customers 10-20% on their cost per unit. If you are interested in increasing your output and/or lowering your labor costs, contact iJility for a free engineered iJilitySTUDY ?