When you rely too much on certain employees, your business could be at risk if they are unable to work or quit. Cross-training protects your business and benefits employees with opportunities to learn new skills.

Does your business rely on an indispensable employee? If so, your business could take a critical hit if your superstar suddenly became unable to work or quits. One way to mitigate this risk is to cross-train your team. By doing so, your team will be more flexible and losing one employee won’t mean your company takes a huge hit. Here are tips for starting a cross-training program.

Promote the benefits for employees

Of course, with cross-training the company gets a nimbler and more adaptable team but what’s in it for employees? For starters, they get the opportunity to learn new skills that make them more valuable and increases their opportunities for advancement. Plus, they’re less likely to get bored.

Involve employees in planning and timing

Open a dialog at all levels of your organization about the need for cross-training. Identify roles and tasks that should be covered. You may not need to cross-train everyone. Use the dialog to discover if you need an informal program (like one-on-one training) or something more formal like a job rotation program.

Also, make sure everyone is not cross-training simultaneously. This could disrupt normal business operations.

Set expectations and start small

Make sure employees know what is expected as a result of cross-training. At a minimum, employees in critical roles must have someone who can cover their tasks at a moment’s notice.

Start small, learn what works and then expand your cross-training program. Identify employees who welcome new experiences to pilot the program. After you work out the kinks, roll it out to other business areas.

Evaluate progress and recognize employees who participate

Develop a plan for evaluating the effectiveness of your cross-training. After the first session, review what was covered the week before and see if the trainee has questions. Then move on to new tasks.

Recognize employees who participate and advance their skills. This might include:

• public or private recognition
• monetary rewards
• time off

Lead by example

Model the behavior you want from your employees. Set aside specific times for cross-training. A lot can be shared in just one hour a week.

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