Top 8 Best Practices for Employee Cross-Training

June 15, 2020


Are you cross-training your employees and empowering them to unlock their full potential? In this guide of best practices, we discuss what cross-training is, how to get started, and the benefits you could expect from cross-training your employees.

Cross-training has always been a popular way to expand workforce capabilities and optimize resource utilization.

Today, with skill requirements constantly evolving, companies can benefit from cross-training employees to maximize the available talent. And they are on the right track – a 2018 academic research paperOpens a new window found that cross-training is among the most effective methods of improving both individual and team performance, driving up an employee’s efficiency in the workplace.

So, how do you go about cross-training your employees in 2020? Is there a set of best practices that can help you strengthen its impact? Before we discuss these questions, let’s look at the definition of employees cross-training in more detail.

Learn More: A Career in Learning and Development: 10 Must-Have Skills to Make It Big in 2020Opens a new window

What Is Employee Cross-Training?

Employee cross-training is the process of helping an employee imbibe skills outside of their immediate role. It may include both hard and soft skills, but usually, companies focus on hard skills when cross-training their employees. This is because soft skills are far more universal and almost equally relevant for every job.

For example, let’s say you have hired a graduate with a bachelor’s degree in technology for a software developer role. Over time, you notice that the recruit has an aptitude for copywriting as well. You could choose to cross-train the employee, collaborating with the marketing team, eventually transitioning them to a role where their knowledge of software development, as well as copywriting capabilities, is put to productive use.

In 2020, cross-training will be particularly necessary given the widespread skills gap around the world. For instance, the World Economic Forum recently reportedOpens a new window that 82% of companies face a shortage of cybersecurity skills ­– 71% said that this directly harms their organization. If hiring an entire cybersecurity team isn’t feasible for a company, you could assign one expert as a “coach” or “mentor” for cross-training sessions, inviting participation from technology professionals who are interested in this area.

Cybersecurity is only an example – you could apply cross-training in a wide variety of domains, as long as it is relevant to your line of business, and there is a learning appetite from employees. Let’s now explore the best practices for getting started.

8 Best Practices for Cross-Training Employees

Several studies reaffirm the need for cross-training employees. PwC, for example, highlighted that cross-training is particularly relevant in the age of AI, as it helps build a “multilingual” team that can speak in both technology and business-focused languages.

Here are eight best practices to remember if cross-training employees is a key priority for your organization this year:

1. Start by analyzing (and curbing) risk

Risk analysis is the most crucial step in launching a cross-training program. You could be running these risks before implementing the program:

  • Employees may perceive it as a specialization-limiting exercise that diverts them from their focus areas. Senior professionals who have acquired years of expertise in an area may be particularly concerned.
  • Employees may become anxious about an impending layoff, assuming that the company could be using cross-skilling to prepare for this move. Here, HR will have to step in and reassure employees about their value/role in the organization and inform them about the benefits of cross-training.
  • Employees’ regular workflows will be affected in the process of cross-training and, in turn, affect performance. In a bid to be cross-trained, employees shouldn’t have to compromise on their core key result areas (KRAs) and annual/biannual performance targets.

To curb such risks, companies need a robust change management strategy before cross-training employees.

This comprises four components: communication, feedback, identifying change “champions,” and realignment.

The first step is to communicate the need and benefits of cross-training across the workforce. How will they gain from the exercise? Conversely, what would be the adverse impact of not undergoing cross-training? This step creates a sense of urgency for change.

Next, conduct a survey to gather feedback on employee fears/perceptions around cross-training. Identify advocates of cross-training – your “champions” – to ease employees into the new program, alleviating any concerns.

Finally, realign the program to meet employee needs and expectations. For instance, if a team expresses concern around the impact of cross-training on core work activities, companies can explain that it intends to invest in workload reduction (see point 5).

2. Make it voluntary

Unlike regular training programs, cross-training should always be voluntary and targeted toward a select employee group. Mandatory cross-training will lead to a high degree of risk (see the previous point), diluting the impact of the training program. It could also reduce the chances of getting buy-in from your workforce.

That’s why it is advisable to clearly communicate the voluntary nature of employee cross-training, how it will add to their overall employability, and the short-term rewards/incentives involved. One way you can do this is by launching an internal marketing campaign centered on the benefits of cross-training (mentioned later), gradually piquing interest in your workforce.

Finally, identify a specific group of employees who will undergo cross-training – remember, some workers will want to continue their specialization. Others may just be getting started in a particular role.

Analyzing employees’ learning potential and inviting voluntary participation from those who are best suited to learning new skills outside their current repertoire should be on your mind.

3. Base cross-training programs on performance analytics

How exactly do you define the employee group for cross-training? Using performance analytics.

The data from your performance management system can reveal valuable (and often surprising) insights into an employee’s potential.

Let’s say that an employee is positively reviewed by peers as “helps out other teams, beyond the KRA.” You could initiate a one-on-one discussion with the specific teams that interest the employee, what is it about those jobs that appear attractive, and whether the employee is genuinely interested in acquiring a new skill.

Interestingly, performance gaps could also highlight cross-training opportunities. For example, a software developer whose on-the-job performance is “average” but is rated “exceptional” in communication and soft skills may benefit from training in sales.

Implementing performance analytics will highlight these areas, suggesting exactly which employees to include in your 2020 cross-training program.

4. Use mentoring and reverse-mentoring programs

Mentorships can prove invaluable to your employee cross-training program.

Cross-training requires employees to venture outside their comfort zone, often delving into topics in which they have very little prior knowledge. A mentor acts as the go-to guide during this process, demystifying complexities and giving learners a clearer picture of what they can expect.

Mentorships also demonstrate the real-world value of cross-training. Let’s say a software developer is being trained in marketing – you could pair the learner with a marketing veteran who has leadership skills. The mentor’s industry success would encourage the learner to pick up new skills, even as the mentor provides that all-important human touch to the training program.

Another useful tactic is reverse mentoring. In such scenarios, senior professionals are paired with a junior team member, encouraging a free flow of ideas. This is particularly effective for digital cross-training – for instance, a print marketer acquiring data science skills. You could assign a digital native data science graduate as the “reverse mentor,” allowing both employees to gain from each other’s skillsets and worldview.

5. Factor workload reduction into your employee cross-training budgets

There’s no getting around it: cross-training will definitely involve dedicated time, taking employees away from their core revenue-generating jobs. That’s why you need to expand the ambit of investment, factoring in lost time and opportunities, in addition to the cost of hiring trainers or implementing learning platforms.

Take inspiration from PwC’s digital upskilling program.

The company recently announced a $3 billion investment for digital training for its entire 275,000-strong workforce. This amount is segmented into four parts – digital training tools, community projects, partnerships, and, most importantly, the time employees will spend in the classroom instead of working with customers, potentially leading to a revenue loss.

Assess the expected number of hours employees would spend on cross-training. Next, link it to an estimate of the effort involved, quantifying the value generated per hour by cross-training.

Could a company-wide cross-training program lead to a dip in new customer acquisition? Could existing businesses suffer? This “lost opportunity cost” must feature in your employee cross-training budget.

This is a critical best practice, particularly for C-level and C-minus level leaders, as it ensures the overall sustainability of the training initiative, guiding it in the right strategic direction.

Further, it eases the pressure on employees to undertake training alongside their regular, core responsibilities. They are reassured that the leadership has dedicated a specific portion of budgets to workload reduction (i.e., lower productivity) and can focus on acquiring new skills more freely.

6. Ensure that cross-training skills are transferable

The transferability of skills plays a significant role in incentivizing employees to cross-train in the first place. For example, if a software developer picks up marketing skills in your company and can somehow demonstrate the learning when switching to a new company, they will be much more interested in the program.

This is not to say that cross-trained employees would inevitably look for greener pastures. Far from it – training in cross-disciplinary areas could even work as a retention strategy!

However, we recommend that companies keep the employee’s interest and long-term aspirations in mind when designing a cross-training program. This means offering in-house certifications and credentials that are transferable even outside your organization. There are two ways to do this:

  • Partner with educational institutions and curate a catalog of relevant courses for employees to take. The company sponsors the course (partially or fully), the employee brings new skills into the workplace, and the degree/certification provided by the institution can be carried forward.
  • Consider offering your employees micro-credentials. In this model, each skill is assigned a digital badge, which is added to an employee’s skills portfolio upon completion of a course. You could make the badges transferable (like PwC did), ensuring that it continues to be relevant for the longest possible time.

7. Leverage LXPs

Learning experience platforms or LXPsOpens a new window are an excellent way to offer employees training in a vast range of skills. Unlike a traditional learning management system (LMS)Opens a new window , which is limited to the content that you create in-house, an LXP is ever-evolving. This makes it ideal for employee cross-training, where you’re continually growing the scope of skills acquisition.

If you’re looking for specific recommendations, consider Degreed, a platform that hosts courses on a variety of topics – from soft skills like public speaking to hard skills like JavaScript and social media marketing. Other options include Percipio, whose USP is a browser plug-in for in-workflow learning, and of course, LinkedIn Learning.

8. Follow a three-pronged outcome pathway

It’s essential to link cross-training to clear outcomes. This is because the skills that an employee will learn aren’t part of their immediate KRAs, so chances of absorption and retention may be low. The risk of the forgetting curveOpens a new window noopener" title="Opens a new window" target="_blank" href='https://www.hrtechnologist.com/articles/learning-development/workplace-learning-program-forgetting-curve/' rel="nofollow noopener" title="Opens a new window" target="_blank"> kicking in is very high if employees don’t perceive value from the cross-training skills.

You could look at a three-pronged outcome pathway, covering rewards, growth, and succession:

  • Rewards and recognition: Recognition is essential for employees who successfully complete a cross-training program. It will make others more interested in future activities. You could also bolster recognition with tangible rewards, ranging from a simple gift card to additional paid-time-off (PTO).
  • Lateral growth: Interestingly, it is not mandatory that cross-training will be followed by a lateral role change. The newly acquired skill may simply make an employee a better worker, informed by a wider context and an enriched worldview. But you could also suggest lateral growth opportunities to those who display serious interest in a fresh domain.
  • Succession planning: Employee cross-training can be extremely beneficial for leadership development and succession planning. It gives your future leaders a working knowledge of the various disciplines they will spearhead. This will allow your candidates for succession to develop empathy for various team members.

What Are the Benefits of Cross-Training Employees?

While it may seem like a big investment, cross-training helps your organization in several ways. By cross-training employees, you can:

  • Streamline onboarding: New recruits undergo an initial cross-training period, familiarizing themselves with the different departments that bring your company vision alive.
  • Encourage collaboration: Employees across departments have a basic understanding of how their peers operate, making collaboration simpler and more effective.
  • Introduce agility: Let’s say there is an opportunity for a large-scale marketing campaign, but you’re working with a lean team. Cross-trained employees can chip in and add value to the campaign.
  • Increase future-readiness: This is probably the most significant benefit of employee cross-training, making your workforce equipped to take on future challenges and opportunities.
  • Ensure business continuity: Cross-trained employees can help to maintain productivity while you wait to hire and scale up.
  • Drive internal mobility: Research by WhartonOpens a new window finds that external hires show lower performance and higher exit rates than internal hires. Cross-trained employees can move up the ladder (or transition laterally) more efficiently, improving the quality of hire while reducing your time to fill.
  • Encourage empathy: We can’t stress this enough – empathy is the cornerstone of effective collaboration and communication in the workplace. What’s more, giants like LinkedIn, Microsoft, and Facebook value empathy as a key employee trait.

By following the best practices we suggested, you can cross-train employees in 2020 to unlock these clear benefits – and possibly more!

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Over to You

In a world where skill requirements and market dynamics are constantly shifting, every organization needs an effective cross-training strategy. The World Economic Forum predicts Opens a new window that closing the skills gap could add a whopping $11.5 trillion to the global economy by 2028. And, two focus areas it recommends are first, lifelong learning + upskilling and second, future-readiness + employability. Employee cross-training is critical to achieving both these factors.

Also note that cross-skilling encourages the widespread exchange of knowledge and information, some of which might pertain to intellectual property (IP). So, we recommend a keen focus on security and compliance when cross-training employees in 2020.

With the right measures in place, and by following employee cross-training best practices, you can build a highly capable, agile, and productive workforce.

What benefits have you witnessed after cross-training employees? Tell us on FacebookOpens a new window , LinkedInOpens a new window , or TwitterOpens a new window . We are eager to learn from your experience!

Chiradeep BasuMallick
Chiradeep is a content marketing professional, a startup incubator, and a tech journalism specialist. He has over 11 years of experience in mainline advertising, marketing communications, corporate communications, and content marketing. He has worked with a number of global majors and Indian MNCs, and currently manages his content marketing startup based out of Kolkata, India. He writes extensively on areas such as IT, BFSI, healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, and financial analysis & stock markets. He studied literature, has a degree in public relations and is an independent contributor for several leading publications.
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