Cross-Training has always been a popular way to expand workforce capabilities and optimize resource utilization.
Well-trained employees are essential to any business. When the employees have all the required skills, knowledge, and experience then our business runs smoothly. Every business wants to grow quickly without making mistakes. In
What if an employee is out of the office sick? The problem is, nobody else knows how to print reports without making mistakes, therefore, the point is teams are made up of people with specialized knowledge and skills and one employee’s absence can negatively affect the productivity of the entire group.
Zoho Partner aims at providing outstanding business growth with excellent sales and support services.
In this article, we’ll examine many benefits of cross-training programs with the Zoho webinar. Also, we’ll check out the way to implement a successful cross-training program together with your team.
What is Cross-training?
Cross-training program is the practice of training the employees to work in several different roles or train them to do tasks that are outside of their responsibility. It may include both hard and soft skills, but usually, it focuses on hard skills as soft skills are universal and equally relevant for every job.
The World Economic Forum recently reported that 82% of the companies face a shortage of cyber security skills. 71% said that it directly harms their organization. In this case, you may assign a coach or a mentor for cross-training sessions.
Here are 5 Employee Training Tips: –
- Create a Plan-
Before making any training program, you must determine what you want the employees to learn. Start by noting down everything your employees should know.
Structure the educational program so it begins with only the foundational information. It’s also important to identify training gaps. If the employees lack any skills, then the training would go over their heads.
- Use Employees as a Trainers-
High-skilled employees might be your trainers, you can probably tell which employees are the most competent at their jobs. They can be managers, who know every team member and not only complete their task on time but also with precision.
The team leader or managers can train and teach them well, you may give them all standard training material to teach. You might give incentives for employees to train their co-workers like rewards, bonuses, raise in salary, etc.
3. Set Training Goals–
You must determine if your training program is working or not. To do this, set a goal and track the performance. For example- Your goal could be for all employees to read the training instructions for a bit of kit. As you set the goal, think about who you want to reach the goal whether it is for the whole company, a department or individuals.
Conducting performance reviews can help you set goals and track achievements. Ask employees how they are doing, what would they like to learn, any obstacles in work, etc.
4. Cross train Workers-
You might teach your employees to try other jobs within your business. For example- you could possibly train a cashier how to stock retail items.
Cross-training helps employees better do their primary jobs; they gain skills that they can apply to their tasks. If you have a shortage in staffing, cross-training can give you a huge benefit. They become like an unbreakable bond for a company.
5. Host Regular Training Session–
You can frequently host training sessions for your employees that will help maintain skills and knowledge. You can have regular staff meetings. You might post a notice and training checklist that the employees must complete during their next shift.
3 ways to train employees:
- On-the-job-training:
When a team member follows another team member for a period of time to enhance new skills, like managers or team leaders etc. It is one of the most promising training techniques, as learning takes place under normal working conditions.
- Instructor-Led Training:
One instructor can teach many people at the same time so this is most efficient when instructors are expensive.
- E-learning/Online Training:
This is the most beneficial for companies and for employees also because team members can learn at their desk at a time that suits them. In this training, people can learn, ask and have opportunities to practice skills in the workplace.
Here ZOHO has its own product name- ZOHO Webinar which enables us to make online web conferencing or webinar needs that help people find new ways to collaborate and learn remotely at their place.
The benefits of cross-training programs:
- Save money–
If one of your teammates is sick or goes on vacation, there is no need to hire a contractor or a temporary worker. In this case, existing employees can fill the gap until they return.
- Build team relationships-
It builds internal team relationships when a team member does others’ work because they understand and can see what difficulties or challenges their fellow face.
- Improve satisfaction-
Many people like being challenged and enjoy learning new skills so setting aside time for cross-training can help your team to be interested and engaged.
- Improve process and work flow design–
You can get some great ideas for your organization, team, or process improvement for cross-trained people as they are looking at a role or task with a fresh perspective.
- Protect your knowledge assets–
Cross-training can also help with succession planning. This means you are preparing your future candidate in place of the current one, like- once he/she retires you already have that skilled person to take over his/her place.
As we discussed the benefits and tips of cross-training programs, we got to know how useful the course it may become for our organization.
Conclusion-
Cross-training program saves organizations money because it eliminates the need for temporary workers to fill the gap when any staff or employee changes/goes on leave. Cross-training also keeps people stay motivated because it offers new challenges and it can even help them unleash the skills, they didn’t realize they had. Consult Zoho partner in the USA and understand Zoho one business suite and get the above advantages.
This article 5 Tips For Conducting Cross-Training Programs For Your Workforce is also posted on LinkedIn Business Articles.
