Effectiveness Of Employee Cross Training On Employee Retention

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Employee retention is the leading problem, which all organizations are now facing in the international aggressive environment. While soaring employee turnover reflects on squat morale and be short of of motivation, entertainingly, seen from a different angle the nonappearance of turnover rapidly results in de-motivation because the opportunity of lateral and forward-motivation is out of action from employees. It is in opposition to human personality to stay static, performing the similar duties day in day out, with no hope of change in regular or opportunities for improvement. Moreover, the routine methods of employee motivation such as financial rewards and perks have been not here at the back in preventing employee turnover. This article reports employee cross training as a significant motivational practice to retain employees, compared to other motivational factors like performance based reward, functioning situation, guidance, perks and perquisites. For this reason a survey was conducted on 100 executives and managers from 20 different companies. The results exposed that cross training significantly prevents turnover.

Key Words: Employee cross training, Employee Retention, Retailing Industry, Employee Training

Introduction:

Employee retention means various things to various people in each organization. There is no particular description of employee retention. several views mentioned by J. Leslie Mckeown1 are as under: -

‘Employee retention means stopping poop from leaving this organization.’

‘Employee retention is all about ‘keeping good people.’

-’Getting our compensation and benefits into line with the marketplace.’

‘Stock options crèche facilities, and other perks.’

‘It’s got to do with our culture and how we treat people.’

In fact, the thought of employee retention arose in response to rising number of employees departure the organization due to a variety of reasons.

Developing a retention approach in an organization.

It is attractive to plan employee retention approach by an organization, which must cover subsequent aspects (J. Leslie. Mckeown)1:

‘recognize and prioritize key employees that present a existing or future retention risk’

For each key retention cluster, explain reasons for deficient to retain them.

With each group, use interviews (entry, exit-reasons for his taking the job and reasons for his staying. To ascertain what we need to do to retain the employees in that group such as loss of institutional knowledge, which may go to competitors.

Make the interviews with employee independently and remain them secret for best results.

Use the information that is composed to establish comprehensible, experimental retention goals for each group of employees.

Review of Literature:

Concept and importance of employee cross training: (Belilos, C)2

Employee retention is the most important problem, which every organization are now facing in the international aggressive atmosphere. While soaring employee turnover reflects on squat self-confidence and be short of motivation, interestingly, seen from a different approach the nonappearance of turnover quickly results in de-motivation because the chance of lateral and forward-motivation is out of action from employees. It is in disagreement to human character to stay static, performing the comparable duties day in day out, with no expect of modify in regular or opportunities for development.

Managers from time to time implement "Job enrichment" in a foolish way, by giving un-rewarded extra responsibilities to their supervisors and employees. This outcome in a feeling of mistreatment and has the reverse effect. An successful training method for motivation, is cross training , when implemented flat, increasing and descending. Department heads, assistants and employees be capable of cross-train either inside the department or in different departments. With support, employees can have a day’s training in the role of subdivision heads ("King for the day"). A department head can take a general manager’s role in his nonexistence. This is a structure of cross-training.

A more sophisticated form of cross-training is job rotation, which usually involves extended periods (from one month to six months). With job rotation, the employee’s role change. He is not considered as trainee, but is wholly responsible for certain jobs. Both cross training and job rotation create teams of employees who are more knowledgeable, confident of their professional expertise and can easily replace each other when needed. These techniques lead to great motivation throughout the company.

Employee cross training Vs other motivational technique:( Granier, T.B.)7

Motivation is the art of stimulating a front office staff member’s interest in particular job, project, or subject to the extent that he or she is challenged to be continuously attentive, observant, concerned and committed.

There are various motivational techniques like recognition, communication, performance based reward, functioning situation, guidance, perks and perquisites etc. if we compare these with cross training motivational technique, we find that incentive pay can be used to influence employee behaviour. However, it is certain that any benefits gained in the short-term will be more than lost in the long-term. It is people’s nature to look at what you are doing for them today. What you did for them in the past is quickly forgotten. That may not be the way it should be, but that is the way it really is.

Trying to retain employees after they have stopped learning is bad for the employee and bad for the company as well. Bad for the employee because they have stopped "growing"-stopped improving their unique value in the job market. Bad for the company, because it stifles the flow of new ideas, new insights and new views of the changing business environment.

Your star employee, once a dynamo, once willing, able and eager to tackle any task, no longer shows that drive. The problem may be outside personal problems – whereupon you have the obligation to help him through that period. However, it is more likely that he is simply no longer learning at the rate he was. He is no longer stimulated and challenged – he is bored. It is the time for him to move on, and instead of trying to hold him with pay and benefits, you should try to help him find a new job where he can continue to grow.

Research Methodology:

A survey was conducted in different retailing organizations located at tamilnadu state to find out the effectiveness of cross-training on employee retention.

Sample:

In total 100 employees (executives and managerial employees) of 20 retailing organizations situated in tamilnadu state participated in the study.87 of them male and 13 were female. So far as their portfolios are concerned, 20 were HR Managers/Executives, 20 Finance Managers/Executives, 35 Production Managers/Executives and the rest 25 were Purchase Managers/Executives.

Data collection and analysis:

A survey instrument was designed to obtain the opinion of employees on cross-training. Prior to distributing the questionnaire to the employees, their consent was obtained. They were also assured the confidentiality of their responses. The filled in questionnaires were collected back after 15days from the date of distribution. The collection was through phone call reminders or personal visit to the place. In total 150 questionnaires were distributed from which 100 have responded. Since, the organizations were located locally it was possible to obtain a good number of response through personal call and visits to the places. Through frequency tables the data were analyzed.

Results, Analysis, Discussions:

This section presents the findings of the study. The survey is conducted with 100 employees of 20 retailing organizations and their views are complied and analyzed.

No. of companies providing cross-training

Results shows that most of the retailing companies do not provide cross training to their employees, out of 20 only 6 companies provides the cross training to the employees (see table 1).

Table 1: Use of Cross Training

Provide cross-training

Not provides cross-training

6

14

Interest to learn new skills

When respondents were asked whether they are interested to learn new skills, most of them were found to be interested to learn the skills required for other jobs. Almost 89 employees are interested to learn skills and competencies required for performing other jobs (see table 2). This is an indirect indication that training can be a powerful motivator for most of the respondents.

Table 2: Interest of employees to learn skill/competencies required for other jobs

Interested

Not interested

87

13

Motivational factors:

Respondent’s opinion about the different motivational factors on a three point rating (Strong motivator, average and weak motivators) was obtained. Results revealed that (see table 3) for most of the employees cross training, good working environment is the strong motivational factor as compared to other factors like incentives and empowerment. Almost for 75% employees the cross training is strong or average motivator.

Table 3: Motivational factor for employees

Motivational Factors

Strong Motivator

Average Motivator

Weak Motivator

Incentive/Money

18

22

60

Job Security

21

26

53

Good working conditions

30

26

44

Employee empowerment

25

30

45

Cross training

46

29

25

Effectiveness of Motivational technique:

Out of 100 respondents, 50 were from the organizations where cross training has been implemented along with other motivational techniques. When those 50 respondents were asked to reveal their opinion on a three point scale, it was found out that employees feel cross training to be more effective and useful for them than other motivational techniques. Almost 90% of employees feel that cross training is effective motivational technique (see table 4).

An open ended question asking "overall what is your opinion about the cross training method?" revealed that almost all of the employees feels that cross training is effective because it provides more career opportunities to them and they enjoy and learn during the cross training. Cross training create the learning environment for employees and provide chance to recognize their hidden talent. It offers learning and opportunities for professional development.

Table 4: Motivational factor for employees

Motivational Factors

Very effective

Average effective

Not effective

Incentive/Money

08

13

29

Job Security

10

15

25

Good working conditions

18

20

12

Employee empowerment

25

15

10

Cross training

36

09

05

Moreover, interaction with HR managers revealed that the cross training is giving better result than other motivational techniques. Because now organization can manage routines work if any key employee is on leave or left the organization. Retention percentage is also decreased.

Conclusion:

People enjoy best doing what they do best. A born salesman will not be happy doing account audits, despite the fact he may have spent many years getting an accounting education. Everyone is good at some things, and lousy at others. But most people do not get the chance to find out what it is they are good at. Give them that chance.

Organizations can give this chance to their employees through employee cross training. Employee cross training is an effective motivational technique compared to other motivational techniques, because it prevents stagnation, offers learning and opportunities for professional development, improves understanding of different departments and the organization as a whole, leads to better coordination and teamwork, and finally removes differences, enmity and unhealthy competition. Therefore along with other motivational technique the organization needs to provide cross training to retain their employees.

Limitations of the study:

Although this research was carefully prepared, I am still aware of its limitations and shortcomings.

First of all, the research was conducted only in 20 companies which have lasted for eight weeks. Eight weeks is not enough for the researcher to observe all of the employee’s performance in their company. It would be better if it was done in a longer time.

Second, the population of the experimental group is only 100 and might not represent the majority of the employees in the same group.

Scope of the Study:

1. It would be very interesting to conduct another study within the same area of research, with the incorporation of more industries and the more departments, which will give more integrated result to the topic and better utility to the consultants and management.

2. The study focuses on the administrative and supervisory level employees from twenty organisations. While, it could be of interest to conduct a study on more areas of work and including the lower level employees and senior level employees which gives more comprehensive understanding and over view of the difference in the weak and strong organisational training practices in different organizations.

3. Here the study concentrates only the Tamilnadu Retailing organizations training scenario. While a comparative study of other states and Tamilnadu retailing organizations training practice would be an interesting study to analyse the regional variations in multilinguistic and multi cultural, diversified country like India. It will be an interesting piece of information for the Human Resource Department in their Recruitment and Selection process.

4. It will be an interesting piece of information for the Human Resource Department in their training and development practice.