Job Rotation

The aim of this approach is to expose employees to a range of job scopes and experiences to build up
their skills and repertoire of proficiencies, enhancing self-esteem and job satisfaction.

The days of employees spending decades at a company -- and receiving a gold watch in
gratitude -- are long gone. Workers today are constantly on the move, a fact of life that
will only accelerate as job growth picks up. But the turnover poses particular challenges
for companies looking to hold onto their best and brightest.
In response, innovative companies are embracing a promising new retention strategy:
employee rotation. Instead of locking workers into a single job category with a specific
career trajectory, companies are moving workers through a variety of positions within
departments or teams. Job rotation is seen as a way to motivate key employees, broaden
their skill sets and, most important, hold onto them. It also gives employers the comfort of
knowing there's someone who can quickly fill an ailing or departing coworker's shoes.
"I can't think of a single industry that wouldn't benefit from job rotation," says Susan
Heathfield, a human resources consultant who's been in the business for 30 years. "It
helps employees spread their wings and extend their boundaries" and, she says, it helps
employers engage and motivate their staff.
The Payoff for You and Your Staff

So where to start? First, recognize that employee rotation programs should be

implemented with careful consideration. Every company should establish clear guidelines
with each internal team so employees know what the rotation will entail and managers
have a set of of best practices. Otherwise, the rotation will fall apart as employees
wander from job to job without clear guidance or oversight. Have a purpose, have a plan
and have a way to measure if the rotation is successful, Heathfield said. The programs
can often be costly in terms of time spent training workers for their new jobs, she says,
but the benefits can far outweigh the expense.
Take, for instance, human resources. In a large company, an employee who typically
handles employee health insurance can be shifted into a position that tends to job
referrals. "So many employees come to human resources for a multitude of reasons and it
makes more sense if their questions can all be answered by their first point of contact,"
explained Heathfield. "I want everyone in HR cross-trained so that you can serve
employees immediately." 

The same logic applies to sales teams. Since sales hinge on relationships, it's crucial for
everyone on the team to be familiar with one another's clients.  "Normally people have
dedicated customers, but having someone else available if the (primary point of contact)
is out to serve your customers is key," Heathfield said. Sales folks are always reticent to
share their clients, but will if given the right incentives.
A Motivated Worker Is a Happy Worker

It happens -- a lot. You have a valued employee whose skills have grown beyond her
current duties and, yet, a promotion isn't an option. In any organization -- flat or
hierarchical -- the opportunities to move up the ladder get smaller the higher up you go,
notes Heathfield. Then, too, the employee may not want a promotion to the next rung.
She'd rather stay an individual contributor than move into management. 

For these folks, job rotation can be a key retention strategy to keep them within your
company. Whether an employee wants to be promoted or not, job rotation improves their
skills and gives them a broader understanding of the inner workings of a company.  

Sometimes, a valued employee's career path isn't the right one for her. But that doesn't
mean she needs to pack up and leave. Quite the opposite. Too often we follow the old
adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" and are happy to have employees do what they've
shown they can do best. But a lot of workers might be happier facing different challenges
and learning new skills. The Society of Human Resources Management reports  that self-
growth and career development are among the top five most important considerations for
workers.

If employees don't feel like they're growing, they'll head for the exits, warns
Heathfield. So if you've got a great employee who has expressed interest in trying out
new roles within your company, work with them to create a job rotation plan or test phase
-- it could be the difference between losing a stellar employee and helping them find a
new passion that, in the end, bolsters your bottom line. 

According to Charles coy not every valued employee’s career path fits their personality perfectly. They
will be happier if they go to different challenges and learning new skills.