Gone are the days when employees focussed on developing and mastering just one skill. The new workforce believes in diversified learning, regular upskilling and multilateral growth and this in turn has pushed the need for diversified skills. Switching organisations for better roles, higher responsibilities and more diverse portfolios have become common, pushing organisations to focus on providing enough opportunities for employees to grow beyond a single skill/responsibility.

The unprecedented pandemic and the resulting layovers pushed people into overdrive to grow skills or perish. With a reduced workforce employers expected all employees to take up more diverse responsibilities. Secondly, due to the low hiring avenues, individuals felt they needed more or a higher set of skills to be employable.

Currently, the situation has taken a 180-degree turn with overflowing hiring opportunities; however, the need for multi-skilled employees has only increased as people want to explore newer roles with newer skills. This is where upskilling and cross-skilling can help employers and employees alike.

Cross-skilling or cross-training allows organisations to be prepared for expected and unexpected circumstances, while also improving the overall productivity and performance. But, most importantly, it enhances the versatility and flexibility of your workforce. At an individual level, it enhances the skill set of employees, improving their employability in today’s dynamic world.

In this article, we will look at the cross-skilling meaning and benefits for employees as well as employers.

What is Cross-Skilling in the Workspace?

Cross-skilling is basically training one employee and teaching them the work that is normally handled by others. Cross-skilling fosters efficiency and productivity as it allows employees to work outside their comfort and existing roles and carry out diverse responsibilities. It helps target major responsibilities and operations within the organisation, ensures more than one employee can efficiently carry out those responsibilities and allows people to step in and take control whenever needed.

Cross-skilling benefits the employees as it allows them to step outside their routine and gain better/more skills and knowledge. It helps them broaden their portfolio and enhance their experience. Such employees go above and beyond their set parameters, empowering them and helping them become a bigger asset to their organisation.

There are 3 primary objectives of cross-skilling at the workplace:

• Enhancing the skill set of the employees
• Improving the flexibility and productivity within the organisation
• Imparting equal knowledge among the employees about the overall working of the business
  
  

But, the million-dollar question is - how does cross-skilling benefit your employees in the long run? Does it have any long term advantages for the organisation? Let’s find out.

Long Term Benefits of Cross-Skilling for Employees and Employers:

The tectonic shifts in the work culture, especially after the pandemic, have provided two options to employees as well as organisations: adapt or perish. This makes it important for both to adapt to changing trends and improve their chances of sustaining in this competitive market.

Dynamic organisations are looking for equally dynamic and proactive employees who can mould to newer challenges and find efficient solutions, even outside their realm of responsibilities.

Additionally, cross-skilled employees are generally more engaged, motivated and proactive. They look for facets and challenges in their day-to-day work. Also, they are comfortable with changing organisations if work starts stagnating or getting monotonous.

This makes cross-skilling important for organisations to ensure less attrition rates and dynamic employees and for employees to build relevant skills and improve their employability.

Here are some more long-term benefits of cross-skilling:

• Increasing Flexibility and Agility: Cross-skilling can boost your employee’s skillset and even help uncover some hidden talents.
  
  
• Apt Efficiency: In the case of specialised employees with targeted skills and knowledge, absence can disrupt the day-to-day workings. When a majority of the employees know what is important for the organisation to run smoothly, they help with the efficient functioning of the organisation, especially under the toughest conditions.
  
  
• On-the-Job Training: Most employees learn when they get to apply their learnings in the day-to-day working environment. Cross-skilling works by imparting the necessary training/knowledge and then providing the time, space and opportunity to put those learnings into practice.
  
  
• Better Workforce Mobility: With better and more diverse skill sets, employees can build new career paths within or outside the organisation.
  
  
• Improved Team Collaborations: One of the primary reasons for employee strife is a lack of awareness about each other’s roles and pressures. Knowing each others’ responsibilities will create a sense of empathy and understanding, leading to a more collaborative and supportive workspace.
  
  
• Higher Engagement and Motivation: Cross-skilling creates awareness and interest in the different facets and departments of the organisation. Employees can recognise opportunities for growth and development within the organisation. Also, they feel more valued if they see the employer investing in their growth. This creates a motivated and engaged workforce.
  
  

Securing the Financial Future of Your Employees

Along with cross-skilling and upskilling and overall professional growth of the employees, it is important to implement welfare programmes to boost morale and establish yourself as a people-first organisation. This includes planning family get-togethers, employee retreats, bonding sessions, dinners/brunches, etc. If you take care of your employees, they are better motivated to do their best for the organisation.

One of the important parts of employee-centric schemes is getting a group life insurance policy for your employees. Buying a group life insurance plan shows that the organisation cares not only for the present but also for the future of the employees and their families.

People always worry about the financial security of their families in case of any eventualities. This worry has worsened after the pandemic. Knowing that their families will be taken care of even in their absence ensures mental peace for the employees.

The correct group life insurance plan not only secures the employees and their families but also boosts productivity and loyalty to the organisation.

At Tata AIA Life Insurance, we offer a wide range of group life insurance plans to help you secure your employees’ financial futures. You can select the life insurance policy that best suits the requirements of your employees and ensure long-term welfare for your hardworking workers.

For more information about the Tata AIA group life insurance plans, you can contact our insurance experts.

L&C/Advt/2022/Sep/2258