Why You Need to Cross Train Your Staff

Cross training employees involves teaching staff members the skills and responsibilities of another area in your practice.

What is Cross Training?

Having employees that are knowledgeable in multiple areas, makes it much more manageable for you practice to stay on top of things if someone is out sick, takes a vacation, or unexpectedly quits.

Why Do I Need to Cross Train?

How Will My Practice Benefit From Cross

Training Staff?

Ensure Long Term Success

When you have multiple employees that can handle various tasks within your office, they can help cover responsibilities, that way you won't have to spend extra money hiring a temp employee.Allowing your employees to constantly learn new tasks and responsibilities is a great way to enhance their career development.

1

Create an All-Star Team

When you have employees with expanded skill sets, you have the opportunity to promote within your practice if someone leaves, which will make both you and your employees happy.

Plus, you'll boost morale within your practice because your staff will feel valued as they see you investing in their personal skills.

2

Cross training makes it easier for you to spot inefficiencies in your workflow. As employees explain the processes behind their tasks and procedures in your practice, they will be forced to look deeply at the way they complete those tasks. This allows for discoveries and suggestions for improvement.

3 Improve Workflow

Cross training provides your staff with the ability and opportunity to collaborate across departments. As they begin to understand how the various roles connect across your practice, you'll be able to eliminate the "that's not my job" mentality.

4 Increase Teamwork

Tips to Get Started with Cross Training

1. Identify tasks that could be taken on by others.2. Identify who has the skills, or the potential to

develop the skills to take on those tasks.3. Develop a training process with realistic

expectations. You yourself can train, or the person who currently handles the task can train their peer.

4. Test your success by running simulations where one staff member is absent.

5. Give feedback, and recognize your staff members who are putting forth effort during training and reward them.