It is not easy to retain the interest of employees in the same role, which is why retaining them becomes a major challenge for businesses – especially those who work on repetitive or cyclical tasks. Employees outgrow their jobs rapidly and it may not be possible for employers to provide enough diversity within a career path to maintain employees’ interest in the job. That’s where job rotation can help.
A job rotation program run by employers can provide opportunities for employees to be deployed in different roles, to develop new skills, to be more agile and adaptable. Employees are likely to find these opportunities exciting and are more engaged and satisfied with their jobs and tend to stay within the organization longer.
Apart from expanding the skill set, job rotation opportunities also help the employees to understand other aspects of the business or departments and thus also facilitates inter-departmental transfers. From an employer’s point of view, this enables them to fill critical roles quickly and efficiently without having to be hired externally.
In the post-pandemic era, upskilling, cross-skilling or re-skilling, has become the norm. According to a recent survey by TeamLease EdTech, more than 80 percent of employees feel the need to upgrade themselves to perform better in their roles or receive promotions. Therefore, the need for upskilling, reskilling or providing new skilling opportunities to the employees becomes of utmost importance to the employers. On-the-job training programs, including job rotation programs, provide more value because they provide direct experience to employees.
In addition, job rotation helps employees in different sectors to test them on their skills, build new strengths and identify new areas of interest. For example, if an employee in the marketing department moves into a sales position, they’ll grasp small nuances and insights about customers that they might not otherwise know.
In addition to learning new skills, employees gain a better understanding and appreciation for other departments as well. This in turn fosters a sense of singularity in the organization and enables multiple stakeholders to work towards a common goal. Cross-skilling through job rotation also provides an opportunity for employees to move up the corporate ladder.
Job rotation also prepares employees for leadership roles in other departments by expanding their network. This, in turn, reduces the cost of hiring that organizations would otherwise incur. Studies have shown that interdepartmental rotation fosters a greater sense of innovation by preventing stagnation. Job rotation also reduces the psychological stress on the part of the employee by reducing boredom and monotony.
By consistently engaging employees, employers are more likely to get the best out of them. In the long term, reducing these stresses is likely to improve group performance, reduce absenteeism and improve turnover. Inter-departmental skills also help organizations build bench strength in emergencies. In short, employees who can fill in for others become the organization’s troubleshooters.
“Great Resignation” or “Great Movement” India Inc. is currently looking in part due to the fact that employees feel that opportunities for skill development and development are limited in their current organizations. Recent studies have shown that employers who offer skills programs are more likely to retain their employees. In fact, more than 90 percent of employees are likely to remain with their current organization if they are provided opportunities to upgrade themselves.
While specialized skills are mandatory in some departments, increasingly, employers are beginning to understand the need for multidisciplinary teams. In fact, job rotation is not necessary for all roles, however, it can be important in marketing, sales, research and development, etc.
The Indian workforce is one of the youngest in the world and therefore requires differential motivation techniques. Millennials and Gen Z employees are only looking for monetary perks from their employees and job rotation is the perfect way to keep employees engaged, motivated and adaptable. Increasingly, employers are willing to absorb the short-term costs associated with job rotation because they understand that the long-term benefits far outweigh the costs. Job rotation is an important factor in not only employee retention but also long-term employee and employer success.
By Niti Sharma, President and Co-Founder, TeamLease EdTech
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