01/14/2026

Set Yourself Up for a Stronger Future While Empowering Your Employees

Source: GMA Staff Compilation, January 7, 2026

Cross training staff means intentionally teaching employees to perform key tasks outside their primary roles so operations can continue smoothly when people are absent or demand spikes. Done well, it builds flexibility, resilience, and bench strength without simply piling on extra work.​

What staff cross training is

• Cross training is training employees to handle the core tasks of another role in addition to their main job, so more than one person can perform critical work when needed.​ (1/2)
• It focuses on important, recurring responsibilities (not just minor tasks) and keeps people in their home role while expanding their capability footprint.​ (3)

Benefits for your operation

• Improves business continuity and coverage when someone is out, leaves suddenly, or workload shifts unexpectedly.​ (4)
• Increases productivity and efficiency because work is less likely to bottleneck around one “indispensable” person or department. (8)
• Boosts morale, engagement, and retention by giving employees new skills, development opportunities, and broader understanding of the business.​ (2/8)

Practical ways to implement

• Identify goals and risks: map critical tasks, single points of failure, and where coverage is most fragile, then target those for cross training first.​ (5/6)
• Design the training: use job shadowing, step‑by‑step SOPs, micro‑learning, and “stretch” assignments so people can practice under supervision.​ (3/5)
• Formalize and track: document procedures, define which tasks each person is certified to back up, and review skills coverage regularly with managers.​ (7/5)

Tips to make it work culturally

• Involve employees in choosing what they want to learn so cross training feels like development, not extra unpaid work.​ (5/3)
• Communicate clearly that cross training supports scheduling flexibility, promotion opportunities, and a more collaborative, empathetic team culture.​ (1/8)

If you share your team size, main functions (e.g., CSR, estimating, prepress, production), and where you feel most exposed, a simple cross‑training matrix tailored to your shop can be sketched out.

Information gathered from:

1. AIHR
2. Echo360
3. Valamis
4. Walden University
5. Betterworks
6. Waybook
7. Articulate
8. Edgepoint Learning