Keys to Successful Job Rotation

Job rotation is a method used for employee development. Job rotation gives the employee the opportunity to develop skills in a variety of changing jobs. In job rotation, employees will make lateral moves the majority of the time, but job rotation can also involve a promotion. Here are the keys to successful job rotation.

Keys to Successful Job Rotation

Job rotation can take place happenstance or it can be carefully planned and executed with specific end results in mind.

The employee who is involved in a carefully planned job rotation will benefit and learn.

These are key to effective job rotation.

• Job Rotation must start with an end goal. The goal of the job rotation determines the job changes. Thus, if a department in which every employee is cross-trained to do every job is the goal, a careful structuring of the rotation must occur.
  If the development of individual employees, for eventual promotion, to advance the employees' career options, to avoid job boredom, or to create backup help for vacation times, is the goal, the job rotation plans will differ. Effective job rotation specifies the goal.​
• Job rotation must be carefully planned. An optimum training plan helps the employee build upon the skills learned at each step of a job rotation. So, the plan involves the employee participating in a series of jobs on a path that other employees have followed that resulted in a fully trained employee, or the accomplishment of the goal.​

• Employees are able to assess whether the job rotation is achieving the goals. Consequently, the steps in a job rotation should be measurable and build upon each other.​
• Both the employee and the organization need to benefit from the job rotation. Constantly teaching employees new job skills is time-consuming and saps organizational energy. If the employee sees nothing in it for him, after he puts forth the effort necessary to learn new jobs, job rotation won't work or motivate employees.
  
  Additional compensation is often provided as employees learn new or more difficult jobs in a job rotation. Or, employees who are cross-trained to do more jobs are paid more because of the employer's increased flexibility that results from their learning.​

• A mentor, internal trainer, or supervisor/trainer is provided at each step of the job rotation plan. As an employee moves to each new job, he or she is assigned to another employee who has the responsibility to teach, answer questions, and mentor during the training.​
• Written documentation, an employee manual, or online resource enhances employee learning. Written documentation about various aspects of each job is helpful to reduce the employee learning curve in job rotation.

Advantages of Job Rotation

Job rotation provides a career path for employees when promotions are not available, or when the employee does not want a promotion or management responsibilities. Job rotation provides advantages for an employee. In a job rotation, the employee:

• gains knowledge and skills by learning different jobs that require new skills and provide different responsibilities.​
• overcomes potential boredom and job dissatisfaction by having a new and different job with changed responsibilities and tasks.​
• is given a new challenge, an opportunity for the employee to expand his or her knowledge, accomplishments, reach, impact, and potentially, influence different aspects of the organization.​

• may learn about different facets of the organization and how work is accomplished in different departments or job functions. (This will build his or her organizational knowledge and ability to get things done.)​
• is prepared for an eventual promotion, in a succession plan, by receiving the chance to expand his or her skill set and responsibilities, and gain broader knowledge about the organization.​
• gains visibility with a new group of coworkers and managers. Visibility for a good employee brings potential opportunities.

Conclusion

Job rotation is viewed as desirable by employees because of the impact a lateral move or promotion has on the employee's opportunity for personal and professional growth and motivation. Job rotation is seen as a continuing commitment from the employer that enables employees to develop and grow in their employment and pursue a desirable career path.