Why rotation program

You have a valued employee whose skills have grown beyond her current duties and, yet, a promotion isn't an option. In any organization -- flat or hierarchical -- the opportunities to move up the ladder get smaller the higher up you go, notes Heathfield. Then, too, the employee may not want a promotion to the next rung. She'd rather stay an individual contributor than move into management. Whether an employee wants to be promoted or not, job rotation improves their skills and gives them a broader understanding of the inner workings of a company.

But that doesn't mean she needs to pack up and leave. Quite the opposite. Too often we follow the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" and are happy to have employees do what they've shown they can do best. If employees don't feel like they're growing, they'll head for the exits, warns Heathfield. When learning leaders determine the right training duration, pilot the program within a single department, and provide managerial and collegial support, rotation programs can improve engagement, productivity and retention.

Ultimately, they create a workforce that understands the role each organizational function has in reaching key business goals.

Sarah Gallo is an associate editor at Training Industry, Inc. Stay up to date on the latest articles, webinars and resources for learning and development. Following these three best practices can help rotation programs achieve business impact: 1.

Start Small When launching a rotation program, Masterson recommends rotating employees through different roles within a single department before rotating them through different departments. Employees and job candidates today largely consider a lack of professional development opportunities to be a deal-breaker.

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