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Eyecare Business

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Staff Training

No longer a luxury, it’s now imperative.

By: Stephanie K. De Long
Eyecare Business April 1, 2022 Vol 36, Issue April 2022 Page(s): 24

Cross-Training Your Staff

The staffing picture continues to be bleak for small businesses. In fact, it’s getting worse. According to Alignable, the number of small businesses struggling to hire has risen by 5% since January. That means that 63% of small businesses, including many optometric practices across the country, are finding it hard to hire.

One key takeaway? Cross-training current staff is more important than ever.

THE BENEFITS

EdgePoint Learning cites six key reasons why cross-training makes sense. Its research indicates that cross-training:

➤ Provides a great return on investment

➤ Results in better collaboration

➤ Enhances employee motivation

➤ Increases workforce sustainability

➤ Improves efficiency

➤ Makes your company more agile

EMPLOYEE RETENTION

Cross-training also keeps employees with you longer term. According to LeaderChat, “Some of the main reasons for exiting a job—such as limited promotions, a lack of challenge, work hours/flexibility, and not being recognized for contributions—can be fixed through cross-training and fostering employee growth.”

Simply put, employees will inevitably have to cover one another, so cross-training is a must. How and where do they learn? According to Deloitte Consulting, “More than 70% of learning occurs informally, while on the job.”

FOUR CROSS-TRAINING TIPS

  1. Consider cross-training potential when hiring a new person. Make that part of their core training.
  2. Ask prospective employees to take skill and personality tests (like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) to make sure an individual is the right person to cross-train in a particular area.
  3. Look for bottlenecks in the practice to decide where backup is most needed. If it’s pretest, for example, start there.
  4. Take baby steps—even cross-training one staffer for half an hour a week will quickly pay off.

MAKING IT HAPPEN

Cross-training is a great idea. Putting it into place in a busy office can be a challenge, however. Here’s how two optometric practices handle it.

Michael Kling, O.D., CEO of Invision Optometry in San Diego, indicates that cross-training is conducted at his practice when an employee expresses an interest. “Since we have a team of 25-plus, we cross-train across departments if someone has shown an interest in learning a new skill or to advance in the company.”

David Holler, O.D., owner of Clarity Vision, which has six locations in North Carolina and Virginia, takes a broader approach. The reason? “We find that cross-trained individuals tend to be the most valuable and loyal team members,” says Dr. Holler.

One often overlooked benefit?

Cross-training can really help motivate underperformers, says Dr. Holler. “We have had team members that were underperforming in their position, so we would try moving them into another department. Sometimes those individuals work out to be very effective because they see their stock increase when they can float between positions.”

Whatever your reason, cross-training is a definite must for today’s time-crunched and often understaffed practice. 

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