Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi

Human Resource Development Assignment

6th Trimester, Session 2010-12

Group-5 Write-Up

On

MULTI-SKILLING

Submitted to; Submitted by; GROUP-5

Prof. Sajeet Lakra Daksh Agrawal (05)

Administrator, Sneha (14)

XISS, Ranchi Navya Jain (27)

Anand Shankar (37)

Priyanka Srivastava (51)

Pooja Rani (65)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The matter before you is a culmination of consistent guidance by our respected Prof. Sajeet Lakra and hard work of the team involved in the project.

We take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to our faculty Prof. Sajeet Lakra, for providing us with the guidance to take up a project like this and make a presentation on “Multiskilling”. The study has not only given us an insight into the nuances of Human Resource Development but also proved to be a great learning.

The hard work of the team members has helped us to make this endeavor a success. We take this opportunity also to thank all our team members for their contribution, our friends and family for their unending support.

Thank You

Group V

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CONTENTS

S.No. Topics Pg. No.1. Introduction 12. Who Needs to get multiskilled 23. Need for Multiskilling 44. Types of Multiskilling 65. Techniques of Multiskilling 76. Advantages of Multiskilling 177. Barriers to Multiskilling 198. Multiskilling Vs. Work Specialization 209. Case Studies 26

10. Conclusion 3511. Bibliography 37

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INTRODUCTION

• Organisations typically multiskill with the intent of removing functional barriers and increasing the flexibility of the workforce; it is rarely about the ‘ideals of job enrichment and empowerment’ as advocated by certain humanistic organisational change specialists. (Economist, 1991)

• Multiskilling refers to training workers to be able to undertake a wide range of different jobs, instead of just one.

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Who needs to get multi-skilled?

It is important to understand who needs to get multi-skilled. Do they need to be

at a particular level or position, or doing a specific work? Interestingly, most

experts do believe that being multi-skilled is level-agnostic. People trained in

technical skills however need to have mastery over more than one platform

necessitated on account of the high level of obsolescence in the field.

The non-technical staff can be trained in support functions to save an organization

considerable cost. Training should preferably be in related/adjacent fields, so that

the existing skills of the employees are appropriately leveraged. “Moreover, as

these employees move into managerial or lead positions, knowledge of related

field aids them while interacting and collaborating with their various

stakeholders.”

Multi-skilling is not so-much about a particular level or category of employees. It

is about a mind-set. It is about skill sets and you would agree therefore that it is

fairly level-agnostic.

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How it helps employees

Reduction in job insecurity

Greater individual productivity

Better growth prospects

Holistic perspective regarding the

organization’s business

Can achieve his personal goals quicker

Multi-skilling is of particular significance for key teams/leadership in an

organization usually span the middle/mid senior levels with employees who are

responsible for driving operations on the ground. Building multi-skilled

capabilities of the middle rung of people allows organizations to loop in talent for

new business initiatives/ventures.

Benefits to the organization;

Optimal utilization of workforce

Easy deployment of employees across projects

Increased productivity and better quality of

deliverables

Creation of a flexible workforce which is well aware

of the organization’s needs

Fillip to employee engagement

The Need for Multi-skilling

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In an effort to avoid retrenchment, reduce hiring and increase efficiency,

organizations are seeking a multi-skilled workforce.

In an era of specialization, the downturn has interestingly brought into focus the

necessity of having a multi-skilled workforce. Multi-skilling is currently the big

buzzword. The common belief is that a multi-skilled workforce can avoid

retrenchment and can lead to increased productivity for the organization in a

time of increased severity, which can directly impact the company’s bottom line.

Some would argue of course that there was always a need to be multi-skilled, but

the current economic turmoil has brought the necessity to the forefront.

Possession of an additional skill goes a long way in opening new channels and

opportunities for professionals, particularly at a time when their particular skill

might not be needed by the organization for its business.

It is a healthy trend from the perspective of the company as well as the employee,

since it allows the company to bring about cost-cutting in various forms and more

importantly, an individual does not become indispensable for the company, or

rather a company need not depend on a particular person for doing a specialized

job in which he is an expert. Such a workforce would be self-managed and flexible

according to the requirements of the company. From the perspective of the

employee, multi-tasking would allow them to become diversified and maintain

high levels of motivation and enthusiasm. It would also allow the employees to

get involved in the various aspects of the functioning, work, etc., of their

company, allowing them to be more involved in the performance of their firm and

contributing in preventing lay-offs as well.

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There are many who believe that multi-skilled employees are a great asset to an

organization, irrespective of industry conditions. In leaner times, a multi-skilled

workforce helps bring in operational efficiency and increased productivity, since a

smaller workforce is required to cater to the scaled down demand. But even

when economic conditions are on the upswing, a multi-skilled workforce helps in

addressing customer demand faster and better.

If an employee enhances his skill sets, albeit in a phased manner, he will be far

more valuable to his company and the company will be a more potent force in the

market. Not only is this relevant in a recession, but also in a booming economy

where companies compete to attract and retain the best business.

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Types of Multi-skilling

Cordery (1995) classified multi-skilling into 4 types.

1. Vertical Multi-skilling: The extent to which supervisory or administrative

support tasks are learned by individuals.

2. Horizontal Multi-skilling: This is learning skills from another discipline or

function within an organization.

• Skill broadening: Where minor elements and tasks are learned on top of

the predominant activity (major task). So expertise is maintained in the

major task with elements added to increase efficiency.

• Cross skilling/dual skilling: Where another major activity is learned in

addition to the main craft and a person is considered competent to carry

out any activity in these two main disciplines.

3. Depth Multi-skilling: This is the acquisition and application of more

complex, specific skills within the same trade or discipline.

4. Multi-skilled Teams: A multi-skilled team is a group of individuals who

collectively have a range of skills.

• Traditional single skilled individuals collected into one team and

managed by one supervisor, or

• A team of multi-skilled individuals.

The intent is to have a team where the strengths and specialties are

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combined, which increases the range of skills available to tackle certain

issues.

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Techniques of Multi-skilling

Multi-skilling can be developed through a variety of techniques which are as

follows:

Coaching and Mentoring

Job-Rotation

Job-Shadowing

Self-Learning

Temping

Team-based Cross-functional projects

Coaching

Coaching is a corrective measure for inadequate performance. Survey by the

International Coach Federation shows that more than 4,000 companies use a

coach for their executives. This method best suits for the people at the top

because if we see on emotional front, when a person reaches the top, he gets

lonely and it becomes difficult to find someone to talk to. It helps in finding out

the executive’s specific developmental needs. The needs can be identified

through 360 degree performance reviews.

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Procedure of Coaching

The procedure of the coaching is mutually determined by the executive and

coach. The procedure is followed by successive counseling and meetings at the

executive’s convenience by the coach.

1. Understand the participant’s job, the knowledge, skills, and attitudes, and

resources required to meet the desired expectation

2. Meet the participant and mutually agree on the objective that has to be

achieved

3. Mutually arrive at a plan and schedule

4. At the job, show the participant how to achieve the objectives, observe the

performance and then provide feedback

5. Repeat step 4 until performance improves

For the people at middle level management, coaching is more likely done by the

supervisor; however experts from outside the organization are at times used for

up and coming managers. Again, the personalized approach assists the manger

focus on definite needs and improvement.

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Mentoring

Mentoring is an ongoing relation between senior manager and junior manager for

the purpose of support and guidance. Mentoring provides guidance and clear

understanding of how the organization goes to achieve its vision and mission to

the junior employee.

The meetings are not as structured and regular than in coaching. Executive

mentoring is generally done by someone inside the company. The executive can

learn a lot from mentoring. By dealing with diverse mentee’s, the executive is

given the chance to grow professionally by developing management skills and

learning how to work with people with diverse background, culture, and language

and personality types.

Executives also have mentors. In cases where the executive is new to the

organization, a senior executive could be assigned as a mentor to assist the new

executive settled into his role. Mentoring is one of the important methods for

preparing them to be future executives. This method allows the mentor to

determine what is required to improve mentee’s performance. Once the mentor

identifies the problem, weakness, and the area that needs to be worked upon,

the mentor can advise relevant training. The mentor can also provide

opportunities to work on special processes and projects that require use of

proficiency.

Some key points on Mentoring

Mentoring focus on attitude development

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Conducted for management-level employees

Mentoring is done by someone inside the company

It is one-to-one interaction

It helps in identifying weaknesses and focus on the area that needs

improvement

Job Rotation

Rotation involves a series of assignments to different positions or departments for

a specified period. At the end of the cycle the accumulated evaluations will be

used to determine the preparedness of the trainee and if & where the person will

be permanently assigned. For the executive, job rotation takes on different

perspectives. The executive is usually not simply going to another department. In

some vertically integrated organizations, for example, where the supplier is

actually part of same organization or subsidiary, job rotation might be to the

supplier to see how the business operates from the supplier point of view.

Learning how the organization is perceived from the outside broadens the

executive’s outlook on the process of the organization. The rotation might be to a

foreign office to provide a global perspective. This approach allows the manger to

operate in diverse roles and understand the different issues that crop up. If

someone is to be a corporate leader, they must have this type of training. A

recent study indicated that the single most significant factor that leads to leader’s

achievement was the variety of experiences in different departments, business

units, cities, and countries.

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An organized and helpful way to develop talent for the management or executive

level of the organization is job rotation. It is the process of preparing employees

at a lower level to replace someone at the next higher level. It is generally done

for the designations that are crucial for the effective and efficient functioning of

the organization.

Benefits of Job Rotation

Some of the major benefits of job rotation are:

It provides the employees with opportunities to broaden the horizon of

knowledge, skills, and abilities by working in different departments, business

units, functions, and countries.

Identification of Knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) required.

It determines the areas where improvement is required.

Assessment of the employees who have the potential and caliber for filling the

position.

For the managers being developed into executive roles, rotation to different

functions in the company is regular carried out.

– Train on different tasks/positions

– Often used to train entry-level managers

– Also used to provide back-up in production positions

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Job Shadowing

Job shadowing is a career exploration activity that offers an opportunity to spend

time with a professional currently working in a person’s career field of interest.

Job shadowing offers a chance to see what it’s actually like working in a specific

job.

The new hire may spend one to five days following the routine of the employee,

learning general job responsibilities, observing how the tasks are carried out, and

getting some insight into methods that allow for efficient handling of the job.

Job shadowing is actually one of the most common of all training techniques for

new employees. Essentially, job shadowing involves spending a period of time

with a seasoned expert, observing everything that he or she does that is related

to the work that is expected to be accomplished as part of the daily routine of

the job. Involving one new employee to act as the observer, and one person to

function as the demonstrator, this allows the new hire a chance to get a handle of

what is involved in performing the tasks associated with the work.

Job shadowing can commence at one of two points in the job training process.

One of the most common is to assign the new hire to an established employee on

the first day. The new hire may spend one to five days following the routine of the

employee, learning general job responsibilities, observing how the tasks are

carried out, and getting some insight into methods that allow for efficient

handling of the job.

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Another option is to implement the job shadowing after a period of orientation in

a classroom setting has taken place. With this application,

the job shadowing allows the new hire to already have some background into the

workings of the company, with the observation that is picked up

during job shadowing building on that foundation of orientation. The combination

of structured educational classes with the job observation of an employee with

extensive work experience works very well in a number of settings.

The concept of job shadowing has many advantages. First, the new hire may often

feel intimidated about performing tasks for the first time. By allowing the new

person to job shadow a long time employee for a day or two, this can often build

up the confidence of the new employee. Along with this

advantage, job shadowing allows the new hire to see procedures and methods in

actual situations. This can help to bring to life some of the scenarios that were

outlined in the training materials, making them much more real to the new hire

than they were in the safe environment of the classroom.

A third benefit of job shadowing is that the new hire often has a chance to begin

building rapport with other employees, which can help to integrate him or her

into the job team more quickly. Acceptance into the group can often help the new

employee relax and focus on learning the best ways to get things done, rather

than being apprehensive about fitting into the corporate culture.

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Self Learning

In self-directed learning (SDL), the individual takes the initiative and the

responsibility for what occurs. Individuals select, manage, and assess their own

learning activities, which can be pursued at any time, in any place, through any

means, at any age. In schools, teachers can work toward SDL a stage at a time.

Teaching emphasizes SDL skills, processes, and systems rather than content

coverage and tests. For the individual, SDL involves initiating personal challenge

activities and developing the personal qualities to pursue them successfully.

Temping

Temping means working in short employment stints with a variety of clients,

usually through a temping agency or staffing firm. Although temporary, the

worker bases his/her working life around this kind of work as it offers

increased flexibility and variety. It is a tri-party agreement, between the client

company, the third party vendor and the employee (also known as associate or

temp).

The temp workers work in the facility of the client companies, but receive salary

and benefits from the temp agencies.

Indian companies are home to many unique projects and solutions. Many of these

require people with specific skill sets to deliver them. Hence, organizations are

often faced with the requirement of “knowledge workers” to facilitate the

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delivery of such projects. This has led to the growth of what is called “short-term

project-based hiring” or “temping”.

While large global organizations follow this recruitment mechanism, in India it is

gradually gaining popularity. Small and medium sized organizations specifically

from the Indian Information Technology (IT) industry are employing temp

workers. These organizations are opting for temping for many reasons some of

which are:

Temps or contract workers are on the payrolls of a third-party staffing

organization and as such organizations do not need to worry about

employment, recruitment and even replacements.

They save on the cost of training as the staffing form typically sends in

batches of knowledge workers according to the project.

They can drastically cut down non-productive staff costs especially when

they do not have the visibility of a similar project in future.

They can reduce the number of staff on bench and hence save on salaries.

They can pay relatively more to contract workers and get work done rather

than recruiting them for long-term and paying perks and retirement

benefits besides huge salaries.

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Learning by Doing

New forms of learning by doing seem to be emerging. Technology could play a

role in finding innovative ways to enable skills development and greater

understanding of personal actions, reactions and decisions.

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Advantages of multi-skilling

1. Flexibility

Workers who are able to perform a large number of tasks can fill in for other

workers, increasing workforce flexibility.

2. Communication

Knowledge of various tasks can increase the understanding of other tasks and

improve coordination.

3. Positive effects on innovation

The processes of improving design concepts are easier because of the

individuals ‘multi’ knowledge.

4. Employment security

A multi-skilled workforce is not as threatened if skills become obsolete

because of new technology.

5. Project efficiency

Through increased level of multi-skilling, work can be re-organized so that it

can be performed most efficiently. Multi-skilled workers carry projects

through, sometimes all the way from start to finish often taking ‘project

ownership’.

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6. Competitive market

Cost saving are passed onto the customer, through the decrease of labor cost

due to reduction of turnaround time and number of workers involved.

7. Management effectiveness

Multi-skilling is most valuable in the areas of management. Here it effects the

reduction of product completion time (e.g. reduced subsequent production

line delays), the decrease of project planning time (e.g. only one employee has

to learn the details of the project), and the cutback of administration costs

(e.g. faster completion of pay claims and materials billing).

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Barriers to Multi-skilling

• Demotivates intelligent and aggressive employees who seek specific

responsibility.

• Eventually creates a number of employees with limited job knowledge.

• Encourages generalization, more appropriate for developing line managers

than functional staff.

• Sometimes, there is an undercurrent of frustration.

• New jobs, environment and learning can unnerve employees.

• Employees fear not living up to expectations.

• Employees are uncomfortable with the changes and cannot deal with the

conflict of the role and their personality.

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MULTI-SKILLING vs. WORK SPECIALIZATION

Work SpecializationIt refers to the degree to which tasks in the organization are subdivided into

separate jobs. In work specialization, following are the characteristics:

The entire job is broken down into steps, each step completed by a separate

individual.

Individual workers specialize in doing part of an activity.

Involves repetitive performance of a few skills.

Can be viewed as a means to make the most efficient use of employee's skills.

Some task requires highly developed skills.

Others can be performed by the untrained.

Division of Labor

Makes efficient use of employee’s skills.

Increases employee's skills through repetition.

Less between-job downtime increases productivity.

Specialized training is more efficient.

Allows the use of specialized equipment.

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By the late 1940’s most manufacturing jobs in industrialized countries were being

done with high work specialization. Management saw this as a means to make the

most efficient use of its employee’s skills.

For much of the first half of this century, managers viewed work specialization as

an unending source of increased productivity. But, by the 1960s there was

increasing evidence that a good thing has been carried too far. The point had

been reached in some jobs where the human diseconomies from specialization –

which surfaced as boredom, fatigue, stress, low productivity, poor quality,

increased absenteeism and high turnover – more than offset the economic

advantages.

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Work specialization as a theory is in direct contrast to that of multi-skilling. A

comparative study of the two is as follows:

MULTI-SKILLING WORK SPECIALIZATION

• Makes employee stretch to the

limits

• Jobs can become too simplified

• Needs constant support and

thorough guidance throughout

the process of acquiring multiple

skills

• Employees become bored and

tired, safety problems and accident

rates increases

• Being a developmental process

makes it slow

• Absenteeism rises

• Very Sensitive issue, it is

imperative to find right person for

right job in right time

• Quality of work may suffer

• Small businesses by necessity

have multi-skilled people

• Industries employ specialized

workers

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The parameters for comparison between

Multi-skilling and Work Specialization

There are many parameters for such comparison, some of them being:

1. Quality

The ability of staff to produce high-quality products and services can be affected

by job design. This includes avoiding errors in the short term, but also includes

designing jobs which encourage staff to improve the job itself in such a way as to

make errors less likely.

2. Speed

Sometimes speed of response is the dominant objective to be achieved in job

design. For example, the way in which the jobs of emergency service personnel

are organized (the range of tasks for which they are trained, the sequence of

activities in their approved procedures, the autonomy which they have to decide

on appropriate action, and so on) will go a long way to determine their ability to

respond promptly to emergencies and perhaps save lives.

3. Dependability

Dependable supply of goods and services is usually influenced, in some way, by

job design. For example, in the postal services’ working arrangements, multi-

skilling, accurate use of sorting equipment through good staff-machine interface

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design, and the ‘design’ of postal staff’s clothing, can all aid dependable delivery

of letters and parcels.

4. Flexibility

Job design can affect the ability of the operation to change the nature of its

activities. New product or service flexibility, mix flexibility, volume flexibility and

delivery flexibility are all dependent to some extent on job design. (See Chapter 2

for a full description of these different types of flexibility). For example, staffs who

have been trained in several tasks (multi-skilling) may find it easier to cope with a

wide variety of models and new product or service introductions.

5. Cost

All the elements of job design described above will have an effect on the

productivity, and therefore the cost, of the job. Productivity in this context means

the ratio of output to labor input: for example, the number of customers served

per hour or the number of products made per worker.

In addition, job design will influence two other particularly important objectives.

6. Health and safety

Whatever else a job design achieves, it must not endanger the well-being of the

person who does the job, other staff of the operation, the customers who might

be present in the operation, or those who use any products made by the

operation.

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7. Quality of working life

The design of any job should take into account its effect on job security, intrinsic

interest, variety in it, opportunities for development, stress level and attitude of

the person performing the job.

PARAMETERS MULTI-SKILLING WORK SPECIALIZATION

Quality High High

Speed High Moderate

Dependability High Moderate

Flexibility High Low

Cost High Low

Health and safety High Low

Quality of working life Low Moderate

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CASE STUDIES in MULTI-SKILLING

MULTI-SKILLING INITIATIVE: INDRADHANUSH @ ACC

Concrete

The concept of Indradhanush challenges the theory of ‘one person - one role’.

The aim of this development model is to train people and make them ‘green’ in

multiple competencies. The model includes a carefully crafted Multi-skill index to

measure progress.

As explained by Dr. Tanaya Mishra, Chief People Officer, ACC Concrete, the model

encompasses 3 phases:

1. Plotting a multi-skilled profile for each of the plant personnel.

2. Developmental initiatives through OTJ training.

3. Assessments and remapping.

The company prepared a current status skill matrix for each plant based on

inputs from three different sources:-

a) extracts of the internal dialogue process

b) review ratings from immediate supervisors and reviewers

c) results of 15 different subject assessment papers conducted for

each employee

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This helped the company maintain objectivity in the overall model.

Each color code had an interpretation:

Red: Not capable of handling the job role even with support.

Yellow: Capable of handling the function under supervision and support.

Green: Capable of handling the function independently.

• Each color box was then assigned a score. Once complete, the whole matrix

was converted into a commonly understood index.

• The programme began with 2.26 index points out of 5. Within the first 6

months, the index moved up by 22 percent.

• By the end of 2010, the target was to achieve an index of 3.5. Efforts were

made using well structured on-the-job training through coaches who are

not only experts in the core subject but also specially trained in coaching

skills.

• The process is now well established and has brought tremendous benefits

to the organization, in terms of helping it maintain its lean and agile

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structure, which in turn boosts competitiveness.

The whole process has also answered issues related to role enhancement,

increase in operational efficiency, optimization of manpower, better shift

management and leave plans, career development, filling recruitment gaps and

succession planning.

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CROSS-TRAINING FOR MULTI-SKILLING @ DAISHOWA-MARUBENI INTERNATIONAL (DMI) LTD. PEACE RIVER PULP DIVISION

Background

Peace River Pulp, a Japanese-owned unit, located in the northwest of Edmonton,

Alberta, Canada, is a nonunionized mill that was constructed in 1989 as a green-

field plant. The plant started operations in July 1990 and began to produce

hardwood pulp, an aspen-derived product, and softwood pulp, a spruce- and

pine-derived product. Mill production has subsequently improved to the point

where output is 20 percent higher than was originally planned.

Typically, one quarter (1/4) of the total production is softwood pulp and three

quarter (3/4) is hardwood pulp for sale to the world market. Hardwood pulp,

blended with or without softwood pulps makes an excellent printing and writing

grade of paper, providing bulk and a good printing surface.

Workforce

There are approximately 342 permanently employed plant workers, 100

contractually employed workers, and 250 seasonally employed forestry workers.

Sixty percent of the permanently employed workers have had no previous

experience with traditional management systems in the pulping industry, while 30

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percent came directly from academic institutions and had little or no work

experience.

Cross-functional teams called Home Station Groups (HSGs) have been established,

which depend on a participative style of management. Each of the fifteen HSGs is

responsible for a specific aspect of the manufacturing process, and is composed

of approximately twelve technicians, together representing people from all

process-related departments in the mill. The HSGs are distributed throughout the

six organizational departments of the facility. These are:

Woodlands, which is responsible for harvesting, log hauling, log storage,

and chipping consisting of 12 forestry personnel. Forestry personnel

typically specialize in a specific aspect of their profession, such as

silviculture or chip procurement, and are rotated into a different position

every two to four years.

Operations, which is responsible for monitoring and operating the pulp

manufacturing process. Employees progress through 7-tiered ‘technical

progression’ system, each tier having separate standardized kill set, which

cannot be bypassed.

Technical, that is responsible for process engineering, quality control, and

operation of the environmental and central lab.

Mechanical Maintenance, which is responsible for numerous maintenance

tasks, such as repairing machinery, welding, and pipefitting. Like the

operations department, the maintenance department relies on a technical

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progression system in which employees advance through seven tiers of

training, after which they are eligible to apply for one of the departmental

lead positions.

Electrical Services and Instrumentation, which is responsible for

instrumentation and process-control maintenance. Every electrician is also

expected to train in instrumentation, and vice versa. Because individuals

trained in both professions can find job opportunities in other industries,

such as oil and gas, this cross-training practice has helped protect the

company from higher turnover.

Engineering, that is responsible for project design and implementation.

Why the need for Multi-skilling at Peace River Pulp Mill?

DMI’s Flexibility in terms of production: Organizational flexibility takes one of two

forms:

− Uniformity flexibility

− Product-range flexibility

• Product-range flexibility refers to a plant’s ability to switch smoothly from an

old product to a novel product; an example would be an automobile assembly

factory where a different car is produced each year. A company requiring this

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kind of flexibility should focus on educating its workers with general trouble-

shooting skills that are not specific to a particular product.

• Uniformity flexibility refers to a plant’s ability to smoothly switch back and

forth between different products; an example would be a pulp mill, where

production constantly switches from hard wood pulp, an aspen derived

product, to soft wood pulp, a spruce- and pine-derived product. These plants

should focus on educating their employees with skills specific to the

manufacturing process, for they will be of the most benefit. Peace River Mill

hence requires elaborate skill-set in its workforce.

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Issues in Multi-skilling

1. How many skills to be absorbed by each?

There is a Law of diminishing returns to increased no. of skills through cross-

training. Park(1991) found that the most significant improvement in flexibility

occurred when employees were trained in two sets of skills instead of just one.

Eg. Training in the skills required for pipefitting and welding, rather than just

pipefitting alone.

2. How to improve flexibility?

Skill ‘Chaining’ is the best technique which requires each worker to train in a

unique combination of skills (Brusco and Johns 1998) such that they are the most

productive.

Eg. A pipe-fitter is required in the maintenance department of a pulp mill. Worker

can be trained in both pipe-fitting and welding.

Asymmetric training program is much more conducive to chaining than a

symmetric training program. However, if a training program produces worker skill

sets that are too diverse, it may turn out that too few employees are trained in

the high-workload jobs of the organization.

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3. Workers should be Generalists or Specialists?

The more extensive the cross-training program, the more difficult it is for

employees to specialize in specific skill sets (Stanislaw et al. 1994). This problem

can be avoided by separating highly specialized jobs from the cross-training

program.

Another solution is to have each worker completely specialize in one skill and

master at least 50 percent of another skill set - Brusco and Johns (1998). They

found that when employees are cross-trained in this way, about 87 percent of the

cost savings available from completely mastering the second skill set were

attained, on average.

4. How to deal with Employee Resistance?

Cross-training for multi-skilling will tend to reduce the ‘that’s not my job’

mentality in the work force (Klein 1998).

Some employees may feel that training, work, and responsibility now required are

not worth the increase in pay being offered. They choose to stay in the positions

they had occupied before the implementation of the initiative. However, as the

cross-training becomes more entrenched in the organizational culture, the

number of employees who refuse to participate begins to decrease.

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Conclusion

Multi-skilling ensures that workers are idle only when there are no jobs to

complete, not when there are no jobs that a particular worker can complete. It

therefore allows companies like Peace River Pulp to use a ‘minimum-staffed’

strategy—to use only the minimum number of employees necessary to

maintain production.

Multi-skilling is particularly suited to the cost-reduction strategy of Peace River

Pulp because it operates a continuous production system, within which it is

very difficult to divide jobs into individual units. The more knowledgeable

workers are about the whole process, the more proficient they become.

Cross-trained employees are less likely to resist technological innovation, since

it is less likely to be perceived as a threat to their job security if they are used

to moving from one skill to another.

The more extensive the multi-skilling, the more difficult it is for employees to

specialize in specific skill sets. Companies must therefore find a balance

between special skills and a general understanding. One solution is to separate

highly specialized jobs from the cross-training program.

Multi-skilling is particularly important in the pulping industry because of

computerized control systems that require operators to have a well-founded

comprehension of the entire pulping process. Cross-training allows employees

to develop the intellectual mastery that has become a key performance factor.

40

Skill-based pay is the most appropriate system for rewarding multi-skilled

workers, but three problems may arise:

It sometimes results in very high wage levels;

Employees may concentrate too much on acquiring new skills, rather

than on completing their assigned jobs; and

It is difficult to find new challenges for employees who have mastered

all the designated skills.

Only the last problem has arisen at Peace River Pulp, which finds it difficult to

maintain a low turnover rate among its more experienced employees.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Human Resource Development, Jon M. Werner & Randy L. Desimone, Pg. 151-201,Eighth Edition, Cengage Learning India Pvt. Ltd.

• http://wps.pearsoned.co.uk/ ema_uk_he_slack_opsman_4/17/4472/1144953.cw/index.html (Retrieved February,2012)

• http://www.hrprofessor.com/article6.html (Retrieved February,2012)

• http://hsc.csu.edu.au/ind_tech/ind_study/2530/ Multiskilling.html(Retrieved February,2012)