60 Seconds on Business
Training, learning build job security

By Dr. Drake Beil
President, Solutions Inc.

Job security no longer is about having a guaranteed job no matter what. Rather, it's based on an individual's increased value. This requires managers to turn to new motivational tools, focusing on education and training.

For many workers, access to training and opportunities to learn are seen as rewards as well as career development tools.

Many banks and financial firms, for instance, have transaction activities that must happen over and over. They want to automate these tasks because cost per transaction is much lower for an ATM than for a teller. That doesn't create a strong sense of job security, so the real career opportunity is in moving on from teller positions into other roles.

What can banks do to keep these people and build on the customer contact skills they have developed? The can cross-train the employees so they can expand their skills. One way to accomplish this is a job rotation program. This approach gives employees a broader understanding of what others in the company do, and removes boredom which often induces errors. In the case of vacation or sick leave, it also makes it possible to replace employees from within.

Cross-training gives employees access to education. Perhaps it also offers a new sense of job security.

Dr. Drake Beil can be reached at 587-5832 or by e-mail at drake@60secondsonbusiness.com