Our cross-training programme has upskilled the team and boosted retention

Name: The Stag Company
Location: Brighton
Employees: 45
Founded in: 2002
Tip: “Regardless of your role and level within a company, you can always offer a voice, an opinion or a skill.”

The problem

The marketing department at The Stag Company struggled with skills gaps across the team. If staff were ill or on holiday, there was a lack of knowledge on how to cover their roles. A number of employees had also moved on recently, meaning that any spare time was spent on recruitment.

While training was provided to staff at the management level, there was a lack of personal development across the rest of the company. This affected morale and made employees less likely to stay.

The solution

It was clear that more staff training was needed. However, senior digital marketer Tom Bourlet wanted to allow individual staff members to take on more authority. He decided to set up a cross-training programme where staff trained and mentored others in their specialism, such as PPC advertising, content or email marketing.

“Most training is still led by senior figures, but they can’t be expected to know it all. It was great to allow other staff to put their voice forward and demonstrate their value to the company. They could guide others and pass on knowledge and tricks,” Tom explained.

Tom ran the initial session and then walked each team member through how to run their own, making sure they had enough time to prepare. 

The results

The mentoring sessions have helped to solve the initial issues with staff skills gaps and absences. Annual leave is no longer a fear factor within the team, as staff have the confidence to cover for others.

The cross-training programme has also helped to boost retention. Since staff are constantly learning and progressing, they have become more engaged in the company.

“The process has allowed staff to find ways to work together to achieve greater results. They’ve all become more rounded marketers, rather than being limited to one area. It means they can answer any questions that may arise in an interview when they do want to move into a new role.”