Trading Places

About the Program

Category: Personnel Management, Employment and Training (Best in Category)

Year: 2009

Trading Places is a program designed by line staff within the Environmental Department of Johnson County to allow cross-training of employees. There are three levels of the program: job shadowing, job sharing, and job swapping. Each level provides an opportunity for mentoring in an effort to expand an employee’s horizons. The idea for such a program arose out of a survey administered by a third party company contracted by the County to gauge the extent to which employees are engaged and satisfied in their jobs. Areas of weakness were sought out and efforts were made to identify and find creative ways for fixing those problems. In the Environmental Department, one of 39 departments/agencies in the county, a team of six line staffers volunteered to design and implement a program easily accessible and paperless. Thus, forms are available and completed via the intranet, all communication occurs via email and laptops are used at meetings for reviewing necessary forms. The success of the program resulted in its continuation with expansion to other County departments in the near future.