Page 27 - 2022_49.2

Cross-training

Once employees get a handle on their own role, cross-training can be a valuable training effort for
many reasons. In fact, cross-training can be done for almost any employee, at any stage in their career.
A deeper understanding of how the company works as a whole can only help people have a greater
appreciation for their coworkers and perform their jobs more efficiently.

Do you allow your office staff to go into the field? Have you ever had field staff come into the office? It
can be an illuminating experience that enriches the knowledge of your employees.

For example, your field staff can recognize the issues that they can face on a job site because they
do it every day. But office staff may be fairly ignorant of job site operations. There’s often a big
communication gap between the office and the field. Cross-training can help bridge that gap.

Cross-training within both field and office roles is also valuable. For example, what happens when someone goes on vacation? Is there
someone else at your company who knows how to pick up the slack? When you only have one person trained to do something, you’re
setting yourself up for painful situations.
One fun idea is to get creative with your office seating.
One employee described starting as a field employee before he got pulled into the office. He never moved desks, so he stayed in the
“field” section of the office. Then, a new GIS hire was also placed in the field section of desks due to space issues.
It ended up being an incredible opportunity. Office, field, and GIS team members could all collaborate and problem-solve in real-time.
The GIS employee had two surveyors sitting right next to him, so he learned how to do his job well. It’s a good argument for mixing up
your seating and putting different employees together so that cross-training can happen naturally.

Safety Training
Safety is a non-negotiable type of training that should occur on a regular basis in your
office.
The surveying profession is guided by countless safety measures like wearing steel-
toed boots and conducting safety checklists. But not everyone follows these best
practices.
While employers are responsible for ensuring workplace safety, employees are also
accountable for following standard procedures and employing common sense while
on the job.
The truth is that surveyors perform work that often puts them at risk. Working in roadways, handling equipment, and time spent
outdoors can result in accidents or injury if you’re not careful. Sometimes companies take a proactive stance on safety, and sometimes
they don’t.

At the chapter levels of an Association, it used to be more common that we would hire safety experts to come and provide
presentations. It’s a practice that we should pick back up.

Safety training can also connect back to the importance of cross-training. For example, one survey firm works with Right of Way agents
who are often called upon to go out in the field. The Right of Way agents often borrow a company vehicle to drive to job sites.
It’s important that such staff know things like:

• What type of vehicle to check out
• Where to park

• What footwear is appropriate
• What conditions to expect on the site

• What to be aware of and watch out for
For example, many surveying employees quickly learn the phrase “leaves on a tree are not TP.” It’s a humorous phrase, but in the winter,
there are no leaves on poison oak stalks. An unsuspecting and untrained employee may not recognize it and walk right into it.

Others may not be aware that on many construction sites, there are “all-road” directions that may change periodically. Job site
awareness and safety refreshers are always helpful.

As a side note: I will have an entire article devoted to Safety coming out in an upcoming Nevada Traverse this year and it will hit on this topic in
more detail.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE u
The Nevada Traverse Vol.49, No.2, 2022 25