Job Rotation
Moving employees across different roles or departments to broaden skills and perspective.
Definition
Job rotation is a talent development and organizational design practice where employees are systematically moved through different roles, departments, or locations over a defined period. It is used to develop well-rounded employees, prevent skill silos, improve cross-functional understanding, reduce burnout from repetitive work, and build a deeper internal talent pipeline. Job rotation is particularly common in leadership development programs and early career graduate schemes.
Example
“The management trainee program placed graduates in three different business functions over 18 months before they chose their permanent placement, ensuring broad organizational understanding.”
Synonyms
- cross-training
- role rotation
- function rotation
- lateral movement