During the recession, many businesses were forced to lay off employees in order to stay afloat. And remaining employees were often asked to pick up the slack—sometimes juggling several jobs at once—regardless of whether they had the skills or necessary training. As a consequence, many small- and medium-sized businesses learned that they were able to remain productive with fewer employees, but it also became clear that the benefits of running lean would quickly be negated if employees became overwhelmed, or were insufficiently trained to handle additional tasks. Because of these new realities, several businesses are embracing the idea of cross training to cut costs and improve resiliency during tough economic times. Cross training, or teaching employees the skills and responsibilities of various positions to increase their effectiveness, has a threefold benefit. First, it doesn’t cost anything. In most cross-training programs, supervisors and co-workers train one another. Second, cross training helps motivate employees. One of the best ways to improve engagement is to invest in employee development. And third, cross training increases productivity. Well-managed cross-training programs help improve efficiency and will ultimately affect a business’s bottom line.