As a production, QHSE, or HR manager at a factory, you rely on your versatile operators to fill in for absent colleagues or handle peaks in activity. On audit day, you still need to demonstrate that each employee meets all the requirements of their position, including up-to-date authorizations.
Versatility at work is the ability to perform multiple jobs or tasks. On the shop floor, an operator is versatile if it meets all the requirements for at least two positions, including authorizations.
What is versatility in the workplace?
A versatile employee works at several stations, on several machines, or during several stages of a process. It combines the expertise of each role with the ability to adapt from one context to another, as opposed to specialization.
Frederick Taylor, on the other hand, assigned each worker a single, broken-down, and timed task (The Principles of Scientific Management, 1911). Toyota’s production system took the opposite approach. In it, Taiichi Ohno describes operators who manage several machines on the same line in order to adjust the number of workers to the volume to be produced.
Definition
An operator is versatile when they cover 100 % requirements for at least two distinct positions : skills assessed at the operational level and valid clearances. All Mercateam figures in this article are based on this definition.
Why count requirements rather than positions filled?
An operator can hold a position every day without mastering it in terms of compliance. On average, a position has 3.73 requirements in the pharmaceutical industry and 7.20 in the automotive industry, and meeting six out of seven is not enough.
The discrepancy comes to light during an audit or inspection, when it turns out that a position is being filled by someone who lacks the required qualifications. The versatility that is valuable to your site is the kind that stands up to this scrutiny.
Is versatility a skill?
Yes, it is a cross-functional skill that combines technical expertise, interpersonal skills, and the ability to adapt. In the workshop, however, it is demonstrated through the requirements of each position.
Forms of Versatility and How It Differs from Multiskilling
Versatility takes two forms: horizontal and vertical, and differs from both multidisciplinary competence and cross-functional competence. Distinguish these concepts in your matrix, as each is developed separately.
| Concept | What it refers to | Workshop Example | What it secures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizontal Versatility | Several positions with the same level of complexity | One operator trained on three machines on a packaging line | Replacing an Absent Colleague |
| Vertical Versatility | Tasks of varying difficulty levels within the same scope | A line operator who also performs adjustments and preliminary fault diagnostics | Responsiveness to Incidents |
| Multidisciplinary Skills | Expertise drawn from various fields | An operator that manufactures and provides first-level maintenance | Uninterrupted service without the need for support |
| Cross-functional skill | A skill that is useful in many situations | Reading blueprints, 5S, problem-solving | Adapting to a new position, without being qualified to fill it |
Vertical versatility remains the least accessible to workers. In the’Survey on Working Conditions According to a 2019 Dares report, 53 % of unskilled workers are unable to resolve incidents on their own, compared with 32 % of employees.
In your repository, keep the multi-skilling on separate rows, since a production shift and a maintenance task do not belong to the same row in the matrix.
What is a versatile skill?
It is a skill that can be applied in various contexts, such as problem-solving or mastering a digital tool. It is useful across different roles, but it is not enough on its own to excel in a particular position.
The Legal Framework for Versatility in France
The Labor Code does not define versatility. Its framework stems from the employer’s managerial authority, case law on contract amendments, and training obligations.
- Change roles within one's field of expertise. A different task, «as long as it corresponds to the employee’s qualifications,» does not alter the employment contract (Court of Cassation, Labor Division, May 10, 1999, No. 96-45.673).
- Advance from the qualifying round. Assignment to duties corresponding to a different job classification constitutes a modification of the employment contract and requires the employee’s consent.
- Match employees to their positions. Article L6321-1 of the Labor Code requires employers to make these accommodations and to ensure that employees remain able to perform their jobs.
- Reward versatility. No bonus is required by law. It may be provided for in a collective bargaining agreement, a company-wide agreement, or a contract clause.
The Court of Cassation’s ruling concerned a farmworker who had switched from picking lemons to bundling bananas. Since her job classification remained the same, the Court viewed this as a mere change in working conditions.
Before expanding an employee’s range of responsibilities, describe the requirements for each relevant position. This description helps you objectively determine what—and what does not—fall within the employee’s qualifications when assigning tasks.
How many operators are truly versatile?
At a medium-sized industrial site, 12.5 % of operators are versatile in the strict sense. We applied this definition to a sample of 210 French industrial sites, which were monitored for twelve months.
In each sector, 80 to 90 % of operators are proficient in only one position. The breakdown of the rest shows how versatility is developed—and where you should focus your efforts.
How many positions does an operator actually master?
Breakdown of operators in each sector by the number of positions for which they meet all requirements.
The level with two positions, which is less populated than the one with four or more positions
Excluding automobiles, Fewer operators are proficient in two positions than in four or more, a sign that versatility increases in stages. In the agri-food sector, 1.0 % workers hold two positions, compared with 5.4 % workers who hold four or more.
There are two reasons for this. The job requirements overlap from one position to the next, so the third position is acquired more quickly than the second. Operators who are already versatile are also the first to be called upon for substitutions. In the automotive industry, 13.8 % of operators are proficient in two positions, and none in more than three, because the synchronized production line makes the second position accessible without creating a need for a fourth.
Organization matters more than the sector
To gauge how your site ranks, compare its score to those in your industry. The median divides the sites into two equal halves; one-quarter of the sites fall below the first quartile, and one-quarter fall above the third.
| Sector | Median rate per site | First quartile | Third quartile | Job Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmetics | 20.1 1Q3Q | 7.1 1Q3Q | 34.2 1Q3Q | 4,57 |
| Aeronautics | 16.8 1Q3Q | 3.3 1Q3Q | 36.6 1Q3Q | 5,78 |
| Automotive | 14.9 1Q3Q | 0.8 1Q3Q | 67.4 1Q3Q | 7,20 |
| Pharmaceuticals | 14.6 1Q3Q | 0 % | 33.7 1Q3Q | 3,73 |
| Food industry | 10.1 1Q3Q | 1.1 1Q3Q | 32.6 1Q3Q | 5,12 |
So your industry does not account for your rate. How to Assign, Train, and Track Skills The difference between sites, and a sector-wide average, says little about your own situation.
Why is it important to develop versatility in the workplace?
Companies Are Promoting Versatility because work has become more variable. According to the Dares Working Conditions surveys, 48 % of employees often had to interrupt one task to perform an unplanned one in 1991. That number rose to 65 % in 2019.
On the shop floor, Industry 4.0 is leading to more frequent reconfiguration of production lines and requires teams capable of switching workstations as production demands change. At your facility, this variability is reflected in three figures.
If your site has 200 operators, an absenteeism rate of 5 % means you’re short about ten people per day. Every absence requires reassigning someone, and Versatility determines whether this substitute is qualified.
What She Brings to the Company
- Production continuity. Absences and peaks in activity are accommodated without line stoppages or systematic reliance on overtime.
- Less reliance on experts. 97 % of the sites in our sample have at least one skill held by a single person who is at risk of leaving or being laid off.
- Team compliance. Putting together a fully qualified team for a NADCAP audit or a GMP inspection requires having multiple qualified individuals for each position.
For the manufacturers we serve, digital skills tracking saves up to one day per week in scheduling. One of them has reduced on-the-job training time by a factor of four.
Collins Aerospace, Bonduelle, Guerlain, and Saint-Gobain are also leveraging their versatility with Mercateam.
What it offers employees
- A more varied job. Job rotation provides biomechanical and psychosocial variety, provided that the positions are designed appropriately (see the limitations below).
- Enhanced employability, both within and outside the company, which the adaptation requirement under Article L6321-1 is intended to uphold.
- A Possible Recognition through a bonus, a change in classification, or a career path, when provided for by an agreement or a collective bargaining agreement.
Resolve the issue of recognition before launching a development plan. Uncompensated versatility relies on the most heavily utilized employees—those whose departure would be the most costly.
The Cost of His Absence
A lack of versatility rarely stops a line. He hires partially qualified people for these positions, which your assignment data show but your production metrics do not.
In the automotive sector, 56 % of the positions identified have no operator who meets all of their requirements. Yet these positions are staffed every day by an employee who fails to meet at least one of the requirements.
Percentage of positions filled by fewer than three people
Median per site. A position is filled when an operator meets all of its requirements.
Over a 12-month period, 14.3 1Q3Q Allocations stored in our database staff scheduling management relate to an employee who is not qualified for the position.
A lack of versatility thus carries over into compliance. It is not captured by the TRS and becomes apparent in the traceability of qualifications verified during audits.
What are the limitations and risks of versatility?
The first risk is that overestimating your team's versatility. The other three relate to how it is implemented—when it places an undue burden on a minority group, incurs training costs, or poses a health risk.
A reported versatility higher than the actual versatility
A versatility rate is only as good as the evaluations on which it is based. However, the proportion of operators that have been evaluated for less than twelve months varies from one to five times, depending on the sector.
| Sector | Carriers rated within the last 12 months | Median versatility rate |
|---|---|---|
| Automotive | 54.1 1Q3Q | 14.9 1Q3Q |
| Aeronautics | 50.0 % | 16.8 1Q3Q |
| Food industry | 42.4 1Q3Q | 10.1 1Q3Q |
| Cosmetics | 24.8 1Q3Q | 20.1 1Q3Q |
| Pharmaceuticals | 11.1 1Q3Q | 14.6 1Q3Q |
The pharmaceutical and automotive sectors have similar ratios, but the pharmaceutical sector’s ratio is based on 11.1 % of recent valuations, while the automotive sector’s is based on 54.1 %. Therefore, the same figure does not have the same level of reliability.
Cosmetics, which tops the rankings, is based on only a quarter of recent reviews. If your reviews are outdated, view your own rating with the same caution.
Distraction and Overload
Driven by a lack of arbitration, versatility leads to a backlog of tasks without delving deeply into any of them and concentrates flexibility among a minority. In the pharmaceutical industry, 12.2 % of workers are capable of performing four or more job roles.
These operators become the workshop's adjustment variable. Notify them early, because an assignment known the day before carries less weight than a change announced at the start of the shift.
Specialization or versatility?
The balance is determined on a position-by-position basis. Some positions warrant a dedicated expert, while others require three staff members.
Training Time and Cost
Each additional position requires a comprehensive training program. The median duration of a validated program varies significantly by sector.
These timeframes cover the training process through to its completion, excluding waiting periods and on-the-job training. Be sure to factor them into your training plan before promising a second position to an operator.
The Effects of Rotation on Health
You may have read that job rotation helps prevent musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). She only notifies them under certain conditions, as clarified by research in ergonomics.
A study by Gerling and his co-authors, published in the journal PISTES, compared two rotation systems on a ten-station oven assembly line. One had two stations with a high risk of shoulder injury; the other had only one. Workers on the first line reported more pain, particularly in the neck, shoulder, and back. The authors draw the first two recommendations below from these findings.
- Redesign the most demanding workstations before implementing job rotation.
- Alternate between heavy-duty and light-duty tasks to avoid repeating the same physical demands from one task to the next.
- Assign an operator only to positions for which he or she meets all requirements, including security clearances.
How can you measure a team's versatility?
To assess your team's versatility, start by’a set of job requirements. Add a proficiency level scale, then calculate a summary metric for each site.
Assess proficiency using the ILUO rubric
Stemming from lean manufacturing, the ILUO grid evaluates each operator at each workstation based on four levels. The number of strokes in each letter indicates the progression.
| Level | What the operator can do | Item considered under control |
|---|---|---|
| I | Currently in training, is familiar with safety procedures, and works under supervision | No |
| L | Performs the operation under normal conditions, adheres to the cycle time, and detects defects | No, incomplete autonomy |
| U | Works independently, prepares for their shift, manages the startup process, and handles common issues | Yes |
| O | Trains other operators and suggests improvements | Yes |
Consider a position to be mastered starting at the operational level, which is equivalent to autonomy in the position and the threshold used in our data. An expired authorization revokes mastery, regardless of the level.
Calculate the versatility rate
If you manage multiple sites, calculate the figures site by site, and then consolidate using the median. The average can be skewed by a few outliers, which are common given the observed dispersion.
At the site level, however, the number of requirements per position affects the target to be set. With fewer than four requirements, a high rate is easier to achieve; with more than seven, even a modest rate reflects a significant effort.
Supplementary Indicators
The rate alone doesn't tell you where your weaknesses lie. Four indicators complement it, with the measurements taken from our sample.
| Indicator | What it reveals | Measured reference point |
|---|---|---|
| Positions filled by fewer than three people | Exposure to Absences | 24.8 1Q3Q to 77.8 1Q3Q positions by sector |
| Skills possessed by a single person | Reliance on Experts | Median of 5 to 52 per site |
| Carriers rated within the last 12 months | The Reliability of the Versatility Rate | 11.1 1Q3Q to 54.1 1Q3Q by sector |
| Non-compliant assignments | The Shift of Risk to Compliance | 14.3 Q1-Q3 overall, ranging from 3.6 Q1-Q3 to 31.2 Q1-Q3 across sites |
Your production metrics then measure the effects of versatility. When tracked over time, they show whether the versatility gained in the matrix translates to real-world results.
| Impact Indicator | What this conveys about versatility |
|---|---|
| Incident Response Time | The speed with which a qualified person can be mobilized in the event of an emergency |
| Task Turnover Rate | The actual frequency of job changes |
| Absenteeism rate | The ability to fill in for an absent employee without slowing down the production line |
| Error Rate | Tracking positions filled on an interim basis |
| Training Time | How quickly a new position is filled |
| Delivery time | The Effect of Substitutions on Production Flow |
| Employee satisfaction | Perceptions of Job Variety and Career Prospects |
| Customer Satisfaction | The ultimate impact on quality and timelines |
These measures are part of the follow-up to the industrial performance indicators.
What the competency matrix doesn't show
When read operator by operator, your skills matrix shows two blind spots. It does not show the skills possessed by a single person, nor does it show validated skills that no one has assigned.
Skills possessed by a single person
A monopoly exists when a particular skill is possessed by only one active employee. In our sample, 97 % sites Those assigned to a sector have at least one.
The median ranges from 5 monopolies per site in the agri-food industry to 52 in the aerospace industry, including 7 authorizations. Special processes and name-based authorizations significantly increase the number of entries in the reference document.
A dual position can mask a monopoly
The breakdown shows that these measures are distinct. No position in this sector is held by a single operator, but each site has a median of 9 skills held exclusively by a single operator.
A position can therefore be duplicated while a specific skill set remains the responsibility of a single person. Identify these monopolies, because it is on these critical skills on which business continuity depends.
Skills that have been validated but never put to use
A portion of the validated skills is never used for scheduling. We measured it by cross-referencing operational evaluations with twelve months of actual assignments, excluding cross-functional skills.
Percentage of validated skills that were never assigned within twelve months
Skills assessed at the operational level or higher, with no corresponding scheduling assignment.
The calculation applies only to employees who have had at least one actual assignment. Therefore, neither a long-term leave of absence nor a departure accounts for these discrepancies.
Education. Within the same workforce, up to half of the validated skills are never used, while 14.3 % of assignments go to unskilled employees. Some of the missing versatility already exists, but remains invisible at the time of assignment.
All your skills in one person, in one search
Based on your own data, the Mercateam matrix lists positions filled by fewer than three people, skills held by only one person, and validated skills that have never been assigned.
Book a demoWhat is versatility management?
Versatility management involves organizing, monitoring, and developing skills to allocate tasks and handle unforeseen circumstances. It relies on a skills matrix, targeted training, internal mobility, and assignments that take qualifications into account.
How can you foster versatility within a team?
To develop versatility, start with’a skills mapping in place. Include a training plan and long-term follow-up; without these, true and perceived versatility become indistinguishable.
Three key factors emerge from the data: job rotation, cross-training, and tracking authorization renewal deadlines.
Job Rotation
Between three and ten years of service, Temporary workers are more often versatile compared to permanent employees, at 43.4 % versus 31.8 %. Beyond ten years, the gap reverses, with 3.8 % of versatile temporary workers.
These figures compare groups without tracking the same individuals. They suggest a rotation effect, since temporary workers move between workstations where there are staff shortages, while permanent employees remain at their assigned stations. Therefore, plan for a rotation every quarter for each operator trained in a second position, which maintains that position and triggers a reassessment, under the ergonomic conditions described above.
Cross-training for the position
In cross-training, An experienced operator demonstrates the proper technique to a colleague and confirms its progress toward self-sufficiency. First, aim for the second position—a sparsely populated sector outside the automotive industry.
| Length of Service | Permanent Contract | Fixed-Term Contract | Temporary Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Less than a year | 10.6 1Q3Q | 5.9 1Q3Q | 9.4 1Q3Q |
| 1 to 3 years | 23.5 1Q3Q | 13.5 1Q3Q | 21.1 1Q3Q |
| Ages 3 to 10 | 31.8 1Q3Q | 18.6 1Q3Q | 43.4 1Q3Q |
| 10 years and older | 32.9 1Q3Q | 8.9 1Q3Q | 3.8 1Q3Q |
Among employees with permanent contracts (CDI), 10.6 % of those with less than one year of service are versatile, compared with 23.5 % of those with between one and three years of service. Those with three to ten years of service account for 8.3 points more, and those with more than ten years of service account for an additional 1.1 points.
Informal learning therefore seems to have most of its impact before the age of three. Plan for a individual development plan On the third anniversary of your permanent contracts, when your career progression slows down.
Tracking Authorization Deadlines
An expired authorization removes the cover from the post while maintaining control of the movement. Anticipating these deadlines preserves versatility without the need for additional training, which makes it the least expensive lever.
A skills matrix which notifies you of each due date before it expires, giving you time to plan for recycling.
Where should you start at an industrial site?
Start with the data you already have, your matrix and your schedule, in that order.
- Count the requirements for each position. Their average number tells you what level of versatility to aim for.
- List the positions filled by fewer than three people. These are the ones where being away for just a few days puts you in a bind.
- Identify the skills possessed by a single person, starting with the individual authorizations.
- Cross-reference the matrix and the 12-month schedule to identify skills that have been validated but never assigned.
- Prioritize the transition from one position to two in the positions with the least coverage.
The number of shifts at each workstation justifies this decision. Assigning ten operators to one or two shifts further reduces exposure to absences than assigning two operators to three to five shifts.
To create these lists using your own data, request a Mercateam demo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Versatility in the Workplace
What is versatility in the workplace?
Versatility at work refers to the ability to perform multiple positions or tasks within a company. In the workshop, this is assessed on a position-by-position basis, including valid certifications.
Why is versatility important in the industry?
Versatility ensures that there is a qualified replacement for every absence and every peak in activity. Without it, the workshop relies on a handful of experts and assigns employees who lack the necessary qualifications.
What is the difference between versatility and having a wide range of skills?
Versatility refers to the ability to perform multiple roles within the same trade, such as operating three machines on a production line. Multiskilling combines expertise from different trades, such as production and first-level maintenance.
Can an employer require an employee to be versatile?
Yes, within the scope of the employee’s qualifications. Assigning a different task that falls within those qualifications does not alter the contract (Supreme Court, Labor Division, May 10, 1999). Beyond that, the employee’s consent is required.
Should versatility be compensated?
The law does not require any versatility bonus. Check your collective bargaining agreement, your company-level agreements, and your employment contract, as they may provide for one.
How can we measure the versatility of teams?
The key metric is the versatility rate, broken down by location. Add in the positions covered by fewer than three people and the skills held by only one person—these highlight where an absence leaves you vulnerable.
What is the rate of job flexibility in the industry?
Based on a sample of 210 French industrial sites, the median site has 12.5 % of multi-skilled operators. Your organization has a greater impact on this rate than your industry does.
How long does it take to train an operator for a new position?
A validated training program lasts a median of 8 days for automotive training and 57 days for cosmetics training. Be sure to factor in the waiting period and on-the-job consolidation as well.
What tools can help develop versatility in the workplace?
You need an up-to-date skills matrix and a staffing schedule linked to qualifications. Software such as Mercateam, brings them together, with programs ranging from training time, customized.
