Job Rotation Programs

Procter & Gamble historically rotated high-potential managers every couple of years across functions, and that way created leaders who understood the whole business, not just their corner of it. When I was at Microsoft, I borrowed a page from that Procter & Gamble playbook. We launched an executive exchange with P&G, pairing mid-level managers in IT from each side for a six‑month job share. Our IT leaders went into P&G’s world. Their people came into ours. They shadowed, worked through real business problems, and debriefed with both managers at the end. It changed everything. My team came back from their experiences much sharper about practical customer needs and why downtime or IT implementation issues at a customer site impacted their businesses in a significant way. They gave true, actionable product feedback to our own product development teams. And yes, our revenue with those partners went up. On their side, P&G’s IT team built a much clearer sense of how Microsoft products actually get built and could be integrated in the field. Everyone who went through the program said the same thing: “It was the best thing I’ve ever done.” We grew it to about 20 participants a year, and it was consistently oversubscribed. The model works because it forces leaders out of their silos long enough to see how decisions land in the real world. But it only works if you design for balance. Too much rotation, and people risk becoming generalists who play it safe instead of taking bold moves. Here’s how we countered that: 1. Two-three year rotations across functions for rising leaders. 2. Six‑month customer or partner job shares to build empathy. 3. Manager debriefs after each assignment, three‑way feedback, not a box‑check. 4. Measured outcomes: product insights, customer feedback, promotions, revenue. 5. Executive sponsorship so people aren’t punished for taking smart risks. I believe that cross‑org collaboration and cross-org business knowledge will beat silo depth for the next generation of leaders most of the time. But it only works if leadership protects risk‑taking while expanding the perspectives of next-generation leaders.

What happens when the CEO joins customer support? You learn fast. This week I am part of our customer support desk 👨🏼🔧 As CEO handling support tickets?  Yes – and not just me…   Since a couple of weeks, we introduced a support desk rotation model. Every employee is part of the first level support for 1 week. From CEO over developer across to Marketing and Controlling – everybody. The duties: monitor and manage tickets, gather knowledge and answer customers.   You wonder: Why not one person or outsourced? Going beyond - at sovity! 💎 Job rotation ensures continuous learning: It is common to shift projects or topics. Thinking outside the box needed. 💎 Establish deep understanding about our product: Know what we deliver to the market and how it can be used. Generate tech understanding. 💎Customer first-thinking: Understand customer needs and daily issues to build even better products for them.    Staying close to the customers is a fundamental principle. Lived from day one at sovity. Not just for the customer-facing roles in a company – it’s everyone’s responsibility. Incredible what I learned in these few days! One key aspect:  👉🏼 A perfect product documentation is great – but will never replace individual customer interaction.   How do you stay close to customers?

Sometimes, the way to #moveup is to first #movesideways. Or, a change of scenery can reveal #opportunities that you didn’t see before. Matthew Bidwell and JR Keller use eight years of data from a large healthcare company to track the #careertrajectories of employees. They find that #lateralmovers are people who have been in their position for a while and whose performance is strong, but not strong enough to be promoted. However, their performance is still better than the average performance of people who stay in their positions. So, one takeaway is that people who move laterally aren’t poor performers by any stretch of the imagination; the issue is that they aren’t #exceptional and they realize that the probability of #advancement is low. The critical finding of the paper is that those who make lateral moves end up being more likely to be #promoted in their new position, and absent that, paid more than those who choose to stay in their positions (notably, this doesn’t happen immediately; it takes about three to four years to see this difference). Although the researchers don’t have the data to identify exactly why this is happening, they propose that companies value the broader set of skills and perspectives that people who work in different parts of an organization have. I see two major implications of these findings. One is that if companies really care about breadth in skill and perspectives, they should bake that into their leadership development expectations. Instead of relying on #mentors or #sponsors to advise #highpotential employees to take positions in different divisions of the company (which appears to be more common than we might think), job/division #rotation should be systematized. What this does is set expectations so that lateral moves are expected and encouraged and not seen as somehow “less than” as a career move. That, in itself, is probably helpful to companies that want to #retaintalent, because, after all, it’s not that lateral movers are poor performers. It’s that they aren’t quite exceptional performers in their present role. But there should be no shame in not being a #perfectfit; if companies were more dedicated to retaining top talent, they could be more intentional in giving employees opportunities to try different roles so that a perfect fit can be found. Bidwell, M., & Keller, J. R. (2024). Stepping Sideways to Step up: Lateral Mobility and Career Advancement Inside Organizations. Management Science.

Siemens in Egypt: A Guide to Companies and Early-Career Programs A quick reference for students and fresh graduates planning to apply. Siemens in Egypt is not a single company. It operates through three specialized entities, plus two independent spin-offs. Each runs its own early-career programs, so applying to the right one matters. 1. Siemens Industrial (Siemens Industrial LLC) Focus: Electrification, automation, and digitalization for industry. Programs: Best in Class (BIC) Summer Internship. The flagship Siemens Egypt program. A two-month full-time summer internship (July to August) for students in their final years and fresh graduates. Open to engineering, business, computer science, cybersecurity, and finance majors. Siemens Graduate Program (SGP). A two-year rotational program with three assignments, including one international rotation, and a permanent contract from day one. For master's and PhD graduates. 2. Siemens Mobility (Siemens Mobility Egypt LLC) Focus: Rail signaling, high-speed rail, electrification, and rail automation. Currently delivering Egypt's 2,000-kilometer high-speed rail network. Programs: Fit4Rail Summer Internship. Siemens Mobility's dedicated summer internship for engineering, business, and computer science students. Siemens Mobility Graduate Program. A two-year rotational graduate program with three targeted assignments, including an international rotation. Working Student and Internship roles. Ongoing openings on the High-Speed Rail project in areas such as rolling stock, signaling, and project management. 3. Siemens Digital Industries Software (Siemens Industry Software, Private Free Zone) Also known as DISW or Siemens EDA. Focus: Global R&D center for EDA tools, AI-assisted development, and the Siemens Xcelerator platform. Programs: Strategic Student Program (SSP). The formal internship at Siemens Software for third- and fourth-year students. Two-month summer or longer co-op formats, with direct customer work and structured mentorship. Genesis Program. A four-month intensive training program for new engineers on the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio. Atlas Program. A twelve-month developmental program for new engineers contributing to EDA software products. Two related but independent companies also operate in Egypt: Siemens Energy (Siemens Energy S.A.E.) Focus: Power generation, turbines, grids, and renewables. Programs: 1) Siemens Energy Graduate Program. A two-year program with three assignments, including an eight-month international placement. Master's or PhD level, requires prior internship experience. 2) Siemens Healthineers (Siemens Healthcare S.A.E.) Focus: Medical imaging, diagnostics, and healthcare IT. Application tip Programs at the three Siemens entities and the two spin-offs are posted on different career portals. Use jobs.siemens.com for Industrial, Mobility, and DISW. Use jobs.siemens-energy.com for Energy. Siemens Healthineers maintains its own separate portal

If you're an HR student looking for something longer than an internship--look at rotational programs. My career roadmap literally changed when I discovered them! Do NOT sleep on rotational programs. Many rotational programs are paid, much longer (think 6 months - 3 years longer), and give you insight and experience in HR facets (versus just 1). Keep this in mind: Most programs start the application process a year before the program itself starts, so you have to be on the lookout! Some may be open now, but many will release their 2026 openings this year. Here are a list of companies to keep your eye out for when their HR rotational programs open: ✨ Microsoft HR Rotational Program (3 years) ✨ Dell Technologies's HR Rotational Program (3 years) ✨Johnson & Johnson's Foundational HR Leadership Program (2 years) (J&J also has ones for experienced HR pros too!) ✨WEX's HR Leadership Program (3 years) ✨Visa's People Team Development Program (2 years) ✨GE Vernova's HRLP Program (2 years) ✨Regions Bank's HR Talent Emerging Program (1 year) ✨Citi's HR Management Associate Program (2 years) ✨Parker Hannifin's HR Leadership Development Program (2 years) ✨Caterpillar Inc.'s HR Professional Development Program (2 years) ✨Bose Corporation's HR Rotational Program (2 years) ✨ Kohler Co.'s HR Rotational Program (1-1.5 years) Added Programs from the Comments :) ✨ Fidelity Investments's HR Rotational Program (2 years) by Christopher M. Joyce, PHR ✨Textron Systems's HR Leadership Development Program (2 years) by Caitlin Croston, SHRM-CP As you can see, I've research and tracked so many programs over the past 2 years--this isn't even the full list! Here are some tips I learned from applying: 1) Ask Questions: Some applications may not specify a start date, pay range, degree requirements, etc. Many programs have informational sessions where you can ask questions. Ask unique questions early & often--that's how you get remembered. 2) Connect w/ Alumni: Recruiters are GREAT for getting into the program...but past alumni give insight into what it's like during the program (and what happens after)! Past Alumni give a masterclass about the do's and dont's, alongside how they stood out. While the job market is super rough for early-career, don't sleep on rotational programs--best of luck to everyone applying!

Want to accelerate your career in just a few years? Look into rotational programs. Here's a list of opportunities. Rotational programs are opportunities to gain diverse experiences, build skills quickly, and explore different parts of an organization while contributing and taking ownership of meaningful projects. From my past experience in Microsoft's Finance Rotation Program (FRP), here is why these programs can be transformative: 1️⃣ Dynamic Career Experiences I rotated through 4 teams across Microsoft’s Finance organization, spending 6 months in each (Internal Audit, Resource/Budget Management, Data Center Capacity & CAPEX Investments, Revenue Planning). Every rotation gave me hands-on exposure to new challenges, projects, and business areas, accelerating my learning in ways a traditional role might not. 2️⃣ Mentorship and Leadership Exposure Through the FRP, I connected with and learned from mentors, senior leaders, and cross-functional teams. These relationships taught me invaluable lessons about communication and collaboration within a global organization. 3️⃣ Discover Your Strengths and Passions Rotating through different functions helped me uncover what I am truly passionate about and where I can make the biggest impact in my career at the intersection of my purpose, skills, and passions. 💡 Tip: Approach every rotation with curiosity, embrace challenges, and be intentional about the skills and relationships you build. These programs are as much about personal growth as they are about professional development. *Rotational Programs Across Functions* >Microsoft: Finance Rotation Program (FRP) - Finance, 4 teams, 2-year program [deadline to apply is November 15th]. Microsoft also has rotation programs in Marketing (2 years) and Supply Chain (3 years) >Capital One: Various rotational programs including Analytics, Cybersecurity, Commercial Banking, Design, Finance, HR, Tech, Strategy >Google Associate Product Manager Program >Unilever: Future Leaders Programme - multiple functions including Customer Development, Finance, HR, IT, Marketing, Supply Chain >Johnson & Johnson: Financial Leadership Development Program (FLDP) - functions across Finance, Marketing, IT, Operations >GE: Financial Management Program - cross-functional rotations in finance and operations >Intel Corporation: Sales and Marketing Rotation Program - early career opportunities across business and engineering functions >Abbott: Finance Professional Development Program and Operations Professional Development Program If I missed any, please share below and let's get a full list going! #CareerAdvice #RotationalPrograms #CareerGrowth #MicrosoftLife #ProfessionalDevelopment #TechCareers #WomenInTech #Mentorship 

"I graduate in May 2025, when should I start applying for full-time jobs?" This is one of the most FAQs in my inbox right now! ⭐ Here's how I'd approach the post grad job hunt if I was a current May 2025 or December 2024 graduating senior: 1. Exclusively apply for rotational programs and roles that say "new graduate" or "recent graduate" in the title. Why? These programs/roles are looking for recent college graduates. Most job listings that are live now are looking for someone to start immediately, not in the next 2 months after you've graduated. New grad programs/roles understand that you won't be able to start until after May or December and help you transition into corporate life. From what I've seen, rotational programs and new grad roles start accepting applications between September-November. Rotational programs tend to have January, May, or September cohort start dates. → Companies who are hiring now for their rotational programs include Capital One (https://lnkd.in/grGtGMAZ) , Pfizer's Digital Rotational Program (https://lnkd.in/guSRcUYJ), Intuit's Product Management Program (https://lnkd.in/ghCmrNW4), JPMorganChase's programs (https://lnkd.in/gqCthg3g) , and more. Here's a breakdown of what these programs are and a list of 50+ #rotationalprograms to check out: https://lnkd.in/gjTCuvZd ⭐ If you're not interested in these new grad programs, I'd recommend you begin your entry-level job hunt about 2-3 months before your graduation date. Here's a list of early career job boards to start your search on https://lnkd.in/dGrSiham 2. Working a Spring/ Summer 2025 Internship that could potentially lead to a full-time offer. In month 1 of your Spring/Summer internship, have a conversation early with your manager about your interest in working at the company full-time and what the steps you need to take to get that offer. 3. Email past internship directors from past internships and ask if they're hiring for any new grads for entry-level roles. 4. Let your network know you're looking for a role. Start within your personal network (professors, school alumni, etc) and then expand socially (posting on Linkedin). You never know what or who someone can connect you with. 5. Diversify your applications and narrow your search I, too, was caught up in applying to "well-known" companies but realized I was wasting my time competing with 2000+ applicants for 1 open role. I give a breakdown and how to niche down your search here (https://lnkd.in/girxUSaY) 🎙 Check out my podcast episode with Therapy for Black Girls where I talk more about my early career journey so far and give REALISTIC advice for your entry level job hunt: https://lnkd.in/gfR-hJaK #classof2024 #classof2025 #entryleveljobs #internships #jobhuntingtips #postgrad

I remember, early in my career, my first manager used to implement job rotations within our team. At the time, I was curious and wondered why he did this. It wasn’t until later that I realized the immense positive impact it had on me and my colleagues. It helped us develop a deeper understanding of different functions, pushed us out of our comfort zones, and enhanced our problem-solving skills. Job rotations are a proven strategy that has been around for years, but their impact remains powerful. For employees in entry-level or lower-level positions, job rotations provide much-needed variety and fresh perspectives, helping them stay engaged and motivated. By changing roles or departments, they learn new skills, break free from routine tasks, and get a broader understanding of the organization. For managers, job rotations serve a different, yet equally important purpose. These rotations are often designed to expand their expertise, giving them the experience they need to tackle new challenges and prepare for more senior roles. As the corporate world evolves and many middle-management positions have been eliminated, rotations for managers have become even more crucial. These opportunities help bridge skill gaps, foster adaptability, and make leaders more well-rounded, positioning them for future growth. In today’s fast-changing work environment, job rotations can play a critical role in keeping both employees and managers engaged, versatile, and ready for new opportunities. #jobrotation #careergrowth #employeeengagement #hrinsights

“𝗔𝗡𝗬 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗦 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗘𝗗” 𝗜𝗦 𝗗𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔 𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗩𝗬 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬’𝗦 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘 One of the most interesting career conversations I had recently was during a catch-up with my mentor. I raised something that had been sitting on my mind for a while, and she looked at me straight and said “𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮, 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘀𝘀. 𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲.” 😂 Quiet an awakening. At first, I laughed it off, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised how true that statement can be in today’s workplace. Many organisations train employees to cover different functions beyond their main role. Someone goes on leave, resigns unexpectedly, or takes vacation… someone else fills the gap. In many ways, this is practical and necessary for business continuity. And honestly, job rotation itself is not a bad thing. When done correctly, it helps employees understand the business better and develop new skills, also improve adaptability and build leadership capacity and I have also seen how it strengthen teamwork across departments Its an opportunity for a finance person to understand operations, an HR person understanding procurement and communications understanding field work. However, there is a difference between healthy job rotation and permanently stretching people across multiple functions without structure, recognition, or support. Sometimes organisations become so dependent on “multi-skilled” employees that specialised departments slowly lose their purpose. One person becomes HR, admin, procurement, events coordinator, counsellor, and IT support. A jack of all trades if you will Then there’s the famous line in employment contracts “Any other duties as assigned.” I sometimes wonder what that phrase truly translates into in practice Because while flexibility is part of employment, it should not become an open-ended license for role confusion, unrealistic workloads, or avoiding proper workforce planning. Cross-functional exposure is valuable and learning beyond your role is even valuable but organisations must also protect professional boundaries, ensure fair workloads, and respect the expertise that specialised roles bring. Sometimes the real question is not “Can this employee do more?” It is “Should they be expected to do everything?” We can agree to disagree. 

Retention is shifting away from benefits and towards opportunities to grow in a meaningful way. Internal mobility allows employees to realize potential while still staying with the organization. There are different forms of internal mobility that can be considered: Vertical mobility: traditional spans of control as promotion or movements of an employee while recognizing they are performing at higher levels than to date in either span or actual job. Lateral moves: lateral moves are moves into similar roles in a different department or lateral moves into same roles/ functions. Allows an employee to broaden their skills beyond one function. Project-based or temporary assignments: short-term opportunities to build exposure and increase capacity to take on a more leadership position. Job rotation: structured moves across multiple roles building the flexible talent for the future of work. Cross-functional career path: moves into totally new disciplines. Support for cross functional pathways in talent, expectations of cross functional and collaborative opportunities, to combat siloed mindsets and foster innovation. The benefits are very real: Lower turnover, improved loyalty Engagement and motivation that is much deeper than associated with a conventional job Retention of valuable and critical institutional knowledge that positively supports job performance success Substantial savings on your external hiring costs Culture of agility, learning and opportunity that remains unlimited for everyone Nobody desires to leave if they believe they can grow internally with tangible pathways to discover and define. P.S. - Views expressed in the post are personal. #employeeretention #talentdevelopment #careerpathways #verticalmobility #jobrotation #workplaceculture #futureofwork #learningandgrowth #careeropportunities #organizationalgrowth