I've found that the most successful people in our department are those with a business background in our company's industry. Since many people don't have that background, it's helpful to get them working in one of the business units for at least a week. They gain a basic understanding of what the front line staff are trying to do, and are better equipped to provide them support. I'd love to be able to do that every year, but so far this is just with new hires.