On-the-job Training

On-the-job Training

No matter the industry you are going into, there is a great chance that you will receive on-the-job training. This type of training is important so that you, as an employee, can understand the ways in which the company is run. If you own a company or are considered a manager, on-the-job training is a way to make your business more efficient.

This training is different from other types of job-based training because unlike internships and apprenticeships, you are training for a job that you are about to start, and the job usually has no expected end date. If you are a manager or business owner with employees, it is important for you to utilize on-the-job training as well.

As an employee, you will learn the roles and responsibilities in the establishment in which you will be working. Learning through on-the-job training is a way for you to implement what you learn into everyday duties. It will typically be easier for you to understand how a company functions when you receive hands on practice as an employee. There are different approaches to on-the-job training. You can expect to use workplace documents, tools and equipment when training on the job. If you are not receiving the training during business hours, it is possible for a workplace to have you train in a training room or work station. For more information on what on-the-job training entails, why you should implement this training type if you are a manager and more, refer to the sections below.

Who trains employees?

It is common for an employee to be the one administering on-the-job training. As long as the employee is qualified and understands the day to day functions of the job, he or she can competently teach you the job that you will soon perform. Human resources staff and managers can typically train you regarding interpersonal skills, company policies, company requirements and leadership training.

A third party will sometimes perform on-the-job training if you are working with specialized equipment. These third parties are individuals that come in to show you the proper way to use the equipment. For example, if you are working for a marketing company that is utilizing a new system, an outside vendor may come in and show you and the rest of the employees how the new system works. You will then be able to implement the system into your daily work. In some cases, outside vendors may only train the members of your companies’ HR team. The HR team will then train the rest of the staff on what they learned in the training. There is also the possibility that a vendor will visit the company and teach a few members on the staff, who will then be expected to train the other employees performing a similar job. This is a common type of training model for implementing new systems or protocols within a business.

Training the Managers

If you are the owner of an establishment, it is likely that there is not enough time to train every one of your employees. This is why it is important for employees to train the other employees. Your managers should be training their subordinates on the correct way that a job should be performed. By training your managers to train others, you will increase the effectiveness of the internal training amongst coworkers. If you are a manager, it is your duty to constantly train, coach and mentor.

Employees Training Coworkers

After employees have received training from managers, they become capable of teaching the new and improved systems that they have learned to other employees. Employees teaching other employees is a cost-effective way to administer on-the-job training. Nobody knows the firsthand experience of what methods work best on a job than other employees. The people who are already working in a role are the ones who know everything about it. Using employees to train other employees is the best training option because managers are not always onsite during work hours. Also employees training their coworkers is a time saver. Having an external trainer come to the site can take more time and become extremely costly.

Other Types of On-the-Job Training

While getting hands-on experience is the most popular type of training in many industries, there are other ways to train employees. If you own a business, there are advantages and disadvantages to any model of on-the-job training. You have to know which training method works best for your employees and company.

In addition to hands-on training, you can train your employees by using a lecture style type of training. This training can take place in a classroom where someone knowledgeable of the company or organization explains the procedures to new hires or trainees. An advantage of this model is the large number of employees that can be trained at once. This training can all happen in one place at one time, allowing you to avoid the need to repeat training procedures for different groups of people. This also ensures that each employee receives the same information and has the same experience. The disadvantage, on the other hand, is that bringing in an expert can be expensive and not practical for small companies.

Another type of training is referred to as simulation. In this form of training, workers are asked to do tasks similar to what they would encounter while on the job. This model is common amongst salespeople. The advantage to this type of training is that employees have the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them so that the mistakes can be avoided when it really matters. The disadvantage is that the time being spent performing this training could be going towards actual work tasks. Simulations prevent employees from doing real work and are not ideal if you have limited time to train your employees.

Lastly, you could allow your employees to train through self-directed learning. With self- directed learning, employees utilize written manuals, videos, computer training courses, web-based training courses and more to teach themselves what they need to know. This will grant your employees the opportunity to learn at their own pace, which can help them understand the concepts more. However, the success of the employee is partially tied to how effective the training material given is. The clearer the training materials, the better the employee can perform.

By Admin