On-the-job training: 7 reasons to embrace it today

On-the-job training is when new employees learn applicable skills for their role while in the workplace. It’s a practical training method focused on a hands-on approach in a live or simulated training environment, typically under the guidance of a supervisor or mentor. 

On-the-job training offers several advantages to you and your employees… 

On-the-job training promotes faster learning of company tools and processes, particularly when supplementing off-the-job training methods and as part of a training programme or training needs analysis.

Employees pick up essential skills more quickly when given a visual demonstration of their applicability within the workplace and retain information better with hands-on experience. 

Training someone on the job is easier to implement and provides more direct results than a collection or scattering of different training methods. Instead, employees can refer back to old training modules or ask a supervisor. Additionally, practical experience under the guidance of a senior employee can help new hires reduce mistakes before going into a live environment. 

On-the-job instruction helps mitigate typical onboarding costs such as training rooms, reference material, presenters and travel. Employees have easy access to all necessary materials while supervisors provide them with expert guidance. And once their training is complete, they can immediately transition into live work. 

Employees retaining more information and having hands-on experience with company processes means they can become productive faster after transitioning into real work situations. Additionally, the adjustment period is shortened by their practical experience and easy access to reference material or experienced help from a peer.

When employees aren’t clear on the expectations and responsibilities, it can cause stress that affects job performance and retention rates. On-the-job training mitigates that by providing a clear visual breakdown of all relevant aspects of the position. 

On-the-job training is moulded around an employee’s needs, with the supervisor providing new information when it’s relevant to the lesson. The less rigid instruction means that the supervisor can adjust training on the fly to accommodate unforeseen changes or new knowledge. Additionally, it helps keep new hires from learning company details that aren’t relevant to their positions.

Completing training within the workplace helps new employees build relationships with their peers before they officially start working. New hires can help each other when facing a difficult problem in training, and this collaborative ethic carries over to real work situations.

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There are several advantages of on-the-job training for employees that make them more effective in the workplace…

Employees can retain job-related information more reliably after a hands-on demonstration. Showing how certain skills and knowledge apply to real-life situations gives context to each lesson and makes them easier to imitate. 

Once employees transition into their roles, the information needed to perform their jobs is fresh in their minds. As a result, they can become productive faster.

On-the-job training allows current or future co-workers to learn new skills together and support each other through challenging concepts. The collaborative learning environment helps build trust between employees and helps develop valuable teamwork skills. 

Employees can enter real work situations with an established support network to rely on if they encounter issues.

On-the-job training also promotes personal and professional development by providing a simulated environment to practise new skills. Employees can pursue personal growth with hands-on activities that help them engage with the lesson. As a result, their new knowledge can be applied to their job responsibilities as soon as possible. 

On-the-job training is a type of training that uses hands-on demonstrations to teach employees new skills and knowledge within the workplace.  

Using on-the-job training provides several benefits to the company and employees, such as:

• Expansion of training with real experience 

• Easily accessible 

• Saves money and time 

• Increases productivity 

• Increases employee retainment

• Flexibility 

• Promotes teamwork 

On-the-job training helps employees learn and perform their jobs in real-life situations while minimising potential issues. As a result, job-related knowledge is learned, retained and applied more reliably.

Organisations benefit from employees adapting to their jobs faster because it means they’re productivefrom the very beginning. Additionally, on-the-job training programmes teach basic knowledge first, meaning new hires can help with simple tasks from the first day.

On-the-job training is useful, but knowing how it affects each employee’s performance can make it more effective. Personio can help with its performance tracking and training tracking features that let you stay on top of your employees’ progress. Book your free demo to learn how to manage everything in your organisation from one place.