The Main Pros and Cons of On-the-Job Training

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Since the world of business is constantly growing and evolving, every employee, no matter their seniority level within the organisation, will need to also learn, improve their knowledge, and advance their skills in order to keep up with the latest technologies or methodologies.

For many employees, on-the-job training methods are the perfect choice since they allow trainees to learn in an interactive, hands-on environment, which often leads to better knowledge retention and more refined skills. Training-on-the-job can help you cope with rapidly changing trends in the business world, ensuring that you are able to perform each of your assigned tasks efficiently and effectively, whilst adapting to new processes, projects, and more. For example, realtors who deal with real estate in Dubai can rent Metropolitan real estate apartments for work, thanks to which they plunge into this area with their heads. However, on-the-job training can also be risky and has the potential to waste precious working time. According to IT staff augmentation services any training process comes with its own set of pros and cons. These include:

Advantages:

Pro #1. Simple Method of Learning:

For many people, getting stuck in and giving it a go is the only way that they’ll eventually learn how to do something. Wherever possible, on-the-job training should be offered to employees who prefer to learn this way since it will typically lead to better results than classroom training or working from a book. It’s easier to learn when you can see how a project is being executed and have the chance to work on it yourself as you go.


Pro #2. Expert Supervision:

To minimise the risk of mistakes and accidents when executing on-the-job training, it’s a good idea to assign more experienced members of staff to supervise the new trainees. By learning in the shadow of a more experienced colleague, trainees can quickly learn the methodology used by the team and adapt to their way of doing things. A more experienced employee by their side gives them a ‘safety net’, just in case everything doesn’t go to plan.

Pro #3. Improved Productivity:

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest benefits of on-the-job training is that you can put your newest employees to work straight away, leading to instant productivity. Although it’s unrealistic to expect massive productivity levels during their first few days, allowing your employees to learn on the job, rather than in the classroom, means that they can start contributing to the workforce right away. You may want to consider improving productivity even further by combining on the job training with online learning or classroom lessons, particularly if specific knowledge is required for tasks to be completed successfully. Discover a range of in-house training courses here.

Pro #4. Quicker Learning:

For many employees, one of the biggest downfalls to off-site, employee training or online-only training is that once they finally get into work, it’s nothing like what they’ve previously learned. It’s not surprising that new employees become confused and frustrated when starting a new job if their previous training wasn’t thorough enough. Often, this will lead to them having to start learning everything again hands-on, which can negatively impact productivity. On the other hand, thorough on-the-job training under the supervision of a more experienced colleague means that employees will pick up knowledge and skills faster. As a result, they’ll be better prepared to produce excellent results when working unsupervised.

Pro #5. It’s More Cost Effective:

One of the biggest reasons why many businesses opt for on-the-job training is that it’s usually one of the most cost-effective methods available. When you train your employees on the job, you’ll not only save money on costly off-site training programs – the fact that your staff member is already working means that you’re in with a bigger chance of making money as a result, rather than losing out trying to get them up to scratch. Trainers can be designated employees, which is a cheaper alternative to bringing in an off-site trainer.

Disadvantages:

Con #1. Productivity Can be Low:

Whilst training on-the-job can be a great productivity boost for certain employees, don’t forget that hands-on learning isn’t the best solution for everybody. Some employees will prefer to learn in a classroom or take an online program in their own time; in this case, having them learn on the job could lead to lower levels of productivity if they struggle to keep up. Consider the situation in your workforce before training new employees on the job. For example, if your employees work in a very busy customer-facing environment, it may be worth offering some initial off-the-job training to help new hires prepare.

Con #2. Team Disturbances:

On-the-job training can be ideal for new employees. However, you’ll need to consider the impact that it will have on the rest of your team. New trainees coming into the workplace can disrupt the workflow of your current team, particularly if it’s your existing employees who are going to be doing the bulk of training and supervision. In addition, discussions between trainees and supervisors can be distracting for other members of staff, leading to reduced concentration and focus at work.

Con #3. Not Everybody Can Teach:

Avoiding bringing in an off-site trainer can be a great way to cut the costs of training new hires, however, don’t assume that your best employees will have the ability to teach. Typically, employee trainers have studied and taken exams to be able to do their job well, and many will be qualified and experienced in corporate training. Bear in mind that not everybody will be able to explain tasks to somebody else clearly, no matter how good they are at doing it themselves. If you still believe that on-the-job training is the best option for your new hires, it may be worth asking existing employees to undergo additional training for teaching and supervision.

Con #4. It Can be Rushed:

Every employer wants to make sure that they have as many trained employees as possible contributing to the workload. However, this can often lead to on-the-job training for companies becoming a rushed process, which doesn’t provide new hires with the solid foundation that they need for excellent future results and productivity. When training on the job, bear in mind that there is typically a higher risk of training being rushed, which can lead to serious doubts and confusion for new hires from day one. Rushing the training process can lead to a huge array of problems; more frequent mistakes and less efficient new employees are just some of the biggest.

Con #5. Higher Risk of Accidents:

In certain industries, introducing new employees into the workforce straight away can immediately increase the risk of accidents happening. For example, new employees dealing with heavy and dangerous machinery in the manufacturing industry can be at a higher risk of hurting themselves or others if they have had no prior training in using the tools available. It’s important for new employees to have some basic safety knowledge at least before they can jump into the production environment, so ensure that on-the-job training is the safest option for your team. If you’re putting yourself or your employees at risk as a result, it’s worth spending the extra on classes or online programs for preparation beforehand.

On-the-job training is a popular method of getting new employees up to speed in their role. It can be used by businesses of all sizes and industries but comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages which must be considered first.

After all is said and done, what matters for the longevity of your staff productivity is proper training programs and mentoring sessions on a regular basis. Pay them well and provide them with their deserved pay stubs. If you need to create pay stubs, you can try out the online paystubs maker.


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