Looking for ways to leverage on-the-job training? There are several methods and tools that can help you get your employees up-to-speed quickly.
Introduction: What is On-The-Job Training?
Nowadays, organizations need to be more innovative and agile in order to stand out. In this digital age, the talent management process is a key factor that can help a company be agile and competitive.
On The JoB Training (Wikipedia) is an essential part of any business. It is the one thing that can make or break a company’s growth and survival. An on the job training program with a low cost, low effort and high return on investment is what every company strives for.
On-the-job training is often referred to as “Training on the Job” or “OJT”. OJT refers to training that takes place on the job site shown in the 3 methods below.
There are two types of OJT: Formal and Informal. Formal training is set up during work hours and doesn’t take away from the employee’s job time. While Informal training happens during work hours but with permission from the employer. In this article we will be talking about formal on the job training.
What are the Best Formal Methods?
Mentoring:
In today’s workplace, there are lots of ways of achieving on the job training. Mentoring is one of the most popular methods of on the job training that continues to grow in popularity each year.
Many companies look to mentor employees because this ensures they are able to retain valuable talent. Mentoring is most often done through one-on-one coaching sessions with the mentee. Mentors provide advice, guidance, and connections that can help the mentee grow professionally.
Mentors are experienced professionals who are experts in a certain part of their job and offer their services to guide beginners or less experienced employees through real-life working conditions (on the job training).
Online Courses:
Training courses are another platform for on the job training where learners can get instant access to lectures and instructional content online with video tutorials, demonstrations, quizzes, etc.
Online courses and resources are a great way for employees to upskill and stay current with new trends in their industry. These courses can help employees find new inspirations, learn new skills, and keep up with the latest developments in the field.
Project Experience
Putting an employee on a project for a specified period of time with sepecific tasks can be a great way for them to gain on the job training.
If you want to teach your employees the basics of a new job but you don’t have the time then project-based learning may be the solution. Project-based learning is when you give an employee specific tasks to complete in a specified period of time. The employee will learn not only the tasks but also the necessary skills to complete them.
What are the Best Software Tools to Manage OJT?
Once your employee has started their training program the question becomes what is the best way to track it and report on it. Eventually you will want to look at what type of Return on Investment you are getting from your training programs.
First, we will discount using spreadsheets for tracking training. The issue here is that inevitably multiple spreadsheets will start showing up in your company all representing the same data, without the ability to do any company wide or consolidation of the data. If you are a very small company though spreadsheets could be an answer for you.
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Project Management Software
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A research study found that 83% of employees know their company’s goals, 54% know what they need to do to achieve those goals, but only 16% are actually doing those tasks. Project management software can help companies track and assign the right tasks to the right people at the right time.
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If your primary method of On The Job Training is project oriented then you can go back at anytime and see which OJT tasks the employees have completed on the project.
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The downside to this methodolgy is that it is hard to measure the ROI of the effectiveness of this method because there is no beginning skill level and ending skill level to compare.
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Training Tracking Software
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Tracking software for on the job training can be a great way to keep track of what employees are learning and how they are progressing. This is especially true for employees that have been on the job with the company for many years and may not be able to remember what they were taught in training or at any time in their career.
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If your Primary Method of OJT is online courses then you can track all courses taken by an employee and provide consolodated reporting for your company.
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The downside to this methodolgy is that it is hard to measure the ROI for the effectiveness of the prohect management method because there is no beginning skill level and ending skill level to compare.
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Talent Management Software with Integrated Training Tracking Software
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Training is the backbone of any company’s talent management. Talent Management Software shows the starting point of an employees skill level, and an ending point to an employees skill level. These skills gap measure the succes rate of your OJT program.
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Combine skill gap analysis with training tracking, and the software solution reduces costs and increases efficiency, while at the same time increasing training success rates.
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You will finally be able to measure the success of your OJT programs.
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SkillsDB is a cloud-based talent management and training software used by over 500+ organizations worldwide. SkillsDB offers seamless integration with training tracking software, so that all trainings are tracked and reported at the same time.
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Company Benefits
Your company’s goal is to maximize the productivity of employees while keeping the employees happy.
Businesses are always looking for ways to help their employees adapt to technological change and maintain their competitive edge. This is why businesses are increasingly providing employees with On The Job Training (OJT) in order to stay up-to-date with changes in technology and contribute more towards the company’s goals.
With On The Job Training, employees can:
- Become better at their skillsets by learning from others.
- Create better opportunities to grow and find interesting career paths.
- Spend less time and money looking for new jobs.
- Learning new skills that are not formally apparent in the workplace
OJT training has multiple benefits for both the business and its employees. It helps keep employees happy by offering them opportunities for advancement, while simultaneously increasing the productivity of these individuals who can learn new skills on their own time instead of during typical work hours.
OJT offers a win win situation for both employees and employers. Doesn’t get better than that!