On the Job Training- Effectiveness

By: Casey Schmidt

Introduction

Human Resource Management is continuously looking and researching about on the job training programs and what practices work best.  On the job training(OJT) is defined differently in each organization, but a broad definition that is often used is that is it employee training while at the workplace performing the actual job hands on with a trainer or experienced employee assisting.  On the job training is usually the most effective form of training practices. Human Resources is constantly trying to find a way to measure effectiveness of on the job training programs, but it is very difficult to fully connect the two. In fact, “most of the research into OJT focused on the design and implementation of this type of training. Research dedicated to the topic of effectiveness is extremely scarce” (Van Der Klink & Streumer p. 196). When a business incorporates training into their recruitment process it normally cost a lot of money, so it makes sense that businesses would want to be able to tell if the training program is effective or not. There are a few easy ways to improve the effectiveness of on the job training programs that Human Resources have used.          

Trainees’ Attitudes Influencing Effectiveness

Having a training program be effective is the number one goal for most businesses yet not very much attention is devoted to researching about it to improve it. According to the article on influencing effectiveness, there are four levels of training outcomes “(a) trainees’ reaction to the program content and training process (reaction); (b) knowledge or skill acquisition (learning); (c) behavior change (behavior); (d) improvements in tangible individual or organizational outcomes such as turn-over, accidents, or productivity (results)” (Noe p. 736). So, if employees are not satisfied with the training program then they are less likely to master the content taught to them thus, lowering the overall effectiveness of the trainings program. The attitudes of the trainees’ about the program can very much effect the overall effectiveness of it. It is crucial that businesses take into consideration how the trainees’ will feel after the program to ensure that performance will improve from the training. 

How to Control Trainees’ Attitudes       
One way to begin to ensure trainees’ attitudes will be positive is to motivate them. Motivation in OJT is “the force that influences enthusiasm about the program (energizer); a stimulus that directs participants to learn and to attempt to master the content of the program (director); and a force that influences the use of newly acquired knowledge and skills even in the presence of criticism and lack of reinforcement for use of the training content (maintenance)” (Noe p. 737). If employees feel motivated about their work, they are more likely to take more away from the training program, making it more effective. In addition to motivation, another way to make trainees’ attitudes positive is by looking into the work environment. A supportive work environment will keep the trainees’ motivated and make the OJT effective (Noe p. 737). Therefore, trainees’ attitudes about OJT can really effect if the program was effective or not, so it is important for organizations to look into these issues while measuring effectiveness.

Trainers Influencing Effectiveness

For OJT there is normally a person training the trainee and guiding them along. In any training situation like this, it is important to have someone that is skilled and knowledgeable enough in the field to teach someone else how to do it properly and effectively. If the trainer is not an expert at what they are teaching and then obviously the trainee will not learn as well and the training program will be less effective. When choosing who to have as a trainer there is a couple things to think about. Many OJT trainers are picked based on the wrong criteria. They must be able to know the job inside and out because “knowing the job well provides the OJT trainer with credibility, confidence, and the experience needed to explain and demonstrate the work process being taught. Too often, however, it is the technical background that receives the greatest priority in the selection of the OJT trainer. Although many people assume that possessing content knowledge and skill is all it takes to be a good trainer, it is clearly not sufficient” (Johnson & Leach p. 427). The worker with the most technical skills is not always the right choice. Also, the worker with the most experience is not always the right choice either. “The selection of OJT trainers needs to be based on intelligent decisions according to job competence and training ability. Selecting OJT trainers solely on the basis of their ability to perform the job does not guarantee that quality training will result” which will make the overall training program less effective (Johnson &Leach p. 428). Therefore, it is as important to think about the trainer as it is to think about the trainees when thriving for an effective OJT program.       

Take Away Points

Anyone in business can take something away from this blog, not just Human Resources. No matter what form of business you are in, on the job training will be important and having that training be effective is what will help a business grow. Looking at this blog will show someone the different ways to make a training program effective and why it is so important. We have covered a whole section in class about training and development so we already know how much it is used in Human Resource Management. I will use this information one day because I know I want to be in training and development so this blog will be useful. Knowing to really look into the trainees’ attitudes to measure effectiveness is a good idea that I can see myself or whoever I work with using one day. OJT must be implemented properly and continuously trying to improve in order to remain effective so that the time and money put into it is worth the results.     

References

Johnson, S. D., Leach, J. A. (2001). Using expert employees to train on the job. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 3(4), 425-434. doi: 10.1177/15234220122238481 

  

Noe, R. A. (1986). Trainees’ attributes and attitudes: neglected on training effectiveness. The Academy of Management Review, 11(4), 736-739. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/258393

Van Der Klink, M. R., Streumer, J. N. (2002). Effectiveness of on-the-job training. Journal of European Industrial Training, 26(2-4), 196-199. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215394147/fulltextPDF?accountid=12924

Retaining Productive Employees Through OJT

By: Katie Bales

OVERVIEW

An important part of owning a small or large company is being able to keep the company productive. Without productivity, the company will struggle, fail, or become unprofitable. So how should companies ensure they are going to be productive? A major factor of company success is the ability to retain employees. Not just any employees, however, the most productive and thoroughly trained employees. Much time and money can go into developing training programs for employees. Out of a total estimated “365 billion [spent] on employee training programs…, researchers estimated that only 20% of that amount was actually spent on direct costs” (Derouin, Parrish, & Salas, 2005). The rest of the costs were towards “transportation to training facilities, accommodations for trainees, and temporary workplace replacements for employees attending training” (Derouin, Parrish, & Salas, 2005). Obviously, most of the money spent on these training programs was wasted since the majority of the money should have gone towards actual employee training. The solution to this problem is On-The-Job-Training (OJT). On-The-Job-Training is simply allowing employees to experience a job first hand in order to be trained. It seems like an easy fix, simply let employees learn for themselves by allowing them to experience the job themselves. However, putting employees through OJT does not mean immediate success. There are ways to fail at OJT, but there are ways to ensure success. 

IMPLEMENTING OJT APPROPRIATELY

OJT is not a training process that can always be used; certain situations will more so indicate that the practice will be successful. For example, on-the-job-training is “generally conducted one on one” (Derouin, Parrish, & Salas, 2005). In other words, employees will train by experience but will be supervised by a current employee who is capable of teaching an individual how to do a task. With a large amount of employees, OJT becomes more difficult because each supervisor will be overwhelmed with instructing too many people at one time. As a result, OJT works best with a small amount of employees. If a company is looking to hire a large amount of employees, OJT may not be as effective. As mentioned, supervisors of the company are usually in charge of training these employees when OJT is implemented. If the supervisor “adopts a superior attitude or is just too busy to be bothered” (Brink, 1947) then employees will not be thoroughly trained. Supervisors must have the time and patience to instruct the new incoming staff. The best way to avoid failing OJT is for companies to implement a policy for their supervisors “to give attention to the training of subordinates” (Brink, 1947).  Moreover, having trained employees report what they learned in training and from whom, can help guarantee that no supervisors are breaking that policy. 

EFFECTIVE PLANNING OF OJT

An important factor that plays into lessening the employee turnover rate is planning an effective OJT program.  Employers can witness themselves or through their designated supervisors the tasks new employees struggle to complete as OJT “may provide early warning about employee basic skill problems” (Rothwell & Kazanas, 2004). Employers most likely have an intricate hiring process in hopes to find the best employees for their companies. Yet, even after the process, some hired employees just do not fit well with the job. The sooner an employer can realize that an employee fails to complete a specified job, the sooner they can hire in someone new, increasing company productivity.  Supervisors work closely with the new employees and can decide they are still the right match for the job or if the difficult task can be assigned to a someone else on staff. Maintaining the work environment and delegating tasks appropriately is vital for increasing productivity.  So what does planned OJT even mean? Planned OJT includes organizing the program “according to the job performance needs of the intended learner; rather, it is driven by work demands and crises” (Rothwell & Kazanas, 2004). With unorganized OJT comes a longer training period, in which case, training expenses invested increase and employees may be worn out and left debating if the job is right for them.

ORG 331

I’ve listed ways I believe a company can ensure new employee success in completing designated tasks through the OJT practice. In class, a major topic we covered was how important it is for companies to retain employees and decrease the employee turnover rate. The employee turnover rate has a negative effect on the company and can result in loss of image to attract employees, costs invested to replace the employees, and the lack of ability to achieve organizational goals. On-the-job training can assist employers in properly training employees and encouraging the individuals to be more confident in the job they are completing, while encouraging them to continually work for the company. Be that as it may, the OJT program has to be legitimately developed; time and money must still be spent. Otherwise, a lacking program will not meet organizational goals.

JOB RELATION

Anyone interested in Human Resources can find this blog to be useful. For my career, I plan on working in Human Resources Management. Training and development is my favorite part of the job description. I found this research to be intriguing and just a reminder that in the future, I may struggle to retain good employees. Diligent work and planning must go into the hiring and training process. Although OJT may not always be the best process I can use, I now am aware of when it will be appropriate to use and how to make it a successful training program.

Work Cited

Brink, V. Z. (1947). Audit practice forum: Training on the job. American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, 83(000004).  Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/198226427?accountid=12924

Derouin, R. E., Parrish, T. J., & Salas, E. (2005) On the job training: Tips for ensuring success. Ergonomics in Design: The quarterly of Human Factors Applications 13:23. doi: 10.1177/10648046050130020

Rothwell, W. J., & Kazanas, H.C. (2004). Improving on-the-job training. John Wiley & Sons. Available from http://books.google.com/books?id=l6KKjy14wvUC&dq=OJT+practice&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Best practices for on-the-job apprenticeship training

Written by: Kyle Kaan

Overview:

"Offering new hires a career path with defined training and advancement opportunities is a great way to retain good people. Setting up a structure for self-study, classroom/hands-on and on-the job training is the way to get there. Make sure to have most, if not all of the courses in place and documented before putting the structure together." (Howe)

"Successful on-the-job training requires a commitment to apprenticeship programs, passing of knowledge and skills to apprentices, clear training objectives, a plan and schedule, monitoring and fair and equitable treatment of all employees." (Best Practices)

Relevance:

On the job training is crucial for having good employees that understand what they are supposed to do and how they are supposed to do it. It is critical to train them in the proper ways so that they can be efficient with the tasks presented. Human resources are responsible for the aspects of creating a training program. How to train an apprentice and how to set up a quality training program will be touched upon in this entry.

Key Points:

Before the new employees first day it is important to have everything organized. Meetings should be already set up with people that will be involved in the training process. The employer must show the employee that they are committed to the training because first impressions are everything and the employee must be confident that they made the right decision to join the team.

It is the employers responsibility to develop a basic training plan with a clear set of training objectives. Among the objectives should be a set strategy and a time frame for monitoring the completion and success of the training program. When training employees there will be productivity cost, but training is an investment and sufficient time needs to be allocated towards proper training.

It is important to note at the beginning of the training process that, "like snowflakes, no two employees are the same. Each is motivated by different factors when it comes to work, lifestyles and career aspirations. Find out what gets that employee out of bed in the morning. Discuss their learning preferences, and customize your training and coaching approach as much as possible to those preferences." (Howe)

Ideologies, such as, fostering team work and demonstrating good work ethic will help pave the road for the success of the apprentice. Setting clear expectations and rewarding the employees when they are met, while providing prompt feedback, will help the employer develop positive professional relationships with the employees. It is important to give employees authority and responsibility because motivation breeds productivity within the organization.

During the training process the apprentice should be shown around the job site. The apprentice should be moved around in order to vary exposure to trade skills, the employer should resist the temptation to keep them in one place. They should be explained the nature of the business. They must understand business expectations (i.e. quality control, productivity, and efficiency).

Provide the apprentice with  informal daily observation and feedback, regular formal performance reviews that identify strengths and weaknesses, these will be best achieved by keeping the tone friendly and fostering.

The apprentice will require supervision, but it is important to leave some room for them to learn on their own in order to foster independence.

It would be beneficial to pair them with a mentor that they can seek help from whenever they have a question with something. This will allow them to feel comfortable and will enhance the training program.

The employer should also encourage the apprentice to partake in supplementary training courses/seminars.

Theory:

This relates to the strategic training section of the Human Resource Management textbook. "Training is used strategically to help the organization accomplish its goals. For example, if sales increases are a critical part of the company's strategy, appropriate training would identify what is causing lower sales and target training to respond as part of a solution" (p. 252).

Take Away Points:

Students can use this information when they first come into the workforce, after graduation, to understand how they will be trained on the job. In future years, when they have more experience, they may be the employee that is setting up the training course for new hires. It will be useful to understand the proper way to communicate the correct method to do things within the organization. These different aspects of training can be applied not only for on the job training, but for any type of situation in life where someone needs to learn a new skill.

Works Cited:

Best Practices for On-the-job Apprenticeship Training G2 12.10 (1999): n. pag.Proquest. Canadian Labour Force Development Board, 17 May 1999. Web. 26 Feb. 2013. <http://search.proquest.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/docview/220763487>.

Howe, Stephen. "The New Hire." Proquest. Cygnus Business Media, June 2008. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. <http://search.proquest.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/docview/229973236>.