Structured v Unstructured On-the-Job Training

By Mary Van Pamel

Overview of the Topic

On-the-job training (OJT) is one of the oldest forms of training. Workers can gain useful skills to use from one job to another and specific skills to use at a particular job. OJT can involve verbal coaching, written coaching, demonstration, observation, or face-to-face interaction, usually with a supervisor or an experienced employee.

The two types of OJT are known as unstructured and structured training. Although both types of OJT have many differences which make them each favorable to specific companies, many companies have recently started to favor structured OJT. Bruce McDonald believes that “if you can have structured OJT with a performance checklist that shows that the guy learned these skills and this knowledge, and was signed off by his supervisor or the instructor at that particular level of competence, my God, what a perfect thing that is” (as cited in Filipczak, 1996).

Relevance of Topic to Organizational Performance

Until recently, most OJT programs have been unstructured in the way it is implemented in the work setting (Jacobs, 1999). According to Jacobs, 1999, the “OJT occurred when an employee received an impromptu explanation or demonstration from another employee, through an individual employee’s trial-and-error efforts or simply by having employees observe and then imitate the behaviours of others.” This was one of the main reasons that authors began to break OJT into structured or unstructured parts (Jacobs, 1999).

As said in the previous section, unstructured and structured forms of OJT lead to different outcomes within each workplace. For example, Jacobs said that when compared to unstructured OJT, structured OJT was four times more efficient and surrendered almost twice the financial benefits (as cited in Jacobs, 1999). Along with Jacobs’ findings that there had been substantial decreases in re-work costs in a manufacturing organization due to structured OJT, Jacobs and McGiffin also found that structured OJT created a decrease in training time (as cited in Jacobs, 1999). Decreasing training time from twelve weeks down to two weeks, along with the accumulating experiences between employees, suggest that there is great value within companies to use structured OJT over unstructured OJT (Jacobs, 1999).

Unstructured OJT

According to David Kucera, unstructured OJT refers to loose OJT training programs that involve a new employee working with an experienced employee or supervisor who serves as a mentor in an observe-and-imitate training process. The new workers learn by trial and error while receiving feedback from their mentor (Kucera). Unstructured OJT is designed based on work requirements, not by the specific skills needed for that particular job; therefore, it may often fail to include needed skills because experienced employees are unable to clearly explain the proper methods for performing a task (Kucera).

Lacking structure, unstructured OJT produces inconsistent training outcomes, for example (Jacobs, 2003):

• The desired training outcome is rarely achieved, and when it is, trainees rarely achieve the same outcomes.
• The training content is often inaccurate or incomplete, and may represent an accumulation of bad habits, misinfor­mation, and possibly unsafe shortcuts on which employees have come to rely over time.
• Experienced employees are seldom able to communicate what they know in a way that others can understand.
• Experienced employees use different methods each time they conduct the training, and not all of the methods are equally effective.
• Many employees fear that sharing their knowledge and skills will reduce their own status as experts and perhaps even threaten their job security, or they may not be given adequate time away from their duties to deliver the training to others.
• Unstructured OJT leads to increased error rates, lower productivity, and decreased training efficiency, compared to structured OJT, and is less effective at reaching the training objectives.

Structured OJT

In contrast to unstructured OJT, structured OJT involves a program designed to teach new employees what they need to know in order to successfully complete a task (Kucera). According to William J. Rothwell and H.C. Kazanas in Improving On-the-Job Training, OJT represents a significant investment since 30 percent of a new employee’s time is spent in OJT during the first 90 days of employment and new employees often make expensive mistakes (as cited in Kucera). Dinkel, 2010, believes that the only way to a successful structured OJT program, companies must follow these steps:

• Select trainers who are technically proficient at the job.
• Develop a list of tasks for the job.
• Determine what constitutes proficiency for each task.
• Train the trainers to properly perform the tasks and evaluate performance.
• Establish a timetable for progress.
• Implement the training program.
• Assess outcomes.

Compare and Contrast

Although structured and unstructured OJT programs are different ways to train people, the selection strategies that we discussed in class could be related to these training processes. In OJT, workers gain useful skills that will help them in their present or future careers. Selection strategies used by organizations help improve the manner in which employees are hired and increase the completion of strategic objectives. This means that the selection process is used by employers to help them find applicants that they believe would be successful through structured OJT. Therefore, in order to pick and choose successful applicants to complete OJT, employers use the selection process as an amazing tool to help guide them to acceptable applicants.

Using the Information

Although unstructured OJT programs were used in companies for years, structured OJT seems like the new path for companies to travel. Structured OJT helps employers to select employees who are proficient at the job, develop a list of tasks for the job, establish a timetable for progress, and implement the training program. From my research, students can use this information within their future careers. Many students may even have to complete a structured OJT program and my research will help them truly understand what structured OJT is and what activities they may be involved in.

References

Dinkel, A. M. (2010, May 1). On the job training revisited. ALN, Retrieved from http://www.alnmag.com/article/job-training-revisited

Filipczak, Bob. (1996). Who owns your ojt?. Training, 33(12), 44. Retrieved from

http://web.ebscohost.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/ehost/detail?vid=5&sid=f3493f6c-e1c6-4122-8492-55423af677cb5%40sessionmgr14&hid=11&bdata=

JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bsh&AN=9708214217

Jacobs, R. L. (2003). Structured on-the-job training: Unleashing employee expertise in

the workplace. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.

Jacobs, R.L., Osman-Gani, A.A. (1999). Status, impacts and implementation issues of

structured on-the-job training. Human Resource Development International, 2(1),

17. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.huaryu.kl.oakland.edu/

ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=f3493f6c-e1c6-4122-8492-5423af677

cb5%40sessionmgr14&vid=4&hid=11

Kucera, D. (n.d.). On-the-job training. Retrieved from http://www.enotes.com/job-

training-reference/job-training