What causes these misunderstandings? Causes range from systems errors to employee placement, coaching or organizational development issues to recruiting and ineffective training.

Whatever the cause of this comprehension gap, we can address many of the causes and issues with an effective on-the-job (OJT) training program which offers just-in-time solutions, consistency, a dynamic learning environment and business growth. OJT is more than just a job-shadowing proposition.

If done right, there are many benefits to conducting structured on-the-job training. It can

·         decrease the time it takes to train an employee and thus the training cost,

·         allow a business to adapt to the changing global market,

·         encourage healthy workplace values,

·         make employees more versatile,

·         allow for just-in-time solutions to organizational issues,

·         enhance self-esteem by encouraging employee growth and development.

A key to an effective OJT program is to make it participant-centered so that the learning is geared toward the needs of an individual or small group. Every on-the-job training program will look slightly different depending on the resources available, the work being done and safety requirements of that position. What should always be consistent is integrating experience to every program in order to maintain a participant-centered focus to the learning. A sample framework for an OJT program might look like the following:

5-Minute Meeting: Open the day/session with an interactive meeting to allow networking among employees and to talk about a topic for the day. This could take the form of a physical or virtual scavenger hunt to help acquaint OJT employees with resources and products that are available or highlight a company focus for the day.

Job Shadow: Pair up a new trainee with a veteran employee who has been trained on effective mentoring and coaching. With effective job aids in hand, if appropriate, have the trainee observe the task and take notes.

Debrief: After a short period of time (job shadowing session should not last long), debrief the experience and answer questions that came up during the process. Clarify information on the job aid and relate the activity to a larger picture.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 to ensure clarity.

Change Roles: Have the two change roles where the trainee is now performing the task while the mentor watches and helps make corrections if needed. Remember: guessing and struggling assist the learning process!

Debrief: After completing the task, the mentor can give feedback in the form of Commend (what went well), Recommend (what can be improved in the future), Commend (another thing that went well). This will help honor the learning as well as give tangible feedback on what can be improved for the future.

This structure offers a very simple way to quickly share information and offer space to practice in a safe and guided manner. It can be done efficiently and allows for a different focus with each session that will help add depth and understanding to job roles and responsibilities. This is not only effective with new employees but can be vital for continued training programs with veteran employees as well.

Structured OJT offers the great benefit of decreasing training time as compared to unstructured OJT. It also ensures that all job content is covered and assessed to make sure that the new employee has the correct tools to be successful and competent. This allows a business to more quickly integrate an employee into a job function and also minimizes the time needed by other employees to train a new employee. The OJT model is also becoming more valuable in an economy where hiring new employees has ceased and open positions are not being filled. As a result, current employees are being asked to take on more responsibilities and learn new tasks. Using a participant-centered approach is essential for making new learning stick and ensuring a new employee has a complete view of his/her roles and expectations. The Bob Pike Group is experienced in working with OJT trainers and OJT programs that truly make a difference by addressing the root causes of employee misunderstanding.

Scott Enebo is a training consultant with The Bob Pike Group. You can read his bio here.