Does Your Training Improve Your Bottom Line? If Not Consider This
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Employees acquire approximately 80 percent of their work-related knowledge and skills on the job. The question is, are your employees gaining the knowledge and skills needed to improve your bottom line?
Introduction to On-The-Job Training (OJT) One of the most common and least expensive methods of training and development is OJT. It is also one of the most misunderstood and abused methods of training in use today.
In today’s economy it is tempting to reduce costs by cutting back on formal training and rely on shadow training (unstructured OJT). Shadow training is one of the least effective and most costly forms of training.
There are a number of reasons for this:
* The person being shadowed may have extensive knowledge about a job, but they typically do not know how to impart that knowledge to the trainee.
* Shadow training is typically unstructured and inconsistent
* Shadow training is typically not results oriented or performance based.
Formalized OJT is based on the assumption that new employees lack certain skills and the goal of the OJT program is to instill these skills. It is a training method that uses a systems approach. The systems approach: ensures that training is developed in an orderly fashion, includes an in-depth needs analysis of the tasks and trainees, allows for development and tryout of training prior to full implementation, and incorporates evaluation and continuous improvement within all aspects of the process.
When used wisely and appropriately, Formalized OJT programs can be as effective as many off-the-job training methods A formalized OJT program can help organizations in many ways. These include:
* Reducing the unproductive break-in time for new workers
* Minimizing frustration and employee turnover from the trial and error methods of unstructured OJT
* Identifying basic employee skill deficiencies quickly
* Improving overall performance.
Roles and Responsibilities A formalized OJT program requires a high level of commitment from management , staff and workers at all levels. The organization must be willing to provide financial and human resources necessary to ensure and effective program. These roles and responsibilities include:
* Management – A formal OJT program requires that management support, understand and maintain the process with both resources and with their presence. They must ensure that the program remains effective and the organization’s vision, values, goals and standards are properly applied.
* Supervisors – This is a very critical role. These individuals are normally subject matter experts (SMEs) and often OJT trainers. It is critical that the supervisor be involved in the development of the OJT program.
Supervisors must assist in determining outcomes for OJT (competencies), coordinate the OJT training, selecting individuals to become OJT trainers, manage the training material, document training records, and maintain communication with the training or HRD staff.
* Training Department/HRD – The HRD or training staff provides support to the line organization in developing and maintaining the formal OJT program.
* Trainer – The proper transfer of knowledge and skill, depends on the knowledge, skills, and ability of the trainer. The selection of the OJT trainer is critical, and poor performers should never be chosen. One primary purpose of formal OJT programs is to prevent the trainee from developing “bad work habits” – the trainer is a critical cog in this wheel.
* Trainee – The trainees responsibility for learning is on par with the trainer’s responsibility to train. Trainees must understand the OJT process, participate actively, practice assigned tasks and demonstrate competency
Implementing A Formal OJT Program Implementing an OJT program involves five basic steps:
1. Analyzing the tasks and skills to be learned
2. Selecting, training, and supervising trainers
3. Preparing training materials
4. Conducting an OJT program
5. Evaluating the program and making any necessary improvements or modifications.
Many organizations take a “hit or miss” approach to on the job training. Someone determines that they need training and management reacts by implementing training with out analyzing the need for training. When they do this they are basically “confusing motion with progress.” Management must take a close look at the business need for training. How will it impact the company vision, strategic goals and objectives?
What results do we need to achieve and how will this contribute to those ends? Additionally, a close look must be taken at the jobs that will be affected and how they will lead to the desired overall results. These jobs must be analyzed and broken down into requisite tasks and sub tasks; only then can a formal training program be properly developed.
The next step is to select and properly train your OJT Trainers. Trainers should be proficient in the Four-Step method of training and how to apply adult learning theory. Trainers need to know how to ask proper questions and to give effective feedback.
Once you have properly trained your trainers, you need to involve them in developing the training materials needed to support the OJT program. This involvement is critical to the success of the training. This gives the trainer more control of the information being presented and minimizes the tendency to wander from the formal program.
The trainers should also be actively involved in reviewing the effectiveness of training materials and in modifying them as needed. Modifying lesson materials, however, must be controlled otherwise your formal program will disintegrate before your eyes. After you have conducted OJT for a while, it is important to conduct a review of the program. This review must include management, supervision, Training/HR Dept, and the trainers. Any necessary mid course corrections should be determined and agreed upon before any changes are made to the program.
Conclusion In today’s economy and transitioning workforce, organizations are faced with the continuous need for developing, maintaining, and expanding the knowledge and skills of their workforce. Organizations are impacted by a diverse workforce, rapidly changing technology, and increased global competitiveness, To meet these changing dynamics companies are turning to increased multi-skilled positions, high performance work teams, process re-engineering, and pay for performance, This has created the need for a training methodology that effectively transfers skill and knowledge in a cost effective manner and that can be easily implemented on-the-job. The obvious answer is a formalized OJT program geared to performance improvement and worker competence.
Brice Alvord has over thirty years experience as an internal and external performance improvement consultant and business coach. Mr. Alvord has extensive experience in designing and developing performance based training programs that get results. He holds a BA in Sociology/Psychology from Central Washington University and an MBA degree from City University of Seattle. He is the author of over two dozen books on continuous improvement and training.
For more information on OJT: http://www.ojt.aleragroup.com/
Our On-line Learning Academy: http://www.aleraacademy.com/
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