In today's industries, OJT is critical as the presence of a mentor, or a trainer provides a new employee with the vision to better understand how to execute their job responsibilities.

 

There is still a place in the learning paradigm for seminars, on-site, or online training, but passing knowledge down directly from experienced, time-served personnel provides a level of understanding that can't be achieved through off-site methods. The best and most effective way to show a new employee how to do their job is for them to be directly supported by someone who already knows the requirements of the role and has inside knowledge of any "tricks of the trade."

 

Although OJT is essential for ensuring today's workforce is equipped with everything they need to succeed in industry, its not just a case of pairing a new worker with someone more experienced. Proper, effective OJT needs to be carefully planned before it can be successfully implemented.
 

A succession plan or a transfer of knowledge is an important first step for an organization looking to train new starters (or individuals new to a specific role).

Even though a worker may have been in place for many years, this doesn't always mean that they are skilled in passing on their knowledge. As such, a succession plan should include program development and training for managers and other senior staff that facilitates the transfer of knowledge from experienced workers to trainees.

At the planning stage, it is also important to consider whether any outside contractors or support services could help with bringing lost skills back to the workplace.

 

The costs associated with insufficient OJT can be significant—and potentially catastrophic. One common cost is simply employee dissatisfaction. If employees are unable to execute their job responsibilities or they're unknowingly performing their responsibilities incorrectly, it can lead to frustration and, ultimately, increased employee turnover.

On a larger scale, significant costs can be incurred if employees are running a machine or process incorrectly, leading to broken components, damaged hardware, safety issues, and worst case scenario, a major accident.

In short, a lack of effective and thorough training can lead directly to increases in unplanned downtime and high worker attrition rates.

 

When a firm needs to put together a training development strategy, the first step must always be to identify a thought leader or a mentor who is willing to champion the program and create an effective curriculum.

In developing an effective training strategy, consider the criticality of specific functions or roles within the organization. It's vital to spend the time to identify the necessary skills that need to be passed on, whether it's programming, machine operability, or maintenance capabilities—what are the areas that need the most focus?

The way organizations go about training is often unstructured, slow, and places too heavy a burden on one or two members of staff. Truly effective OJT involves curriculum development and documentation before any other steps can be taken.

In many organizations, the skills and expertise that need to be passed on to new workers simply no longer exist. Perhaps the experienced workers have retired or moved on, leaving behind a skills gap and little documentation to support new recruits. Although serious, this all-too-common situation can be remedied.