Companies implement on-the-job training programs to enhance effective development among employees. Under on-the-job training, employees are provided with knowledge, skill, and competencies necessary to improve performance. It is essential that each organization provides an environment that allows employees to gain knowledge and practice new skills. During on-the-job training, co-workers with long-term experience act as coaches to new or less-skilled employees. On-the-job training can be in the form of mentoring, promotion, and simulation among others.
According to Frazis & Loewenstein (2006), mentoring is an effective approach to improve the performance of an employee in any organization. It is always a win-win relationship between the organization and the employee. During the mentoring program, an employee is paired with a more experienced employee from the same organization. However, in some cases, the organization may hire external mentors to train their employees. The initiative develops employee experience, skill and knowledge regarding their roles and work relations.
Job rotation is an effective approach of establishing relationships within an organization as trainees take on the responsibilities of others. The experience motivates employees to consider the challenges that others have in meeting work requirements. As the trainees shift work responsibilities, they are likely to adopt better communication techniques that are sensitive to the concerns of others (Frazis & Loewenstein, 2006). Consequently, employees can improve on negotiation approaches in conflict scenarios.
A simulation may also be examined as a type of training. Here, employees perform tasks that reflect what they will encounter in their real jobs (Frazis & Loewenstein, 2006). For instance, a sales role may be presented to an employee and they will be required to interact with others to convince them to buy the product. As a result, the employee’s confidence will increase as they get to understand their strengths and weaknesses (Frazis & Loewenstein, 2006).
In conclusion, on-the-job training is an effective approach that focuses on improving employee performance and experience. Once employees get this kind of training, they are likely to have better knowledge, skill set, and experience which are critical in gaining competitive advantage. Mentoring is the most common as it less costly and less time-consuming. Regardless, each type of on-the-job training discussed can improve an organization’s performance.
- Frazis, H., & Loewenstein, M. A. (2006). On-the-job training. Foundations and Trends(r) in Microeconomics 2(5) 363–440
