Methods of Training

On- the –Job Training

On-the job training is an important way in which people acquire relevant knowledge and skills at work.
On-the-job training generally takes place in the normal work station, the task very often contributing
directly to the output of the department. The main advantages of on-the- job techniques are that they
are highly practical, and employees do not lose working time while they are learning.

➢ Training is an instructor-led, content based intervention, leading to desired changes in behaviour.

➢ Learning is a self-directed, work-based process, leading to increased adaptive potential.

The Advantages of using OJT

➢ Training can be delivered at the optimum time: for example immediately before a job is to be
performed ‘for real’ in the workplace.

➢ The trainee will have opportunities to practice immediately.

➢ The trainee will have immediate feedback.

➢ Training is delivered by colleagues and can go some way to integrate the trainee into the team.

The Disadvantages of using OJT

➢ There is a tendency to fit OJT in when it is convenient for office routine rather than at the optimum
time for learning.

➢ The training may be given piecemeal and not properly planned, and the trainee gains a fragmented
picture of the organisation.

➢ Too much training can be delivered in one session leading to ‘information overload’ and trainee
fatigue.

➢ The trainer may not have sufficient knowledge of the process or expertise in instructional techniques

➢ If immediate practice is not accompanied by feedback the trainee can feel abandoned after the
initial experience.
Techniques of OJT:

1. Job Instructional Technique (JIT):

It is a Step by step (structured) on the job training method in which a suitable trainer
(a) prepares a trainee with an overview of the job, its purpose, and the results desired,
(b) demonstrates the task or the skill to the trainee,
(c) allows the trainee to show the demonstration on his or her own, and
(d) follows up to provide feedback and help.

The trainees are presented the learning material in written or by learning machines through a
series called ‘frames‘. This method is a valuable tool for all educators (teachers and trainers). It
helps us:
a. To deliver step-by-step instruction
b. To know when the learner has learned
c. To be due diligent (in many work-place environments)
Merits
• Trainee learns fast through practice and observation.
• It is economical as it does not require any special settings. Also, mistakes can be corrected
immediately.
• The trainee gains confidence quickly as he does the work himself in actual setting with help
from supervisor.
• It is most suitable for unskilled and semiskilled jobs where the job operations are simple and
easy to explain and demonstrate within a short span of time.
Demerits
• The trainee should be as good as the trainer. If the trainer is not good, transference of
knowledge and skills will be poor.
• While learning, trainee may damage equipment, waste materials, and cause accidents
frequently.
• Experienced workers cannot use the machinery while it is being used for training

2. Coaching:
Coaching is a kind of daily training and feedback given to employees by immediate supervisors.
It involves a continuous process of learning by doing. It may be defined as an informal,
unplanned training and development activity provided by supervisors and peers. In coaching,
the supervisor explains things and answers questions; he throws light on why things are done
the way they are; he offers a model for trainees to copy; conducts lot of decision making
meetings with trainees; procedures are agreed upon and the trainee is given enough authority
to make divisions and even commit mistakes. Of course, coaching can be a taxing job in that the
coach may not possess requisite skills to guide the learner in a systematic way. Sometimes,
doing a full day’s work may be more important than putting the learner on track.
3. Mentoring:
Mentoring is a relationship in which a senior manager in an organisation assumes the
responsibility for grooming a junior person. Technical, interpersonal and political skills are
generally conveyed in such a relationship from the more experienced person. A mentor is a
teacher, spouse, counselor, developer of skills and intellect, host, guide, exemplar, and most
importantly, supporter and facilitator in the realisation of the vision the young person (protégé)
has about the kind of life he wants as an adult. The main objective of mentoring is to help an
employee attain psychological maturity and effectiveness and get integrated with the
organisation. In a work situation, such mentoring can take place at both formal and informal
levels, depending on the prevailing work culture and the commitment from the top
management. Formal mentoring can be very fruitful, if management invests time and money in
such relationship building exercises.

4. Job Rotation:
This kind of training involves the movement of trainee from one job to another. This helps him
to have a general understanding of how the organisation functions. The purpose of job rotation
is to provide trainees with a larger organisational perspective and a greater understanding of
different functional areas as well as a better sense of their own career objectives and interests.
Apart from relieving boredom, job rotation allows trainees to build rapport with a wide range of
individuals within the organisation, facilitating future cooperation among departments. The
cross-trained personnel offer a great amount of flexibility for organisations when transfers,
promotions or replacements become inevitable.

Merits
• Improves participant’s job skills, job satisfaction
• Provides valuable opportunities to network within the organization
• Offers faster promotions and higher salaries to quick learners
• Lateral transfers may be beneficial in rekindling enthusiasm and developing new talents

Demerits
• Increased workload for participants
• Development costs may shoot up when trainees commit mistakes, handle tasks less optimally
• Constant job change may produce stress and anxiety
• Mere multiplication of duties do not enrich the life of a trainee

5. Apprenticeship Training:
Most craft workers such as plumbers and carpenters are trained through formal apprenticeship
programmes. Apprentices are trainees who spend a prescribed amount of time working with an
experienced guide, coach or trainer. Assistantships and internships are similar to
apprenticeships because they also demand high levels of participation from the trainee. An
internship is a kind of on-the-job training that usually combines job training with classroom
instruction in trade schools, colleges or universities. Coaching, as explained above, is similar to
 apprenticeship because the coach attempts to provide a model for the trainee to copy. One
important disadvantage of the apprenticeship methods is the uniform period of training offered
to trainees. People have different abilities and learn at varied rates. Those who learn fast may
quit the programme in frustration. Slow learners may need additional training time. It is also
likely that in these days of rapid changes in technology, old skills may get outdated quickly.
Trainees who spend years learning specific skills may find, upon completion of their
programmes, that the job skills they acquired are no longer appropriate.

6. Committee Assignments:
In this method, trainees are asked to solve an actual organisational problem. The trainees have
to work together and offer solution to the problem. Assigning talented employees to important
committees can give these employees a broadening experience and can help them to
understand the personalities, issues and processes governing the organisation. It helps them to
develop team spirit and work unitedly toward common goals. However, managers should very
well understand that committee assignments could become notorious time wasting activities.

OFF-THE-JOB METHODS
Under this method of training, the trainee is separated from the job situation and his
attention is focused upon learning the material related to his future job performance.
Since the trainee is not distracted by job requirements, he can focus his entire concentration
on learning the job rather than spending his time in performing it. There is an opportunity
for freedom of expression for the trainees.

1. Vestibule Training:
In this method a training centre called vestibule is up and actual job conditions are duplicated or
simulated in it. Expert trainers are employed to provide training with the help of equipment and
machines which are identical with those in use at the workplace.
Merits:
 The trainee can concentrate on learning without disturbance of the workplace noise.
 The interest and motivation of the trainee are high as the real job conditions a duplicated.
 This method is essential in cases where on-the-job training might are result in a serious
injury, a costly event, or the destruction of valuable and material. e.g., aeronautical
industry.
 Correct method can be taught effectively by the trained instructor who knows how to
teach.
  It permits the trainee to practice without the fear of being observed and described by the
superior co-worker.
 it is a very efficient method of training a large number of employees of the same kind of
work at the same time.

Demerits:
 The most expensive method because of additional investments in classroom, equipment
and expert trainers.
 The training situation is somewhat artificial and the trainee does not get a feel of the real
job.
 Separation of training from the supervisory responsibilities may lead to problems in the
organisation.

2. Role Plays:
Role play can be defined as a technique in which people are presented with a real or artificial
environment and they are exposed with some kind of case or situation and they need to exhibit the
same in form of roles. It is a spontaneous human interaction involving realistic human behavior
under artificial or stimulated environment. It consists of interviews or series of interview in which
the participants or the trainees are provided with a role brief and a set of circumstances which they
need to enact. The trainee develops a strategy to how should he react or think in a particular
situation and possible suggestive solutions for resolving the problem or analyzing the situation. He
also learns and forecasts what the other party or as per the case may be what can be the other
reaction. This technique thus not only leads to self learning about expected job outcome or to
create a fit in the job but also helps in understanding others perception about the task or issue.
3. Lectures:
Lectures present training material verbally and are used when the goal is to present a great deal of
material to many people. It is more cost effective to lecture to a group than to train people
individually. Lecturing is one-way communication and as such may not be the most effective way to
train. Also, it is hard to ensure that the entire audience understands a topic on the same level; by
targeting the average attendee you may under-train some and lose others. Despite these
drawbacks, lecturing is the most cost-effective way of reaching large audiences.
4. Conference/discussion approach:
In this method, the trainer delivers a lecture and involves the trainee in a discussion so that his
doubts about the job get clarified. When big organisations use this method, the trainer uses audio-
visual aids such as blackboards, mockups and slides; in some cases the lectures are videotaped or
audio taped. Even the trainee’s presentation can be taped for self-confrontation and self-
assessment. The conference is, thus, a group-centred approach where there is a clarification of
ideas, communication of procedures and standards to the trainees. Those individuals who have a
general educational background and whatever specific skills are required – such as typing,
shorthand, office equipment operation, filing, indexing, recording, etc. – may be provided with
specific instructions to handle their respective jobs.
5. Programmed instruction:
This method incorporates a pre-arranged and proposed acquisition of some specific skills or
general knowledge. Information is broken into meaningful units and these units are arranged in a
proper way to form a logical and sequential learning package. Each package is built upon the earlier
ones and knowledge is imparted with the help of a textbook or a teaching machine. The package
involves presenting questions, allowing learners to respond and instant is given to indicate the
accuracy of answers.
Advantages:
 Trainees learn at their pace feedback as the materials are broken into small units.
 Learners take active part in the programme.
 Individual differences can be taken into consideration.
 The motivation to learn is high.
 The teaching material is prepared by an expert and his expertise can be made available to
a large number of trainees.
 Individuals can be trained more economically and at the most convenient times.
 The Instructor in-charge can have accurate and quick measure of the rate of learning.
 Learners are given regular feedback on their progress and are encouraged to learn further
through appropriate reveals.

Disadvantages:
 The learning atmosphere is Impersonal.
 Only factual topics can be programmed.
 Attitudinal and behavioural skills cannot be taught.
 The cost and time involved in creating such programmes is very high.
 The more efficient trainee may get bored if he feels the programme is too easy.
This method is mainly used in teaching factual knowledge such as mathematics, physics, a
foreign language, etc.
6. E-Learning:
Business firms are increasingly using electronic technology for training E-learning methods include
training through CD-ROM, internet and intranet. Satellite broadcasts, virtual classrooms and digital
collaboration between trainees. Most firms using e-learning invest in a learning management
system. This system provides a single log on point for all e-learning opportunities offered through
the company. E-learning makes use of social software such as blogs, wikis, podcasts and virtual
world. This phenomenon is also known as 'Long Trait Learning.

Advantages:
 Training can be conducted at remote or international sites, 24/7.
 Training is available on demand, when needed or when the work schedule permits.
 Costs for trainers and travel are very limited.
 New programmes and updates can be delivered worldwide simultaneously.
 Very large numbers of people can receive the training at the same time.
 Learning management systems can keep and update records on who has commenced or
completed which programmes.
 When self-paced, the average time to complete a learning unit is usually 'considerably less
than when the same material is presented using traditional classroom methods.
 Programmes can provide online assessment /certification and immediate feedback to
learners.
 Involvement and active practice may be higher than in the classroom, where some
students can “tune out” or become lost in the crowd.