5 Surprising Benefits of On-The-Job Training

Are you in the process of onboarding a new employee?

Determining how best to train them can be a difficult choice. There are several approaches but on-the-job training has its benefits. It can save you money and build confidence in your new employee.

Read on to learn about the 5 surprising benefits of on-the-job training.

The Way We Learn

For most people, the things we learn in a classroom, video tutorial or by reading a book, don’t always translate into the real world. Sure, the lesson might make sense on paper but executing what you’ve learned can be an entirely different beast. It requires you to access skills and a part of your brain you haven’t used before.

Allowing an employee to learn a task hands-on is a better way to get the routine down and prevent error down the road. Once they’ve done the job a few times, they’ll build muscle memory and get to learn the process firsthand.

Save Money

You’ll have to pay an employee for training time regardless of if it’s on-the-job, at home, in a classroom or anywhere else. So why not save money and have them learn the new skill and train while they actually do the job?

There’s always a learning curve and you should manage your expectations with that understanding. In the beginning, the tasks won’t be perfect and there will be questions and possible mistakes. But, you can rest comfortably knowing that you’re getting work done at the same time.

Fewer Nerves

You want your employee to feel confident and comfortable when they start. If they’ve never done the tasks before and only learned how in the classroom, they’re likely to feel nervous and insecure when they start.

After all, you wouldn’t want a pilot to fly your airplane until they learn more through hands-on experience. You want them to be confident in the cockpit and sure of themselves and their abilities.

The same school of thought goes for employees and your business. Allowing them to learn on the job will manage expectations so they’ll feel comfortable asking questions and making mistakes without feeling like their job is in jeopardy.

This is helpful because it will make them learn faster and focus more without feeling self-conscious about their performance.

Start Getting Work Done Right Away

By allowing for on-the-job training, you’re not wasting time between the turnover of employees. You’ll be getting down to business right away.

You can feel confident that work is getting done while someone is training so you’re not losing time, money, or productivity along the way.

Your Employee Knows Their Worth

When you opt for on-the-job training, your employees know you value them and are investing in their future at the company. You value their time and it shows.

This helps build a strong rapport and relationship with the employee and makes them want to work harder for your company and do well.

Reap the Benefits of On-The-Job Training Today

Now that you understand the benefits of on-the-job training, you can decide if this is the right approach for you and your future employees. There are many pros to onboarding this way, including faster learning and less downtime between employees.

Check out our management blog for more helpful business tips!