On the Job Training That Works

Get the Most Learning out of OJT

Aug 31, 2009

OJT is cheap, easy and effective - and anybody can do it. But by applying a systematic approach, its effectiveness can be greatly improved.

On the job training (OJT) works. It is simple, cheap and effective. It doesn’t require extensive budgets, elaborate training courses, dedicated training staffs or time away from the workplace. So why worry about finding ways make it more effective? Isn’t it easy enough to pair up trainees with proficient workers and have them learn the ropes?

That’s the simplest approach – and the most common – but it often results in haphazard learning. By following a simple system, managers responsible for OJT can greatly improve the effectiveness of their training efforts.

Performance Oriented Training

Robert F. Mager laid out an effective approach to learning that leads to high performance in the workplace. His principles can easily be applied to OJT.

To begin with, training should be job relevant. Traditional training courses often waste time on things unrelated to performance on the job. Performance oriented training, on the other hand, focuses entirely on job performance and only on those facts and skills that the trainee actually needs. If it’s not done on the job, it’s not taught.

Task Analysis

The first step in establishing an effective OJT system is to determine exactly what to teach. This is a significant step beyond merely assigning the trainee to work with an experienced worker in a non-structured environment.

First, the job is broken down into its basic elements or parts – known as major tasks. The task analysis process identifies necessary skills and describes the job in such a way that the trainee's proficiency can be assessed. Task analysis can be performed on all types and levels of jobs. Here are some examples of major tasks that might be performed by an accountant:

Major tasks can be broken down further into task steps. The employee learns how to perform the major task by learning to perform each of its steps. For example, in order to become proficient at the major task of driving a vehicle, the trainee must learn several individual task steps:

In a systematic OJT program, the major tasks performed on the job are compiled into task listings. Thus, it is necessary to determine exactly which tasks are performed by each job classification. A task listing can be built in several ways:

Performance Objectives

Once major task listings have been compiled, performance objectives are developed to ensure that proficiency achieved through training matches actual job requirements. Performance objectives consist of three basic components:

GO-NO GO Testing

The next step is to determine whether or not the trainee can actually perform the required tasks. A simple method of trainee evaluation – and one recommended for many industrial applications – is GO-NO GO testing. The employee is rated either as fully proficient (GO) or in need of further training (NO GO) based on demonstrated ability to perform.

Progress Documentation

The final requirement is to keep track of the trainee’s progress. In the simplest approach, all the major tasks are listed and then annotated with GO or NO GO as performance is evaluated.

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