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For an organization to be successful, employees must be provided with adequate training. A well-structured training program allows employees to learn more about their role, evaluate their performance, collaborate better and contribute toward the long-term vision of an organization.
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The Two Types Of Organizational Training
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Difference Between On-The-Job And Off-The-Job Training
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Train With Harappa
The Two Types Of Organizational Training
Employees starting out at any organization are usually provided with two kinds of training. These two types of organizational training are called on-the-job training and off-the-job training.
While both types of training have their distinct features, it’s important to note that they complement each other and are equally important in creating the right work culture. An organization should invest in both types of organizational training to achieve peak employee performance and drive growth.
Difference Between On-The-Job And Off-The-Job Training
The primary difference between on-the-job and off-the-job methods lies in their definition. While on-the-job training is used to improve skills through hands-on participation in the workplace during working hours, off-the-job training is defined as supplementary learning which takes place outside the workplace, but within the standard working hours.
To better understand the difference between on-the-job and off-the-job training let’s break them down. The main differences can be categorized under these parameters:
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Approach
On-the-job training is all about engaging the employees, helping them familiarize themselves with their work environment. This is done through practical exercises and methods such as mentoring, job rotation, multiple management sessions, etc. On the other hand, off-the-job training takes more of a theoretical approach. Here the focus is providing conceptual clarity through methods like lectures, seminars and case studies.
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Impact On Work
As on-the-job training is integrated into the daily work routine of employees and takes place in the work environment, it doesn’t disrupt the workflow of an organization. The same, however, cannot be said for off-the-job training, which requires employees to leave their work and attend the training for a certain number of hours every week.
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Training Personnel
On-the-job training is usually provided by senior employees and executives, those who know the organization inside out and have imbibed the organization’s values and culture. But when it comes to off-the-job training, organizations usually opt for outside experts. This is why off-the-job training is often provided by academicians and field experts (not from the organization) along with former employees. This doesn’t mean that an organization’s values get diluted during off-the-job training. Rather, the presence of external personnel can sometimes provide more insights and fresh ideas, which in turn help an organization keep evolving.
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Costs And Returns
On-the-job training doesn’t require lots of resources. In terms of infrastructure and/or work tools and equipment, most items are usually already available in the workplace. For off-the-job training, more resources are required, starting from a space outside the workplace and proper simulation conditions to training personnel from outside. As for returns, on-the-job training has a more immediate impact on employee performance. Off-the-job training generally takes more time before tangible benefits can be observed, because the skills it addresses take longer to develop.
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Goals And Scope
A key difference between off-the-job training and on-the-job training lies in the objectives they want to achieve. In case of off-the-job training, the training is supposed to make employees more confident and collaborative, besides making them more competent to handle a crisis. The goals are long-term, centered around personality growth and development. On-the-job training is more about picking up skills that’ll be helpful to successfully discharge daily requirements in the workplace. The scope of on-the-job training makes it more suitable for fulfilling short-term goals.
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Suitability
While organizations should ideally focus on both types of training, it’s natural for managers to prioritize one type of training over the other. This doesn’t, however, mean that the other type of training is completely neglected. It has been seen that on-the-job training is more suitable for manufacturing organizations, those that rely heavily on vocational training and producing large-scale goods on a regular basis. Off-the-job training, which is more to do with theoretical rather than technical aspects, is often preferred by non-manufacturing organizations.
Despite the several points of difference between on-the-job and off-the-job training, both share one essential similarity—they promote an organization’s interests and increase its productivity.
Train With Harappa
Both these goals are indispensable for running a successful organization and can be achieved through a well-structured system of on-the-job training and off-the-job training. Harappa’s 10 on 10 program provides one such structure. These modules can help your employees undergo both types of organizational training through:
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Analysis of learning needs and skill benchmarking
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Learning how to map behaviors with assistance from experts
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Mastering methods that activate, cultivate and elevate their skill sets
Seize the opportunities offered by Harappa’s 10 on 10 program by registering your organization today. Esteemed organizations like Mahindra, NASSCOM, Infosys, etc. are already benefiting from this unique combination of on-the-job and off-the-job training provided by our program.
Explore Harappa Diaries to learn more about topics such as What Is On-The-Job Training, How To Prepare For Off-The-Job Training & Advantages And Disadvantages Off-The-Job Training that will help organizations tap into their employee's potential.
