Structured on-the job Training(SOJIT)

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Structured on-the job Training(SOJIT) - How Does it work?

Traditional OJT versus structured OJT
Traditional OJT over traditional OJT program are listed below [1]

The advantages of Structured OJT over traditional OJT program are listed below [1]:

Table 1 - Traditional OJT vs. Structured OJT

Traditional OJT	Structured OJT
Task Analysis
Costly, complex, and time-consuming Usually conducted by a trainer who is not familiar with the job Input from only SMEs and they often leave out information which may be required by the trainee May not resemble “real” task Lacks employee ownership	Inexpensive, simple and fast Conducted by employees who perform the job Input from many workers with a wide range of knowledge and expertise, including trainees. Reflects actual tasks employees perform Team-driven program so employees buy into and support the results

Preparing the Training Material
Time consuming and expensive Writer usually does not know job first hand depends on observation and information from SME Training material may be irrelevant Training material is not updated often	Seldom is an outside training person held accountable for it Fast and low cost Written by employees who do the job, written in “language” of employees Written to the level of detail deemed necessary for the trainee Training material reflects “best practices” Continuously updated by design teams Team ownership ensures accountability
Involvement of Designated Trainer
Trainer not involved in design and development of software or training materials No process or procedure redesign involved in design and development of training materials External resource may provide process or procedure which may not always reflect the real world situation Often an uncoordinated effort without ownership or owned by a training department that is external to the work area Most training (in-class or OJT) does not set the performance standard OR it is set by someone external to the work area	Employee teams redesign the process and procedures as they design and develop training materials The team driven process makes it easier to update the process and procedures as required Teams of employees who do the job also control the training material, process, and various aspects of the program so assigned team members are accountable Designated coaches/trainers who are part of the work team define the performance standards so they are in the best position to define competencies

Why SOJT Works
In the absence of SOJT or formal introductory classroom training, employees struggle to learn new applications and business processes on their own. This could breed resentment and lower the productivity, resulting in low morale and high turnover. SOJT reduces the need for time-consuming, expensive, inflexible classroom training. Employees see how the job works and appreciate how the training relates to the job, so they learn more effectively. The training is Just-in-Time (JIT), the most effective kind because it is a well structured and monitored program.

SOJT is very effective because the goals are identified per project and based on organizational needs, where the most effective training method has been identified in advance and trainers are part of the team. Standards and expectations from the training programs are clear, maximizing the probability of desired outcomes. The most appropriate delivery method has been chosen in advance, and the trainers are themselves prepared to succeed.

SOJT Components
Traditional OJT addresses skills and the knowledge components of the training, but misses out on human factors such as attitude and encouraging the willingness to do the work. The team-driven SOJT uses three interactive components that are essential for the success; Skills, Knowledge and Attitude.

Skills: Team Job Task Analysis is the skill component of SOJT, where “skill” tasks for performing the jobs are identified. It also defines the content of the training material, which is defined at a later stage of the SOJT.

Knowledge: Job Instruction Training is the knowledge component of SOJT, which includes procedures for training employees one-on-one. It involves an orderly period of instruction provided by a designated trainer. The trainer lets the trainee observe the task and then the trainee performs the task with coaching from the trainer and gets immediate feedback.

Attitude: The human Factors component is the attitude component of SOJT, which is a unique feature of SOJT compared to other training methods. Human factors, such as communication, team development, decision-making, conflict resolution, and workload management are considered. Including an Attitude component in SOJT helps to increase employees’ feelings of belonging and importance. It raises their job satisfaction as they are given authority to make decisions affecting their jobs. It also helps them to feel like part of a team and see the bigger picture.

Eight Steps to Implement SOJT
As the name suggests, Structured OJT should be delivered in a structured, step-by-step approach.

Figure 2 gives an overview of the eight-step model to implement SOJT.
Step 1: Need Identification
Recognizing a problem is the first step toward the solution, so it should be determined whether there is a performance problem after integrated applications are deployed. If so, management needs to decide whether or not SOJT could fix this problem. Some of the major issues, which may require SOJT, are:

Introduction of new, complex integrated enterprise applications
Frequently changing vendors
No written procedures, or existing procedures are out of date or incomplete
No standard way to evaluate task performance
Best practices are not documented
Failure to seek direction and information from team members
Often people are stuck without proper guidance, more experienced people then have to rework tasks done by less experienced employees, and morale is poor

After the need for SOJT has been identified, the program manager needs to define the scope of the training program, the pilot area and program objective. This is not a one-time process but rather a constantly ongoing process to make the program better. The program objective could be upgraded as new needs are identified.

Step 2: Employee Orientation and Team Selection
After identifying the need and scope of the training, management needs to provide initial employee orientation and select the various team members. The size and type of team depends upon the need requirements. The management should explain how SOJT relates to an overall training program, the objectives of SOJT, and how the skills to be learned will help to improve the job performance.

Design Team: Members of the team perform job task analysis, write training modules, and cover sheets on the tasks. The design team has a SME to contribute technical knowledge, an experienced worker to provide special instructions, and a trainee to get the end user’s point of view.
Facilitator: This person could be an internal resource or an external consultant who knows the entire set of SOJT process steps and is responsible for teaching the team about SOJT.
Approval Team: The approval team reviews and approves all training modules for accuracy, completeness, and compatibility with current procedure and policies. Approval teams can have knowledgeable workers who are not on the design team, key supervisors, and technical experts.
Administrator: The administrator is responsible for compiling, tracking, and maintaining the training materials. The administrator is a member of the design team

SOJT Trainer: Excellent trainers are important for the success of any training program
The traditional OJT uses supervisors or experienced employees to train new people but very few receive proper preparation, so in the SOJT program experienced personnel are thoroughly prepared to give training to others. The SOJT trainers should have a high level of motivation, a positive attitude toward the job, mastery of the tasks they will be training, and an overall willingness and desire to share their job knowledge and experience. Also, well-developed interpersonal communication and coaching skills are very important qualities too.