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Methods of training employees to perform new or unfamiliar tasks have existed since ancient times. From facilitating mentoring among high-quality colleagues and other employees to developing technical skills user manuals, most companies already have the resources they need to train their employees.
But here comes the question: Why are companies now choosing to develop new-age on-the-job training programs?
Adaptability is critical in the modern business world. New platforms, markets and technologies appear to appear every quarter, making every new venture risky as the environment can change at any time.
The increase in the number of employees working remotely or through a hybrid model necessitates these rapid changes in workplaces and industries. Even if companies can adjust their goals and strategies to accommodate these changes, ensuring that their employees have the skills needed to adapt quickly is an entirely different challenge.
Related: 6 Ways to Get Your Employees to Learn on the Job
How are companies using technology to create innovative on-the-job training programs?
Companies incorporate technology into training programs in a number of ways. The three most innovative include:
Future-oriented education open to all:
Providing free training over the Internet is part of a larger movement to make information readily available and enable individuals to decide their own futures. From Khan Academy to YouTube tutorials, it’s clear that the internet is revolutionizing education, especially skills-based education.
Companies have noticed the change. They have started offering skills-based training programs for talent outside the organization.
One example is TheSoul Publishing, which has previously opened up on-the-job training programs to provide an educational experience for everyone. It transformed its internal Boost Academy into three future-oriented camps open to the public. This allows TheSoul to provide practical training methods to help individuals learn skills such as social media management, animation and video production.
Immersive Technology:
Immersive training harnesses the power of next-generation technology to develop people-centred on-the-job training programs. They are individualized and do not assume that all employees learn in the same way and at the same pace.
Immersive technologies combine the physical and digital worlds, including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). This technology enhances elements of the most effective forms of on-the-job training, such as gamified online platforms and skill-specific demonstration videos.
Additionally, VR and AR experiences take employee engagement to new heights. Employees participate in a hands-on way by manipulating objects in a digital environment. As a result, employees can perform tasks independently while allowing mistakes to be made, from which they can learn and improve their skills.
Remote Onboarding:
A 700-page training manual and a mile-long catalog may be exhaustive, but it doesn’t appeal to employees.
Another complicating factor is that it’s becoming more common for new employees to onboard without ever setting foot in a corporate office — if the company even has physical office space. Companies have started re-employment in response to the rapid technological change happening across all industries to ensure they can take advantage of the new technologies they have implemented.
By taking advantage of the dynamic and integrated nature of the latest tools, companies can significantly make training more engaging, exciting and understandable. Employers can ensure employees are truly absorbing and contextualizing content by incorporating entertaining and informative videos and gamification into their programs.
Related: Gamifying Training: A Sure Way to Employee Engagement
How on-the-job training programs can benefit from new technologies
The workforce is becoming more flexible:
New technologies allow for more effective training programs to be implemented company-wide. Digital methods for teaching workers skills are far less expensive than traditional pre-pandemic methods.
If training is facilitated at the level of individual employees and the entire organization, the workforce can become flexible and adaptable to any challenges in the business world.
The “it’s not part of my job” attitude goes away when you have well-trained staff. While you shouldn’t train every employee to do everything, training can expand an employee’s capabilities beyond the minimum requirements of their initial role. When it comes to unfamiliar tasks, the “can’t do it” philosophy disappears. Instead, employees will ask, “Where can I learn how to do this?”
Then a new question arises: Employees want to know, “Will my boss get mad if I take the time to educate myself?” Therefore, companies must create an environment that encourages and empowers employees to do additional on-the-job training so that employees can easily Gain new skills. It provides long-term benefits for both employers and employees.
Simplified progress assessment:
When it comes to ensuring employees understand complex technical procedures, adhere to basic guidelines, and adhere to health and safety protocols, companies must do more than provide lengthy documentation and assume employees will retain all information.
This information must be thoroughly absorbed. Companies must determine whether employees have a thorough understanding of the subject. Leveraging the adaptability of technology, companies can use multimedia tools such as games, quizzes, and videos to assess employee progress in real time. The company can then determine whether the on-the-job training is effective or needs modification.
Related: Where to deploy innovative technologies to create more agile, engaging organizations
Employers must embrace the philosophy that if you continue to train, teach and develop your employees, you will always have the most qualified candidates – especially beneficial if the company’s industry is challenging to recruit skilled workers.
On the other hand, this philosophy is also attractive to potential employees who want to not only get paid but also develop their skills through the on-the-job training opportunities provided by the company. Improving and expanding access to skills-based training will always benefit both employers and employees.
