On-the-job training: invest in potential
Learn more about how internal training opportunities can make a difference for your organization.
“The ideal candidate must have strong communication skills, 3 to 5 years of experience in a similar role, knowledge of the market, and be able to work with our system…” You start by listing a long series of skills and experiences that match the open position, and before you know it, you’ve come up with a lengthy list of requirements. That makes sense, but is it really wise to look for the “jack-of-all-trades”? Or, given today’s tight job market, would it be smarter to leave a little more room for surprises?
Today is International Education Day. This day is all about creating equal opportunities for sustainable development. It’s a good time to reflect on the role of education in the business world. How can internal training opportunities make a difference for your organization? In this article, we’ll discuss how to make the most of the benefits of on-the-job learning!
No intimidating list of requirements
We’ve seen countless employers fall into this trap: including a long list of entry-level qualifications in the job posting that the new employee must meet. Of course, you want the best candidate for the job, but such a list can also deter a lot of potentially interesting candidates. As we described earlier in the article“How to Write a Gender-Inclusive Job Posting,” women often only apply for a job if they meet 100 percent of the requirements on the list, while men apply even if they meet just 60 percent. It’s a shame to miss out on so much potential—and it’s unnecessary, too, because there’s still so much you can learn on the job.
Market knowledge, systems, and tools are all aspects that someone can learn on the job. Soft skills and motivation, on the other hand, come from within the employee. That’s why we recommend focusing on potential rather than experience. This approach opens your organization up to inexperienced but promising candidates and allows you to discover hidden talent.
New perspectives and skills
Especially in a tight job market, you want to be able to cast your net as wide as possible, and on-the-job training can open up many new opportunities. Someone who doesn’t meet all the requirements might just bring a wealth of new perspectives and skills to your organization. A marketing manager from the Arts & Culture sector could be a very interesting addition as a marketing manager for the municipality, because they view the target audience in a unique way. Or what could someone with a background as an IT supplier to the government contribute as a manager for your procurement team?
What do you think of young professionals who may not yet have those three to five years of experience, but who bring innovative ideas to the table, are highly tech-savvy, and for whom making an impact is very important? It’s precisely this new generation that is more likely to choose roles with additional development opportunities and wants to be continually challenged. That extra design course isn’t just a requirement for them—it’s actually the reason they’re applying to work with you. (HRDgroep, 2023) All these talents and perspectives waiting to be discovered bring a new energy to the workplace.
Learning as needed
A major advantage of on-the-job training is that it can be approached in a very practical way. New employees learn exactly what is needed and can apply it immediately in practice. This saves time and money, delivers results faster, makes it easier for employees to retain new information, and creates the sense of accomplishment that makes learning enjoyable. Feedback from the work environment is put to use immediately, allowing you to make optimal use of existing intellectual capital. (Echtelt, R. 2019) (Leanleadership, n.d.)
Mutual commitment
Sharing knowledge fosters greater engagement among colleagues and promotes a culture of learning. Employees with more knowledge take on a mentoring role that is both rewarding and practical. In addition, senior employees may also be more likely to seek help from junior colleagues who bring new skills to the table. Enjoyable collaboration is an important part of job satisfaction and has a positive impact on the internal culture—and thus on the employees themselves—which in turn offers numerous business benefits. One of these business benefits is that sufficient growth opportunities, investing in learning through your work, and the resulting job satisfaction lead to greater engagement and loyalty, thereby helping you retain employees in your organization for the long term.
In summary
Turn your long list of requirements into a short, realistic list of must-haves, and make it clear that there’s room to learn on the job. This way, you’ll attract new talent with fresh perspectives in a tight labor market. By fostering a culture of learning where employees receive tailored training and are engaged with one another, you’re investing not only in your employees’ future but also in the success of your organization.
This brings us back to International Education Day. Education doesn’t end at the school desk. Invest in the education of your own employees so you can build your organization in a sustainable way. That’s what I call truly forward-thinking!
