Here are the Merits and Demerits of On-the-job Training in the Job Environment.

Merits:

                The advantages of on-the-job training methods are given below:

1.      Training is provided to the employee in the work place itself. He will therefore, be under the direct control of his superior.

2.      The employee, in most cases, does his work while undergoing training. The enterprise work, therefore, does not get affected.

3.       As the employee learns by actually doing the work, progress during the period of training will become clearly visible.

4.       It also requires every organization to equip itself with all the facilities needed for providing training to its employees. Once such facilities are established they become the permanent assets of the enterprise.

Read more in Business
« Consumer Beware of Lending Practices
A to Z of Public Speaking for Beginners »

5.      As every trainee learns the work from a senior employee of the same organization, the training will be more relevant to the specific organization needs.

Demerits:

                On-the-job training methods, however, suffer from the following drawbacks:

1.     The success of on-the-job training depends to a greater extent on the interest with which the senior employees of the organization impart knowledge and skill. In most cases, the senior employees may not be prepared to sit with trainees and teach them the work. They may briefly explain the work and expect the trainees to pick up things fast. This may not be of any help to the learner.

2.      The employee, in the case of on-the-job training, has dual tasks. He has not only to learn the work but also complete his target. As training and work go together many trainees may find it difficult to cope with a hectic schedule.

3.     The organization should have all the infrastructural facilities needed for training its staff. This would call for heavy investment. Not every organization would be in a position to create all necessary facilities.

4.      Sometimes instructors may be appointed for the sake of training. This gives scope for conflicts between the line managers and the instructors particularly if the trainees performance is not to the expected level.