Induction, as a type of training, is intended for new employees in order to help them acclimatise with the people, policies and processes of the organization. This might include a tour of the campus, meeting key personnel in the organization, and a series of induction sessions to get accustomed with work practices and expectations in the business. Induction can also be used to support colleagues who take on a new role within the organization, such as an internal promotion.

 ATL Activity (Thinking skills) - Staff induction in IB World Schools

Consider five things that might be included in an IB World School's induction programme for new members of teaching staff at the school.

 Teacher only box

Possible answers could include:

• A tour of the school to see the school's various facilities, including the staffroom

• Formal introduction to key colleagues, such as the line manager, the IB Coordinator, the Senior Leadership Team, and members of the Department / teaching staff

• Details and timings of the school day, including details of breaks/lunch times

• Health and safety protocols, including security matters and fire evacuation procedures

• Introduction to ICT policies and protocols

• The school’s Code of Conduct (the expected standards of conduct and behaviour)

• Child proction protocol, such as procedures for reporting concerns

• The school's policies and procedures, such as assessment, academic integrity, eligibility for IB training, requirements for reporting staff absences, and procedures for requesting time off work.

Induction often includes mentoring as part of the training process. Mentoring involves pairing, or attaching, an employee (the trainee or mentee) with a more experienced colleague (the mentor) who acts as a coach, trainer or advisor. The mentor provides advice and support to the less experienced workers in matters related to their roles and responsibilities at work. The trainee carries out his or her job, but seeks guidance from the mentor should problems arise.

 Advantages of induction training

• Induction helps to welcome and settle new colleagues, thereby improving their morale (first impressions count).

• It can increase employee commitment and job satisfaction.

• Helps new workers to understands the organization’s values and culture, thereby enabling the recruits to integrate quickly.

• Appropriate induction training helps new recruits to become productive as fast as possible.

 Disadvantages of induction training

• Induction training takes time and effort to plan and execute successfully.

• New staff can become overwhelmed with the vast amount of new information they need to retain.

• Managers leading the induction are unable to get their own work done, so this can overburden line managers too.

On the job training takes place within the organization so employee are performing work tasks. Hence, employees do not leave the workplace. Most schools, for example, have regular continuous professional development (CPD) training opportunities for their teachers in order to upskill teachers for the latest developments in the curriculum, for example.

On the job training takes place at the place of work

 Advantages of on the job training

• It is cheaper than using off the job training as in-house (internal) specialists are used rather than hiring a venue and/or external specialists to provide the training.

• Training is focused and personalised, as it is targeted to the specific needs of the employees and organization. Hence, on the job training is directly relevant to the needs of the organization, whereas off the job training can sometimes be less purposeful.

• There are fewer disruptions for the organization as the employers are at work, so can get on with their at least parts of their jobs.

• It can improve professional dialogue between colleagues and create better professional working relationships.

• For the individual worker, it can increase their level of morale and motivation, as they are more skilled and gain increased job satisfaction.

 Disadvantages of on the job training

• Even though the employees are at work, on the job training can still be disruptive - while the staff are being trained at learning new skills, their workflow is interrupted.

• In-house training is often unfeasible as employees may lack the necessary expertise to run the training.

• Trainees and mentees might take short cuts as they learn the bad working habits of their trainer or mentor.

• Mentors and trainers cannot get their own work done during the time they deliver training to other staff. In addition, its take time to plan and deliver training that is purposeful and effective.

• As with any form of training, there is no guarantee that the employees will continue to work at the organization once they have been upskilled.

IB Business Management workshop at Sha Tin College, Hong Kong

Off the job training is training led by external specialists and takes place away from the place of work. The location or venue is specifically chosen as it caters for the required training. For example, an official IB Workshop usually lasts 3 full days, held at a hotel, conference centre, or an IB World School. This means that IB teachers attending the workshops need to take time off from their work to attend the training.

Advances in Internet technologies have created more opportunities for employees to participate in off the job training. For example, online courses and webinars enable employees to enrol in courses to improve their skills and formal qualifications without the complexities of making arrangements for travel and accommodation.

 Advantages of off the job training

• As the training takes place off-site, off the job training minimises distractions. This enables workers to focus on their training and learning.

• The training is conducted by specialists and experts, so is likely to be professionally organized. In addition, the expertise may simply not be available within the organization.

• It caters for a very wide range of skills and qualifications, such as first aid training, health and safety, and wellbeing.

It is important for firefighters to have regular off the job training

 Disadvantage of off the job training

• Off the job training is not always directly related to the job context, so employees may find this less valuable.

• It is more expensive than on the job training. For example, employers may to pay for training course fees, travel expenses, insurance and meal allowances.

• There is lost productivity whilst the employees are away from work in order to attend the training.

• Like on the job training, there is no guarantee that workers who gain new skills and higher qualifications will decide to stay at the organization, as they may be more attractive to another employer who is prepared to pay more to hire these workers. 

Classify each of these examples of training as induction, on the job, or off the job training.

• Induction, as a type of training, is intended for new employees in order to help them acclimatise with the people, policies and processes of the organization.

• Mentoring is the training process pairing, or attaching, an employee (the trainee or mentee) with a more experienced colleague (the mentor) who acts as a coach, trainer or advisor.

• Off the job training is training led by external specialists and takes place away from the place of work.

• On the job training takes place within the organization so employee are performing work tasks.

• Training is the process of instructing and teaching (coaching or mentoring) employees how to perform certain tasks in their job.