Understanding the Differences Between Coaching and On-the-Job Training: Can You Help?

Hi, I am doing a diploma in personnel management and wondered if anyone could tell me what the differences are between coaching and on-the-job training? Thanks :)

Training

On-the-job training is one of the major groups of training techniques. It includes:
- demonstration
- coaching
- mentoring
- job rotation
- planned experience program
- job skill instructions
- assignments
- projects

So, coaching is an integral part of 'on-the-job training'.

Coaching is a person-to-person technique designed to develop individual skills, knowledge, and attitudes. It is most effective if it can take place informally as part of the normal process of management or team leadership.

Hope this is useful to you.

Regards,
Leo Lingham

Thank you, Leo. That's great. That's why I was confused because I did think that coaching was a part of on-the-job training anyway, but just wanted to make sure that I hadn't got it totally wrong before I started to answer the question!

Kind regards,
😄

Hi there,

Mentoring is more on the job. This happens at the workplace and is generally used to help a new employee integrate into the department, learning the ropes and necessary skills from the mentor. The mentor is typically a senior person in the organization who guides the new employee (mentee) on the job, ensuring they acquire the required skills and knowledge to successfully complete assignments.

A coach is a person who may not be from the same organization and may not have specific knowledge or skills related to the coachee's job, but still provides guidance. A coach understands and appreciates the coachee's potential and motivates, inspires, and pushes them to exceed their perceived limits. Coaches achieve this by asking powerful questions or encouraging the coachee to ask themselves powerful questions and derive answers internally.

- A.S. Prasad.