First Day Survival Guide: Why Your Boss Actually Wants You to Succeed (And Will Pay For It)

Types of Training: Why Your Boss Actually Wants You to Succeed (And Will Pay For It)

The 90-Day Crisis

This is a slightly terrifying statistic but true nevertheless: up to 30% of new employees quit within their first 90 days on the job. That's nearly one in three people who rock up to their new job, spend three months there, and then think "Nah, this isn't for me" and run away.

When researchers asked why people left so quickly, 43% said the job didn't meet their expectations, and 32% reckoned the company culture wasn't a good fit. Notice what's missing from those reasons? It's not the pay. It's not the hours. It's that people genuinely didn't know what they were getting themselves into.

And whose fault is that? Well, it's usually the company's, for having terrible training.

Employee training – where businesses that actually care about their people invest time and money into making sure they don't completely cock things up on their first day (or their hundredth day, for that matter).

What Is Training?

Let's get the textbook definition sorted before we dive into the good stuff:

Training is the process of teaching employees new knowledge or a particular new skill in order to develop their competence in the workplace. The purpose is to match the skills of employees with the needs of the organisation.

Translation: Your employer wants you to be good at your job (shocking, I know), so they'll actually teach you how to do it properly instead of just throwing you in the deep end and hoping for the best.

But why should businesses bother? Can't you just figure it out as you go along?

Well, training is vital because it:

• Improves productivity - Trained workers get stuff done faster and better

• Boosts motivation - People feel more confident when they know what they're doing

• Reduces labour turnover - Happy, competent employees don't leave

• Improves customer service - Trained staff provide better experiences for customers

• Enhances reputation - Companies known for great training attract top talent

Basically, a business that invests in its people benefits from an improved reputation, which helps attract quality candidates in the recruitment process. It's a win-win: you get better at your job, and the company gets a more skilled workforce. Everyone's happy.

The main types of training are induction, on-the-job, and off-the-job. Let's break each one down with some proper IB Business Management real-world examples.

Induction Training: Your First Day Survival Kit

Remember your first day at secondary school? You probably got a tour, met some teachers, learned where the toilets were, and figured out which corridor to avoid because that's where the Year 11s hung out. Induction training is basically that, but for grown-ups in offices.

Induction as a type of training is intended for employees who are new to the organisation.

It aims to support new staff in getting acquainted with the people, plans, policies, and processes of the firm. Basically, it answers all the important questions like: Where do I make tea? Who do I actually report to? What happens if I accidentally reply-all to a company-wide email? (Everyone will judge you, but you'll live.)

Why Bother With Induction?

Induction training can help new workers avoid costly mistakes by familiarising them with standard procedures, formalities, and codes of conduct. It's the difference between spending your first week confidently contributing to projects and spending it hiding in the toilets because you accidentally walked into the CEO's private meeting room thinking it was the breakroom.

Research from the Brandon Hall Group found that companies with effective induction programmes boost new employee retention by 82% and increase productivity by over 70%. That's massive!

Induction training can be costly, as it takes valuable management time to set up and run the training for new staff. Someone's got to organise it, deliver it, and make sure you're actually paying attention instead of scrolling through Instagram pretending to take notes.

What Modern Induction Looks Like

Gone are the days when induction meant sitting in a room for eight hours watching PowerPoint presentations that could have been emails. In 2024-2025, smart companies are using:

• E-learning platforms - Interactive online modules you can work through at your own pace (with the occasional quiz to keep you honest)

• Gamification - Because apparently we all respond better to training when there's a leaderboard involved

• Blended learning - Mixing online stuff with actual face-to-face interaction with real humans

• Personalised pathways - Different induction programmes for different roles (because a new accountant doesn't need the same training as a new marketing exec)

Companies like Microsoft, Deloitte, IBM, and Amazon have all invested heavily in sophisticated induction programmes using immersive learning platforms and simulations. They're not doing this out of the goodness of their hearts - they've figured out that proper induction means people stay longer and work better.

The Social Side

There's also usually an informal or social element to induction training. This can involve team-building exercises, mentorships, social events, and networking opportunities. The goal? To help new starters feel comfortable and connected from day one, so they're not eating lunch alone in their car for the first month.

Both formal and informal induction promote a sense of understanding, appreciation, camaraderie, security, belonging, and engagement. Basically, they make you feel like you're part of the team rather than that weird new person who doesn't know anyone's name yet.

On-the-Job Training: Learning by Actually Doing Stuff

Right, so you've survived induction. You know where the toilets are, you've memorised everyone's names (or at least saved them in your phone), and you're ready to actually start working. Let's move onto on-the-job training.

On-the-job training is conducted within the workplace, while the employee is working. For example, this could be a line manager showing, demonstrating, or instructing trainees how to do a certain task or job.

It's used to increase productivity and efficiency in the workplace and to get workers accustomed to the corporate culture of the organisation. Think of it as learning to drive - you can read all the theory books you want, but at some point, you've actually got to get behind the wheel and hope you don't crash into anything.

Typically, on-the-job training involves workers shadowing more experienced employees and then moving on to completing these tasks with some degree of supervision. It's the classic "watch one, do one, teach one" approach.

IB Business Management Real-life Example: The McDonald's Masterclass

Want to see on-the-job training done brilliantly? Look at McDonald's. (And no, I'm not being sarcastic - they're genuinely good at this.)

McDonald's operates in over 43,500 restaurants worldwide and employs roughly 1.9 million people. That's more people than the population of some countries! And they can't exactly send all those employees to a fancy training centre for six months. So what do they do?

They've perfected the art of on-the-job training:

1. New crew members start with comprehensive training right there in the restaurant - learning how to use equipment, prepare food to McDonald's standards, handle customers, and maintain cleanliness

2. Shadowing system - You watch experienced staff, then you do it yourself under supervision, then eventually you're trusted to crack on independently

3. Continuous learning - Even after your initial training, you're constantly learning new skills and refining old ones on the job

4. Career progression - Many McDonald's managers (and even corporate executives) started as crew members flipping burgers. Ray Kroc himself, the founder of modern McDonald's, wasn't born running the company - he built it from the ground up

In 2024, McDonald's surpassed its goal of helping 2.2 million young people worldwide gain job skills and employment opportunities through their Youth Opportunity programme - two years ahead of schedule! They offer programmes like "Passport to Success" which teaches life skills, and "Archways to Opportunity" which provides tuition assistance (up to $3,000 per year for crew members).

Eligible McDonald's employees can now get 100% tuition covered for their associate's or bachelor's degree at Colorado Technical University. That's right - work at McDonald's, get a free degree. All while learning on the job.

Advantages of On-the-Job Training

Advantages:

1. Cheapest form of training if the firm uses in-house specialists to provide the training (no fancy external consultants needed)

2. Training is relevant as it's targeted at specific issues related to the firm's needs (you're learning exactly what you need for your job)

3. Fewer disruptions to daily operations as the trainees are still at work (you're being productive while learning)

4. Can help build better relationships at work due to teamworking (bonding over shared mistakes, anyone?)

Disadvantages of On-the-Job Training

Disadvantages:

1. Trainees may pick up bad working habits from the trainer (if your trainer has been doing something wrong for years, congratulations, now you're doing it wrong too)

2. Internal staff may lack the necessary skills, confidence, and experience to deliver the training (just because someone's good at their job doesn't mean they're good at teaching it)

3. Internal trainers cannot get their own work done while planning or delivering the training (someone's got to sacrifice their productivity to train you)

Off-the-Job Training: Having to Play Away Fixtures To Learn

Sometimes, on-the-job training just won't cut it. You can't exactly learn advanced financial modelling by watching someone do it over their shoulder, and you definitely can't learn leadership skills just by observing your boss in meetings (although you might learn what not to do).

That's where off-the-job training comes in.

Off-the-job training is conducted by specialists away from the workplace.

This could mean heading to a college, a training centre, a conference, or even a fancy facility specifically designed for learning. For IB teachers like myself, this means attending three-day workshops as part of our professional reflection and development. (Yes, we teachers have to keep learning too. Shocking, innit?)

IB Business Management Real-world examples: Off-the-Job Training

Day Release

Employees take time off work to attend training at a local college, training centre, or conference centre. In the UK, the government actively promotes this through apprenticeship programmes, where you work four days a week and spend one day at college studying towards a qualification.

The 2024-2025 academic year has seen apprenticeships continue to grow across England, with National Apprenticeship Week 2025 (10-16 February) highlighting how they're an excellent option for young people starting careers, employees looking to progress, or those retraining for new careers.

UK apprenticeships typically involve either day release (one day per week at college) or block release (several weeks at college, then several weeks at work). The BBC, for example, runs a broadcast engineer apprenticeship with three-month blocks - one block at Birmingham City University, then one block out working in BBC offices across the country. As one apprentice described it: "We go from being in a classroom all the time here, to being just out and about all the time when we're at work... always in Glasgow, London, Salford, always darting around."

Distance Learning

Employees undertake self-study courses to improve their skills and qualifications, perhaps by attending evening classes or doing an online training course. This is brilliant for people who need flexibility - parents, carers, or anyone who can't commit to structured daytime learning.

Seminars

Staff attend a lecture or meeting as part of their professional learning and training. Think industry conferences, workshops, or specialised training sessions run by experts.

IB Business Management Real-world example: The Deloitte University Experience

Want to see off-the-job training taken to the absolute extreme? Let's talk about Deloitte.

Deloitte, one of the "Big Four" accounting and consulting firms, operates something called Deloitte University (DU). They've got multiple facilities around the world, including their newest one just outside Paris (DU EMEA), which opened in 2024.

What do they do there? Basically, immersive in-person learning experiences that you simply cannot replicate on the job. We're talking:

• Leadership development programmes

• Strategic planning workshops

• Technical skills training for emerging technologies

• AI and GenAI fluency training (because apparently in 2024, everyone needs to understand artificial intelligence)

• Team-building and collaboration experiences

In FY2024, Deloitte people around the world completed more than seven million in-person, virtual, and on-demand courses. That's not a typo. Seven. Million.

Deloitte's Graduate Learning Academy provides dedicated coaches, ongoing mentoring, peer support, and e-learning for new graduates. They even run an "Apprenticeship Reimagined" programme focusing on building meaningful relationships and fostering culture in hybrid working environments.

And if you think this is just for graduates, think again. Deloitte's "Encore" programme helps professionals who've taken career breaks (for whatever reason) to re-enter the workforce through accelerated learning, mentoring, coaching, and personalised development plans.

Advantages of Off-the-Job Training

Advantages:

1. A wider range of skills and qualifications can be obtained (stuff your workplace simply can't teach you)

2. Staff can learn from specialists or experts none of whom may work within the organisation (getting knowledge from the absolute best in the field)

3. Employees are not distracted from the daily operations in the workplace (full focus on learning, no "quick, the customer needs help" interruptions)

Disadvantages of Off-the-Job Training

Disadvantages:

1. More expensive than on-the-job training - training course fees, travel costs, accommodation, materials, etc. all add up quickly

2. Lost productivity during time when staff attend the training (someone's got to cover their work while they're gone)

3. Employees gaining new skills and qualifications may decide to leave the firm for better jobs elsewhere (the dreaded "train them and lose them" scenario)

That last point is a real concern for businesses. Imagine spending £10,000 sending someone on a fancy course, only for them to use their shiny new qualification to get a better job at your competitor. Nightmare!

However, if you don't invest in your people's development, they'll leave anyway - except they'll leave because they're bored, unfulfilled, and feel like the company doesn't care about their growth. At least if you train them and they leave, they usually leave with good memories and will usually speak highly of you. Could even become real "brand" ambassadors for future employees (And might even come back someday!)

The Modern Training Reality: It's All a Mix

Your IB Business Management textbook might not tell you this: in 2024-2025, most successful companies don't just use one type of training. They use all three, often simultaneously.

Let's go back to McDonald's again:

• Induction when you start (learning the basics, meeting the team, understanding the culture)

• On-the-job training for daily work (learning to use the equipment, serve customers, work as a team)

• Off-the-job training through their Archways to Opportunity programme (tuition assistance for college degrees, English language learning, high school completion courses)

Or Deloitte:

• Induction through their Graduate Learning Academy

• On-the-job training with dedicated coaches and mentoring

• Off-the-job training at Deloitte University facilities and through external courses

Smart businesses recognise that different skills require different training approaches. You can't learn to flip a burger by reading about it in a textbook, but you also can't learn advanced accounting principles just by watching someone use Excel.

The Business Case: Why Training Actually Matters

Let's talk money for a second (because that's what business is really about, right?).

When companies invest in training, they see:

• Higher productivity - Trained employees work more efficiently

• Better customer satisfaction - Skilled staff provide better service

• Lower turnover rates - People stay when they feel valued and competent

• Fewer mistakes - Proper training means fewer costly errors

• Innovation - Well-trained employees can think creatively and solve problems

• Competitive advantage - Companies with better-trained staff outperform competitors

McDonald's didn't help 2.2 million young people develop skills because they're a charity. They did it because it's good business. Those young people become loyal employees, customers, and brand ambassadors.

Deloitte doesn't run multiple university facilities for fun. They do it because well-trained consultants can charge higher fees, deliver better results, and win more business.

Companies that excel at training can boost employee retention by 82% and productivity by 70%. Those aren't just nice-to-have improvements - they directly impact the bottom line, the ultimate goal.

The Employee Perspective: What's In It For You?

From your perspective as a future employee, training is absolutely crucial for several reasons:

1. Job Security If you're constantly learning and developing new skills, you become more valuable to your employer. Valuable employees don't get made redundant first when times are tough.

2. Career Progression Training opens doors. That crew member at McDonald's who takes advantage of on-the-job training and the Archways programme? They could become a shift manager, then an assistant manager, then a general manager, then move into corporate roles. Same with Deloitte - their graduate programme is designed to fast-track you towards senior positions.

3. Transferable Skills Even if you don't stay with your first employer forever (and let's be honest, most people don't), the skills you learn through training go with you. Communication skills, technical knowledge, leadership abilities - they all transfer to your next role.

4. Confidence There's nothing worse than feeling like you don't know what you're doing at work. Proper training gives you the confidence to tackle challenges, make decisions, and contribute meaningfully.

5. Networking Off-the-job training in particular (like those Deloitte University programmes or apprenticeship day release) puts you in rooms with other professionals. Those connections can be invaluable for your career.

Training Isn't Always Perfect

Let's be real for a moment: not all training is created equal. We've all sat through those mind-numbing mandatory compliance training modules that feel like they were designed to torture you. You know the ones - where you have to click through 47 slides about health and safety regulations, none of which you'll remember five minutes after completing them.

Bad training:

• Is boring and irrelevant

• Doesn't relate to your actual job

• Is delivered by people who clearly don't want to be there

• Feels like a box-ticking exercise

• Wastes everyone's time

Good training:

• Is engaging and practical

• Directly applies to your work

• Is delivered by people who actually know what they're talking about and who want you to improve

• Feels like an investment in your future

• Makes you better at your job

The difference between companies that thrive and companies that struggle often comes down to which type of training they provide.

IB Business Management Exam Moment of Truth

When you're tackling IB Business Management questions on training, remember to:

1. Define your terms clearly

• What is training? (The process of teaching employees new knowledge or skills to develop competence)

• What are the three main types? (Induction, on-the-job, off-the-job)

2. Use real-world examples

• McDonald's for on-the-job training

• Deloitte University for off-the-job training

• UK apprenticeships for day release

• The 30% turnover statistic for why induction matters

3. Evaluate, don't just describe

• Always discuss both advantages AND disadvantages

• Consider context (what works for McDonald's might not work for a small business)

• Think about costs versus benefits

4. Link to business objectives

• How does training improve productivity?

• How does it affect employee motivation and retention?

• What's the impact on customer service and reputation?

5. Consider different stakeholders

• Employees benefit from career development

• Employers benefit from skilled workforce

• Customers benefit from better service

• Society benefits from more skilled workers

6. Think critically

• Is training always worth the investment?

• When might off-the-job training be better than on-the-job?

• How do you balance training costs with productivity?

• What happens if you train people and they leave?

What to take?

Training isn't just some HR checkbox that companies have to tick. It's a fundamental part of how businesses operate in 2024-2025. The companies that invest in proper induction, on-the-job, and off-the-job training are the ones that:

• Attract the best talent

• Keep their employees longer

• Perform better than competitors

• Adapt faster to change

• Build better reputations

And from your perspective? Training is what turns a job from "just a paycheque" into an actual career. It's the difference between spending 40 years doing the same boring thing and constantly growing, learning, and progressing.

So when you're looking at job opportunities in the future, don't just ask "How much does it pay?" Ask "What training and development opportunities do you offer?" Because that's what will determine whether you're still there (and happy) in five years' time.

Now go ace those exams, and remember: the businesses that succeed are the ones that recognise their employees aren't just resources to be exploited - they're humans with potential to be developed. Revolutionary concept, right?

P.S. If your future employer's idea of "training" is pointing at a desk and saying "figure it out," that's your cue to run. Fast.

Stay well,