What Are Training Methods in 2026?

What Are Training Methods?

Training methods are the different approaches companies use to teach employees new skills and knowledge. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, modern businesses use instructor-led classroom sessions, online courses, hands-on practice, mentoring, simulations, and combinations of these methods.

The method you choose matters. According to LinkedIn Learning’s 2018 Workplace Learning Report, 94% of employees would stay at a company longer if it invested in their career development. But training only works if you use methods that match what you’re teaching and how your people learn. Employee training software helps businesses across industries create training programs for distributed teams.

Different skills need different approaches. You can’t learn to weld from a PowerPoint, and you don’t need hands-on practice to understand company policies. Effective training matches method to content.

Quick Answer

Training methods are the approaches companies use to teach employee skills. Common methods: instructor-led (classroom or virtual), online e-learning, on-the-job training, mentoring, simulations, microlearning, and blended learning. Best method depends on what you’re teaching, audience, budget, and scale. Research shows 94% of employees stay longer with companies that invest in training.

Training Methods Comparison Table

Use this table to compare training methods at a glance and choose the best approach for your situation.

Cost estimates explained:

• Development cost: One-time expense to create training materials, hire instructors, build simulations, or purchase platforms
• Per-employee cost: Ongoing cost each time someone goes through training (instructor time, facility, materials, etc.)
• Time to deploy: How long from decision to first training session
• Scalability: How easily you can train 100 vs 10,000 employees

How to use this table:

1. Need to train 500+ people? Choose online e-learning or microlearning for scalability
2. Training practical/physical skills? Choose on-the-job training or simulation
3. Teaching complex topics requiring discussion? Choose instructor-led training
4. Limited budget but need comprehensive training? Start with OJT, add online modules later
5. Want best outcomes regardless of cost? Choose blended learning combining multiple methods

Training Methods by Cost-Effectiveness

Here’s which methods deliver the best ROI based on common scenarios:

Training 1–25 employees: On-the-job training (lowest total cost, good effectiveness)

Training 25–100 employees: Instructor-led for soft skills, online for knowledge transfer

Training 100–1,000 employees: Online e-learning for scalability, blended for critical roles

Training 1,000+ employees: Online e-learning dominant, instructor-led only for leadership/specialized roles

High-turnover roles: Online training recovers development costs quickly through reuse

Skilled trades/technical: On-the-job training mandatory despite higher per-person costs

Compliance training: Online e-learning provides documentation and consistent delivery at lowest cost

What Are the Main Training Methods?

Instructor-Led Training (ILT)

What it is: Traditional classroom-style training with an instructor teaching a group in person. Teacher presents material, leads discussions, answers questions, and facilitates exercises.

Best for:

• Complex topics requiring discussion and clarification
• Soft skills training (communication, leadership, conflict resolution)
• Team building and collaboration exercises
• Situations where group interaction adds value

Pros:

• Immediate feedback and questions
• Personal interaction builds engagement
• Adapts to learner needs in real-time
• Good for complex or nuanced topics
• Creates peer learning opportunities

Cons:

• Expensive (instructor time, facility costs, travel)
• Scheduling challenges coordinating everyone’s availability
• Fixed pace may be too fast for some, too slow for others
• Doesn’t scale well—limited by classroom size
• Difficult for distributed teams

Industries: Common in healthcare for clinical skills, corporate offices for soft skills training, and leadership development programs.

Online Learning / E-Learning

What it is: Self-paced training delivered through digital platforms. Employees watch videos, complete interactive modules, take quizzes, and progress through content on their own schedule.

Best for:

• Information and knowledge transfer
• Compliance training (sexual harassment, safety, data privacy)
• Product knowledge
• Software tutorials
• Onboarding materials that don’t require hands-on practice

Pros:

• Scales infinitely—train 10 or 10,000 people with same effort
• Learn at your own pace
• Available 24/7 from anywhere
• Consistent content delivery
• Easy to track completion and test results
• Cost-effective after initial development

Cons:

• No immediate feedback or questions answered
• Requires self-motivation and discipline
• Limited for skills needing hands-on practice
• Can feel impersonal or boring if poorly designed
• Technology barriers for some learners

Popular platforms: LinkedIn Learning, Udemy for Business, Coursera for Business, custom LMS (Learning Management Systems).

On-the-Job Training (OJT)

What it is: Learning by doing the actual work under supervision. On-the-job training means a new employee works alongside an experienced employee or supervisor who demonstrates tasks, provides guidance, and gives feedback.

Best for:

• Practical skills that must be performed, not just understood
• Role-specific tasks
• Equipment operation
• Customer interaction skills
• Company-specific processes

Pros:

• Immediate application—no gap between learning and doing
• Real-world context and relevance
• Customized to actual job duties
• Productive work happens during training
• Builds relationships between new and experienced employees

Cons:

• Quality depends on trainer’s ability to teach
• Takes time from experienced employees’ regular work
• Inconsistent if different trainers teach different methods
• Bad habits can be passed along
• No formal documentation or tracking

Industries: Universal but especially important in construction, electrical, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, and skilled trades.

Mentoring and Coaching

What it is: One-on-one relationship where a more experienced person guides a less experienced person’s development over time. Goes beyond specific task training to career development and skill building.

Best for:

• Leadership development
• Career advancement preparation
• Soft skills improvement
• Cultural integration for new hires
• High-potential employee development

Pros:

• Personalized to individual needs
• Builds long-term relationships
• Addresses unique challenges and questions
• Provides ongoing support and feedback
• Develops both mentor and mentee

Cons:

• Time-intensive for mentors
• Doesn’t scale—requires 1:1 time
• Depends heavily on mentor quality
• Difficult to standardize or measure
• Can be informal and inconsistent

Simulation and Hands-On Practice

What it is: Recreating work scenarios in a controlled environment where mistakes don’t have real consequences. Can be physical simulations (mock customer service desk) or virtual (flight simulators, virtual reality scenarios).

Best for:

• High-stakes situations where errors are costly or dangerous
• Customer service scenarios
• Emergency response procedures
• Equipment operation
• Medical procedures

Pros:

• Safe environment to make mistakes and learn
• Realistic experience builds confidence
• Can practice rare scenarios that don’t occur often
• Provides feedback without real-world consequences
• Engaging and memorable

Cons:

• Expensive to develop or build
• May not perfectly replicate real conditions
• Requires specialized equipment or software
• Time-intensive to run properly
• Can be logistically complex to schedule

Examples: Pilot training simulators, nursing mannequins for practicing procedures, VR welding training, customer service role-plays.

Microlearning

What it is: Short, focused learning modules covering one specific topic or skill. Typically 3-10 minutes long, designed to be consumed quickly and revisited as needed.

Best for:

• Quick reference guides
• Procedure reminders
• Safety tips
• Product updates
• Compliance refreshers

Pros:

• Fits busy schedules—learn during short breaks
• High retention due to focused content
• Easy to update individual modules
• Mobile-friendly
• Just-in-time learning when needed
• Low development cost per module

Cons:

• Not suitable for complex topics requiring deep understanding
• Can be fragmented—hard to see big picture
• Requires many modules to cover comprehensive topics
• Still needs structure and path planning

Formats: Short videos, infographics, quick quizzes, flashcards, job aids, mobile app modules.

Blended Learning

What it is: Combining multiple training methods into a cohesive program. Might include online pre-work, in-person workshop, on-the-job practice, and follow-up coaching.

Best for:

• Comprehensive skill development
• Complex roles requiring multiple competencies
• Onboarding programs
• Certification programs
• Management training

Pros:

• Uses strengths of each method
• Provides variety to maintain engagement
• Flexible to accommodate different learning styles
• Balances cost and effectiveness
• Reinforces learning through multiple exposures

Cons:

• Complex to design and coordinate
• Requires multiple resources and systems
• Can be confusing if not well-structured
• More expensive than single-method approaches
• Difficult to track across platforms

Example: New healthcare worker completes online HIPAA training (e-learning), shadows a senior nurse for a week (OJT), attends a clinical skills workshop (ILT), and has weekly check-ins with a mentor (coaching).

How Do You Choose the Right Training Method?

Consider these factors:

What You’re Teaching

Knowledge and information: Online learning or instructor-led work well. People can read, watch videos, or attend lectures.

Physical skills: On-the-job training or simulation. You must actually do it to learn.

Soft skills: Instructor-led with practice scenarios. Communication and leadership benefit from discussion and feedback.

Procedures and processes: Microlearning for simple tasks, blended approach for complex workflows.

Your Audience

Size: Online learning scales to thousands. Instructor-led is limited by room size. OJT is typically 1:1 or small groups.

Location: Distributed teams need online or virtual training. Co-located teams can do in-person.

Experience level: Beginners need more structure and guidance. Experienced employees can handle self-paced online.

Learning preferences: Some people love self-paced online. Others need personal interaction and structure.

Resources Available

Budget: Online learning costs more upfront but scales cheaply. Instructor-led has ongoing costs per session. OJT uses employee time.

Time: How quickly must people be trained? Online and OJT can start immediately. Instructor-led requires scheduling.

Expertise: Do you have subject matter experts who can train others? Or do you need to develop materials?

Technology: Do employees have devices, internet access, and tech skills for online learning?

Desired Outcomes

Certification required: May need formal instructor-led with assessment.

Behavior change: Often requires practice, feedback, and coaching—not just information transfer.

Quick reference: Microlearning or job aids.

Deep expertise: Blended approach with multiple methods over time.

What Are Training Effectiveness Best Practices?

Set Clear Objectives

Define exactly what employees should be able to do after training. “Understand customer service” is vague. “Handle customer complaints following the 3-step resolution process with 90% customer satisfaction” is measurable.

Make It Relevant

Connect training to real job situations. Use examples from your actual workplace. Show why it matters to their daily work.

Practice and Apply

Learning happens through doing, not just hearing. Include exercises, simulations, role-plays, or real work application.

Provide Feedback

Tell people how they’re doing. Correct mistakes immediately in a constructive way. Acknowledge progress and success.

Space It Out

Cramming everything into one day overwhelms people. Spread training over time with breaks for practice and questions.

Reinforce Learning

Follow up after initial training. Refreshers, job aids, ongoing coaching, and opportunities to use new skills all improve retention.

Measure Results

Track completion, but also track application. Are employees actually using what they learned? Is performance improving?

What Are Common Training Mistakes?

Death by PowerPoint: Endless slides with an instructor reading them verbatim. Boring and ineffective.

One-and-done training: Single session with no follow-up. People forget most of what they learn within weeks without reinforcement.

Ignoring learning styles: Some people learn by reading, others by doing, others by discussion. Using only one method misses people.

No practical application: Teaching theory without showing how to apply it at work. People can’t connect learning to their job.

Wrong method for content: Trying to teach hands-on skills through e-learning, or teaching simple information through expensive in-person sessions.

Mandatory but irrelevant training: Forcing training that doesn’t apply to someone’s role breeds resentment and wastes time.

No measurement: Not tracking whether training actually improves performance. You’re guessing if it worked.

Online Training vs Instructor-Led: Which is Better?

The most common debate when choosing training methods:

When Online Training Wins

Best for:

• Compliance training (sexual harassment, safety, data privacy)
• Product knowledge that doesn’t change frequently
• Software tutorials with recorded demos
• Onboarding content for distributed teams
• Training 100+ people on the same topic

Why it’s better: Scales infinitely at low cost ($5-50/person vs $200-500/person), employees learn at their own pace, available 24/7, consistent delivery, easy completion tracking.

Cost example: Training 500 employees on harassment prevention

• Online: $10,000 upfront development + $25/person = $22,500 total
• Instructor-led: $500/person × 500 = $250,000 total

When Instructor-Led Wins

Best for:

• Leadership development and soft skills
• Complex technical topics requiring discussion
• Team building and collaboration
• Problem-solving that needs real-time feedback
• New managers learning to handle difficult conversations

Why it’s better: Immediate feedback and questions, adapts to learner needs, personal interaction builds engagement, practice scenarios with coach feedback, better retention for complex topics.

Cost example: Training 20 managers on performance conversations

• Instructor-led: $10,000 development + $400/person = $18,000 total (worth it for practice and feedback)
• Online: Poor fit—managers need role-play practice with coach

The Hybrid Approach (Best of Both)

Most effective solution for comprehensive programs:

1. Online pre-work: Employees watch videos and complete modules on core concepts (knowledge transfer)
2. Instructor-led workshop: In-person or virtual session for practice, discussion, Q&A (skill application)
3. On-the-job application: Real work with manager coaching (mastery)
4. Online refreshers: Microlearning modules as needed (retention)

Example: New healthcare worker training

• Online HIPAA compliance (1 hour) → Instructor-led clinical skills workshop (8 hours) → On-the-job shadowing (40 hours) → Online procedure refreshers (ongoing)

Cost: Higher upfront but best learning outcomes and retention.

Quick Decision Guide

Choose online training if:

• Training 50+ people
• Budget under $5,000
• Content is informational (not skill-based)
• Employees are self-motivated
• Need to track completion for compliance

Choose instructor-led if:

• Training under 30 people
• Budget allows $10,000+
• Content requires practice and feedback
• Building leadership/soft skills
• Team collaboration is a goal

Choose blended if:

• Training is business-critical
• Budget allows comprehensive approach
• Want best learning outcomes
• Have 3+ months for program design

What’s the Bottom Line?

Training methods are the approaches companies use to teach employee skills. No single method works for everything. Instructor-led training excels for complex topics and discussion. Online learning scales efficiently for information delivery. On-the-job training works best for practical skills. Microlearning fits busy schedules. Blended approaches combining multiple methods often achieve best results.

Key points:

• Common methods: instructor-led, online, on-the-job, mentoring, simulation, microlearning, blended
• Choose based on content, audience, resources, and objectives
• Physical skills need hands-on practice, not just information
• Online learning scales well but requires self-motivation
• 94% of employees stay longer with companies that invest in training
• Best practices: clear objectives, relevance, practice, feedback, reinforcement
• Modern training is mobile-first, video-heavy, personalized, and data-driven
• Measure results, not just completion

Effective training matches method to need. The best program uses the right combination of approaches for your specific situation. Explore workforce solutions that include training coordination for distributed teams, or start with free time tracking to monitor employee development progress.

Sources

• LinkedIn Learning – Workplace Learning Report
• Association for Talent Development – Training Delivery Methods
• SHRM – How to Establish a Training Program
• Training Industry – Training Methods and Delivery
• Josh Bersin – The Blended Learning Revolution

Further Reading

• On-the-Job Training – Learning by doing guide
• Virtual Onboarding – Remote employee training strategies
• Digital Onboarding – Online training platforms

Frequently Asked Questions

What are training methods?

Training methods are the different approaches companies use to teach employees new skills and knowledge. Common methods include instructor-led classroom training, online e-learning, on-the-job training, mentoring, simulations, workshops, microlearning, and blended approaches that combine multiple methods.

What is the most effective training method?

No single method is best for everything. On-the-job training works well for practical skills, online learning scales efficiently for information delivery, instructor-led training excels for complex topics needing discussion, and blended approaches combining multiple methods typically achieve the best results. The most effective method depends on what you’re teaching, who you’re teaching, and available resources.

What is on-the-job training?

On-the-job training is learning by doing the actual work under supervision. A new employee works alongside an experienced employee or supervisor who demonstrates tasks, provides guidance, and gives feedback. Common in trades, manufacturing, retail, and hospitality. Advantages include real-world context and immediate application, but requires time from experienced staff.

What is blended learning?

Blended learning combines multiple training methods into one program. Might include online pre-work, in-person workshop, hands-on practice, and follow-up coaching. Uses strengths of each method while providing variety. Often most effective for comprehensive skill development but more complex to design and coordinate.

How long should employee training take?

Depends on complexity and role. Basic onboarding might be 1-2 days. Role-specific training could be 1-4 weeks. Ongoing professional development is continuous. Break training into manageable chunks rather than marathon sessions. People retain more when training is spaced over time with practice in between.

How do you measure training effectiveness?

Track completion rates, quiz scores, and time spent, but also measure application and results. Conduct pre and post-training assessments. Monitor job performance metrics before and after training. Survey participants about relevance and usefulness. Observe whether employees actually use new skills on the job. The best measure is improved business outcomes.

What is microlearning?

Microlearning delivers content in short, focused modules typically 3-10 minutes long. Each module covers one specific topic or skill. Designed to fit busy schedules and provide just-in-time learning. Works well for procedures, safety tips, product updates, and quick refreshers. Mobile-friendly and easy to update but not suitable for complex topics requiring deep understanding.

How much should companies spend on training?

Industry benchmarks suggest 1-3% of payroll for training budgets. Training Industry research shows companies spend an average of $1,111 per employee annually on training. However, the right amount depends on your industry, business needs, skill gaps, and growth objectives. ROI matters more than absolute spending—training should drive measurable improvements.