# On-the-Job Training (OJT) in Global Hiring > Machine-readable page from EOR Overview (https://eoroverview.com/), an independent research platform for Employer of Record services. > Canonical page: https://eoroverview.com/glossary/on-the-job-training-ojt/ > Methodology: how providers are researched, scored and compared is documented at https://eoroverview.com/methodology/. > Disclosure: EOR Overview is free to use. We may earn a referral fee from some providers; this never affects a rating or ranking position (https://eoroverview.com/disclosure/). On-the-job training (OJT) is a structured learning method in which employees build skills by performing real work tasks, typically guided by a more experienced colleague or supervisor. For companies hiring internationally, OJT carries implications that go well beyond onboarding logistics: it affects employment classification, affects what obligations an Employer of Record must document, and must be adapted to local labor law requirements that vary significantly by country. Understanding how OJT works across borders is essential before rolling it out to a distributed or globally remote team. ## Explanation What is on-the-job training? On-the-job training (OJT) is a hands-on learning method where employees acquire skills by doing actual work, under the guidance of a trainer, mentor, or supervisor, rather than in a separate classroom setting. It covers a spectrum from informal instruction by a senior colleague to formal apprenticeship programs regulated by national law. OJT is distinct from off-the-job training (workshops, e-learning courses, external certification programs) in one key way: learning happens inside the flow of productive work. That distinction matters legally and operationally when workers are located in another country. OJT in the context of global hiring When a company hires workers in another country, OJT is rarely a purely internal HR decision. Several cross-border factors reshape how it must be designed and documented. OJT and Employer of Record arrangements When a business uses an Employer of Record to hire workers abroad, the EOR is the legal employer of record in that country. Training obligations, including any statutory requirements around OJT documentation, generally fall to the EOR. Before launching a structured OJT program for workers employed through an EOR, clarify: - Which party (the EOR or the client company) is responsible for maintaining training records required by local law - Whether OJT hours count toward local working-time limits or trigger overtime rules - Whether the country mandates that training agreements be documented in the local language - Whether compensation during training periods is governed by a minimum wage or sector collective agreement that differs from the employee's normal rate Misclassification risk and OJT OJT creates misclassification exposure when a company uses an extended "training period" as a reason to classify workers as contractors rather than employees. In most countries, if a worker is performing productive work under direction and supervision, they are an employee regardless of what the arrangement is called. Regulators in Germany, France, Brazil, and the UK have all taken enforcement action against companies that labeled supervised, productive work arrangements as "internships" or "training contracts" to avoid employment obligations. If your OJT program involves a contractor, assess carefully whether the training activities -- particularly close supervision, set hours, and integration into team workflows -- actually signal an employment relationship under local law. Country-by-country differences OJT is not a universal concept. The table below summarizes how major hiring destinations treat it differently. Country Key OJT considerations Germany Apprenticeships (Ausbildung) are heavily regulated under the Vocational Training Act. Companies must register training relationships with the relevant chamber of commerce. Trainees receive statutory minimum remuneration. France Alternance contracts (apprenticeship and professionalization) are governed by the Labour Code and involve co-funding from training bodies (OPCOs). Informal OJT must still comply with working-time rules and the right to individual training hours (CPF). Brazil Internship and apprenticeship programs are governed by separate laws (Lei de Estágio and Lei da Aprendizagem). Apprentices must be registered with the Ministry of Labour. Failing to comply can result in the arrangement being reclassified as a standard employment contract. India The Apprentices Act 1961 mandates apprenticeship quotas for certain industries and company sizes. Apprentices must be registered with the National Apprenticeship Portal. OJT outside the formal apprenticeship framework still falls under state-level labor rules. United Kingdom Apprenticeships are government-funded and require a registered training provider. General OJT for new hires carries no specific statutory form, but workers must be paid at least the National Living Wage from day one of employment, including during training periods. United States OJT is not heavily regulated at the federal level outside of apprenticeship programs registered with the Department of Labor. State rules vary. Trainees who are employees must receive at least minimum wage for all hours worked, including training hours. Philippines The learnership and apprenticeship programs under the Labor Code must be approved by TESDA and DOLE. Learners and apprentices receive 75% of the minimum wage during the program period. Types of on-the-job training OJT takes several forms, each suited to different roles and organizational structures. - Job shadowing: A new employee observes an experienced worker, learning workflows and decision-making before taking on independent tasks. - Mentoring: A senior colleague provides ongoing, structured guidance tailored to the individual's development goals and role requirements. - Job rotation: Employees move through different roles or departments over a defined period, building a broader understanding of how the organization operates. - Apprenticeships: Formal programs, often regulated by law, that combine supervised work experience with off-the-job instruction over months or years. - Cross-training: Employees learn the tasks of another role, creating operational flexibility and backup coverage for critical functions. - Coached task completion: A trainer works alongside the employee on live assignments, providing real-time correction and explanation as problems arise. OJT for remote and distributed international teams Remote-first hiring changes OJT in practical ways. When a trainer is in one country and the trainee is in another, informal "shoulder-to-shoulder" instruction is not possible. Companies running global teams typically adapt by: - Recording walkthroughs and annotated workflow videos that trainees can access asynchronously across time zones - Using screen-sharing and collaborative tools to replicate live coaching sessions remotely - Assigning a local peer contact in the trainee's country, often coordinated through the EOR, who can address country-specific process questions - Building written runbooks and standard operating procedures that substitute for verbal knowledge transfer Documentation matters more in remote OJT than in co-located settings. If a dispute arises over whether a worker received adequate training -- for example, in an unfair dismissal claim -- written records of training sessions, objectives, and sign-offs are the primary evidence available to the employer of record. What employees learn through OJT OJT builds skills that are difficult to transfer through coursework alone: - Technical proficiency: Using company-specific tools, software, and processes in the way the organization actually runs them, not as described in a manual. - Compliance and local standards: In international roles, understanding country-specific regulatory requirements through working practice rather than policy documents. - Problem-solving in context: Handling real issues as they arise, with access to colleagues who know the environment. - Communication norms: Learning how the team and organization actually communicate, including unwritten conventions that differ meaningfully by country and culture. - Role-specific judgment: Developing the ability to make decisions that fit the organization's standards, which only comes from exposure to real situations. Benefits and challenges Benefits - Employees contribute to real work output from an early stage, reducing the period of pure cost before a hire becomes productive - Learning is immediately applicable, which generally improves retention of new information - OJT is usually less expensive than external training programs, particularly for companies that already have experienced internal trainers - It can be adapted to local workflows and country-specific requirements without redesigning a global course Challenges in a global hiring context - Trainers in one location may not understand the regulatory environment of the trainee's country, leading to gaps in compliance-related instruction - Inconsistent delivery across countries creates uneven skill development in distributed teams - Time-zone gaps make real-time coaching difficult, slowing down OJT compared to co-located settings - Language differences can reduce the quality of knowledge transfer, particularly for technical or compliance-sensitive content - Without documentation, verifying that OJT occurred -- and what it covered -- is difficult if a legal dispute arises Steps for running OJT across borders - Confirm legal requirements with your EOR or local counsel before the training begins. Understand whether the country has mandatory training registration, minimum pay during training, or documentation obligations. - Define learning objectives specific to the role and the local context. A finance operations role in Poland may require familiarity with EU VAT rules; the same role in Singapore involves different requirements. - Assign a trainer who understands the local regulatory environment, or pair a subject-matter expert with a local point of contact who can cover country-specific elements. - Document each training session with dates, topics covered, and the trainee's acknowledgment. Keep records in a format that complies with local data protection rules (for example, GDPR in Europe). - Schedule structured check-ins at regular intervals -- typically 30, 60, and 90 days -- to assess competency against defined benchmarks and adjust the program. - Collect feedback from the trainee on gaps in the training relative to what they actually encounter in their role. International hires often identify local nuances that the trainer did not anticipate. Measuring OJT effectiveness Measuring whether OJT worked requires setting benchmarks before training begins, not after. Useful indicators include: - Time to independent task completion for defined role responsibilities - Error rates or quality scores on key deliverables compared to pre-training baselines - Supervisor assessments against competency frameworks tied to the role - Trainee self-assessment of confidence and preparedness at 30, 60, and 90-day marks - Retention at 6 and 12 months, compared across cohorts who received structured OJT versus those who did not For international hires, add a compliance-readiness check: can the employee demonstrate understanding of the local regulatory requirements relevant to their role? This is particularly important in regulated industries such as financial services, healthcare, and data-handling functions subject to local privacy law.