Needs Assessment & Analysis

Needs Assessment
Process used to determine whether training is necessary

Why needs assessment ?

Training may be incorrectly used as a solution to a performance problem

Training programs may have the wrong content, objectives, or methods

Trainees may be sent to training programs for which they do not have the basic or prerequisite skills

Training will not deliver the expected learning, behavior change or financial results that the company expects
Money would be spent on unnecessary programs

Model of the Needs Assessment Process

Organizational Organizational Requirements Support Analysis Analysis
Establish Rel with top mgmt Establish Rel with other orgnal members

Task & KSA Analysis

Analyze tasks & KSAs Develop tasks Form task clusters Develop KSAs

Person Analysis
Develop Performance Indicators

Specify goals

Define the Target job Choose methods

Determine Training climate

Determine participants Determine points of contact Anticipate problems Develop a protocol

Determine KSA gaps in Target population

Form Liaison team

Identify External & Legal Constraints

Determine Relevant KSAs & tasks

Link relevant KSAs to tasks

Determine Approach to Resolve gaps

Causes & Outcomes of needs assessment

What is the context

Pressure Points
Lack of basic skills Poor performance New Technology Customer requests New Products Higher standards New jobs

In what do they need Outcomes Org Training analysis What trainees need to learn Task Who receives training analysis Type of training Person Frequency of training analysis Buy Vs. Build training Trg vs other HR options Who needs Training How trg shd be evaluated

Who initiates the Identification of training needs?

Managers recognize needs due to dept performance results, individual performance appraisals, future plans, new equipments & systems Employees to improve current performance or to prepare for other jobs Staff dept from activities such as employee opinion surveys, exit interviews, succession planning, budget reports etc. Training employees Through training courses & performance surveys External Consultants As part of organizational study projects, performance assessments

Initiating the Identification of Training needs

A published procedure

Requisition forms from anyone in the organization

An Annual survey Conducted by training department Requirement that all appropriate activities like performance reviews, purchase of new equipment, employee opinion surveys include communication to the training function of any possible training needs

Who should participate in Needs Assessment? Subject Matter Experts

Trainers, Technical experts, Managers, Employees,
Academicians. Who are knowledgeable in regard to
Training issues including tasks to be performed KSAs required for successful task performance Necessary equipment Condition under which tasks have to be performed

Job Incumbents

Key concerns
Upper Level Managers Is training important to achieve our business objectives? What business units need training? Mid Level Managers Do I want to spend money on trg? How much? Who should be trained? Mgrs/Employees

For what jobs can training make the biggest difference in product quality or customer service?
Trainers Do I have the budget to buy training services? Will managers support training? How will I identify employees need training? What tasks should be trained? What KSAs or other characteristics are important

Training Needs
A gap between or actual between performance current & desired & job

performance

abilities

requirements that can be closed by training Categories of Training needs Needs of the Organization Needs of the Individual

Training needs of the Organization

Recognized Training needs Planned training needs, required by all Need to know the organization, its structure, policies, procedures, benefits Need to know a department, its rules, operating procedures & personnel Need to have specific job skills & knowledge not generally known by employees Requested Training needs Unplanned needs resulting from different activities Changes in jobs/systems Addition of new equipment Department Performance reviews New government requirements Employee opinion surveys, organizational studies, dept meetings Exit Interviews conducted with departing employees

Training needs of Individual employees

Initiated through activities such as
Performance Reviews Selection Process Testing & Assessment Employee Career Objectives Succession plans

Deciding what you need to know

Elements the analysis should produce in its final report Training Subjects Importance of the Training Urgency or time requirements Current training population Potential training population Frequency of training Subject review & update Required results of the training Content information sources

Training Needs Analysis Report

Elements that analysis should produce in its final report Training Subjects
How to operate the new product pricing system from a PC

Importance of the Training

Will reduce individual order pricing by 10% & increase order processing & invoicing speed by 30% for annual company savings of$250000

Urgency of the training

New system available for training by June 12, will go online by August 12. All order processing employees to be trained by August 12

Current training population

47 order processors, 6 supervisors, 2 managers, 3 information systems technicians

Training Needs Analysis Report

Potential training population Based on turnover & projected sales, the following employees will be added each year for the next 5 years - 7 order processors, 1 supervisor, 1 manager, 1 information systems technician Frequency of training Small no of future trainees, so focus on initial group training course for current employees & a self study version for the later training Subject review & update To be surveyed annually. Changes to be communicated to training dept Required results of the training Order processors can price products via their PCs at a rate of 50 per hour, with no more than a 2% error rate Content information sources The company from which the system was purchased Managers of the product pricing dept Information processing technicians

Procedures for Identifying Training Needs

Individual Procedures Group Procedures Interviews Meetings Need to know process Conferences Job Analysis Grid Focus Groups Performance Reviews Job Analysis Written Procedures Task Analysis Questionnaires Job Sampling Information gathering questionnaires Behavioral questionnaires Surveys Other Procedures Online questionnaires Experts Self- Reports Combinations Tests & Assessments 360 degree & peer reviews

Methods used in Needs Assessment

Interviews
Knowing whom to interview Planning the Interview Designing the Questions

Scheduling the Interview

Notifying the Interviewee Conducting the Interview Conclude the Interview

Interviews
Advantages
Good at uncovering details of training needs as well as causes & solutions of problems
Can explore unanticipated issues that come up Questions can be modified

Disadvantages
Time consuming
Difficult to analyze Needs skilled interviewer

Clients may feel self conscious, suspicious

Difficult to schedule Clients only provide information you want to hear

Job Analysis Grid Interviews

Method to eliminate the drawback of information contamination in traditional interviews Outgrowth of a behavioral inquiry technique called the Repertoire Grid a comprehensive approach for identifying specific human behaviors Begins with a series of questions that do not appear to be related to the objective of the investigation A less direct form of interview, requires more time and an interviewer trained in the technique Suited more to determine basic needs, when the investigation is for a possible first time course.

Job Analysis Grid Interviews

The Process
State the objective, but be less specific

Check for interviewee questions

Give a brief discussion of what will occur Ask your questions Note responses on index cards one keyword per card Shuffle the cards & select 3 at random Show to employee & ask to select 2 of them which are more in common Remove the least common. Ask what others have in common

Again note keywords

Reinsert the cards, reshuffle & repeat the process till there are no new responses Conclude the Interview & combining results

A typical Job Analysis Grid Interview

Conducted with a supervisor to identify the management competencies required for a supervisors position Questions & Answers
Q- What did u discover during your first month as a supervisor that was a surprise to you?

A -Need to know employment procedures (Employment procedures)

- Some employees are not motivated (Motivation) - Must have a daily plan (Planning) Q - What are the three best features of being a supervisor?

A Compensation (Compensation)
- Being in charge (Authority) - Being a part of management (Management)

A typical Job Analysis Grid Interview

Q - What are the three things you would most like to change? A Hours (Work Schedule) Pre supervisory Training (Training) Improve communications (Communications) Q If supervisors are dissatisfied with their job, what is the most likely reason? A Cannot control employees (Controlling) - No leadership (Leadership) Q - What would have helped you to know before starting work as a supervisor? A Employee histories (Employee histories) - Payroll Procedures (Payroll Procedures) Q - What areas do you still not know? A Disciplinary procedures (Disciplinary procedures) - Interviewing (Interviewing)

A typical Job Analysis Grid Interview

Three cards displayed Controlling, procedures, Employment procedures Disciplinary

What they had in common - Controlling, Knowing Disciplinary procedures, Oral communication, One to one meeting

Concluding
What competencies are missing?
Group Musts, Wants, Not necessary Prioritize

The Need to Know Process

Based on discovering exactly what a person to be trained needs to know in order to meet the objectives of the training When to use When number of people to be trained To teach a new subject as well as to make revisions to existing training Can be used to design the training course & also conduct it The person who conducts it should have full knowledge of the ultimate training course content or job for which training is

provided
People to be interviewed must be representative of those to be trained & have varying levels of performance

The Need to Know Process

The technique Planning
Identify what the outcomes of the training are to be & then the specifics. Prepare the final exam for the training course

Implementation
Participant brought into private area with equipment & materials required
Explain the process to trainee Record questions by trainee Provide information as required & make note of what is asked, what is provided Conclusion Ask for reactions

Key Consultation
With persons who are in a good position to know what the training needs of a particular group are

Advantages
Simple & Inexpensive Input of number of individuals with his own perspectives of needs

Disadvantages
Built in bias, since based on views of few who see it from their perspective May result in partial picture of training needs

Observation
Technical/ behavioral Structured/unstructured

Advantages
Generates data relevant to work Minimizes interruption of work

Disadvantages
Needs Skilled observers Employees behavior maybe affected by being observed

Group Discussions
Structured/ Unstructured Brainstorming, Force- fields, Organizational mirroring

Advantages
Permits on the spot synthesis of different viewpoints Shared function

Disadvantages
Time consuming

Can produce data difficult to synthesize & quantify

Help participants become better problem analysts

Focus Groups
Advantages
Useful with complex or controversial issues that one person maybe unable or unwilling to explore
Questions can be modified to explore unanticipated issues

Disadvantages
Time consuming to organize
Group members provide information think you want to hear only they

Group members maybe reluctant to participate if status or position differences exist among members

Tests
Tests are standardized & objective measures of skills, knowledge & competencies Measures differences between individuals & between individuals & some predetermined standard Ensure that they Measure what you need to measure Are error free Are valid within your environment & your population Are administered & scored properly, with a common understanding of how to interpret results

Tests
Functionally oriented to test proficiency Maybe used to sample learned ideas & facts

Advantages
Helpful in determining whether cause of problem is deficiency in skill, knowledge or attitude Results are easily quantifiable & comparable

Disadvantages
Limited number of validated tests available

Assessments
Procedures designed to measure employee behaviors

that can be the basis for determining training needs

It includes Job Simulations Psychological interviews Assessment Centers

Self Testing Devices

High implementation costs & time

Questionnaires
Surveys/Polls, Question formats, Self administered

Advantages
Inexpensive Can collect data from a large number of persons Data easily summarized

Disadvantages
Requires time Possible low return rates, inappropriate response Lacks detail Only provides information directly related to questions asked Less flexible

Documentation (Technical manuals, records)

Advantages
Good source of information on procedure Good source of task information for new jobs

Disadvantages
Difficulty in understanding technical language
Materials maybe obsolete

Print Media
Professional journals, trade magazines, in-house publications

Advantages
Source of information for uncovering normative needs Provides current information Readily available

Disadvantages
Can be a problem when it comes to the data analysis & synthesis into a useable form