Post on 25-Dec-2015
Needs Assessment & Analysis
Needs AssessmentProcess used to determine whether training is necessary
Why needs assessment ?• Training maybe incorrectly used as a solution to a performance
problem
• Training programs may have the wrong content, objectives, or methods
• Trainees maybe 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 wld be spent on unnecessary programs
Model of the Needs Assessment ProcessOrganizational
SupportOrganizational
AnalysisRequirements
AnalysisTask & KSA
AnalysisPerson
Analysis
Establish Rel with
top mgmt
Establish Rel with
other orgnal members
Form Liaison team
Specify goals
DetermineTrainingclimate
Identify External &
Legal Constraints
Define the Target job
Choose methods
Determineparticipants
Determine points of contact
Anticipateproblems
Develop a protocol
Analyze tasks& KSA’s
Develop tasks
Form taskclusters
Develop KSA’s
Determine Relevant KSAs
& tasks
Link relevantKSA’s to tasks
Develop Performance
Indicators
DetermineKSA gaps in
Target population
Determine Approach to Resolve gaps
Causes & Outcomes of needs assessment
Pressure Points
Lack of basic skillsPoor performanceNew Technology
Customer requestsNew Products
Higher standardsNew jobs
Outcomes
What trainees need to learnWho receives training
Type of trainingFrequency of trainingBuy Vs. Build training
Trg vs other HR optionsHow trg shd be evaluatedWho needs Training
Organalysis
Operatoranalysis
Operationanalysis
What is the contextIn what
do they need Training
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,
Academics
– Who are knowledgeable in regard to
• Training issues including tasks to be performed
• KSA’s 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 KSA’s or other characteristics are important
Training Needs
• A gap between actual performance & desired
performance or between current abilities & job
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 needsUnplanned 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 the 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
SAMPLE
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
SAMPLE
Procedures for Identifying Training NeedsIndividual Procedures
• Interviews– Need to know process– Job Analysis Grid
• Performance Reviews• Job Analysis• Task Analysis• Job Sampling
Group Procedures• Meetings
– Conferences– Focus Groups
Other Procedures• Experts• Combinations
Written Procedures• Questionnaires
– Information gathering questionnaires – Behavioral questionnaires – Surveys– Online questionnaires– Self- Reports
• Tests & Assessments• 360 degree & peer reviews
Methods used in Needs Assessment
• Knowing whom to interview
• Planning the Interview
• Designing the Questions
• Scheduling the Interview
• Notifying the Interviewee
• Conducting the Interview
• Conclude the Interview
Interviews
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 InterviewsThe 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 supervisor’s position
• Questions & AnswersQ- 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)
SAMPLE
A typical Job Analysis Grid InterviewQ - 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)
SAMPLE
A typical Job Analysis Grid Interview
• Three cards displayed – Controlling, Disciplinary
procedures, Employment procedures
• 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
SAMPLE
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
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
• With persons who are in a good position to know what
the training needs of a particular group are
Observation
Advantages
• Generates data relevant
to work
• Minimizes interruption of
work
Disadvantages
• Needs Skilled observers
• Employees behavior
maybe affected by being
observed
• Technical/ behavioral
• Structured/unstructured
Group Discussions
Advantages• Permits on the spot
synthesis of different
viewpoints
• Shared function
• Help participants
become better problem
analysts
Disadvantages• Time consuming
• Can produce data difficult
to synthesize & quantify
• Structured/ Unstructured
• Brainstorming, Force- fields, Organizational mirroring
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 only provide information they think you want to hear
• 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
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
• Functionally oriented to test proficiency
• Maybe used to sample learned ideas & facts
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
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
• Surveys/Polls, Question formats, Self administered
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
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
• Professional journals, trade magazines, in-house
publications