Needs Assessment & Analysis

Needs Assessment

Process 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 Process

Organizational Organizational Support Analysis Requirements Analysis Establish Rel with top mgmt Specify goals Define the Target job Choose methods Establish Rel with other orgnal members Determine Training climate Determine participants Task & KSA Analysis Analyze tasks & KSA’s Develop tasks Form task clusters Person Analysis Develop Performance Indicators Determine KSA gaps in Target population Form Liaison team Identify External & Legal Constraints Determine points of contact Anticipate problems Develop KSA’s Determine Relevant KSAs & tasks Determine Approach to Resolve gaps Develop a protocol Link relevant KSA’s to tasks

Causes & Outcomes of needs assessment

Pressure Points Lack of basic skills Poor performance New Technology Customer requests New Products Higher standards New jobs What is the context Org analysis In what do they need Training Operator analysis Operation analysis Who needs Training Outcomes What trainees need to learn Who receives training Type of training Frequency of training Buy Vs. Build training Trg vs other HR options 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

performance surveys – Through training courses &

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 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 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

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 – Need to know process – Job Analysis Grid • Performance Reviews • Job Analysis • Task Analysis • Job Sampling • Meetings – Conferences – Focus Groups

Written Procedures

• Questionnaires – Information gathering questionnaires

Other Procedures

– Behavioral questionnaires – Surveys • Experts • Combinations – Online questionnaires – Self- Reports • 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 supervisor’s 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) Q Improve communications (Communications) – 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 • Help participants become better problem analysts

Disadvantages

• Time consuming • Can produce data difficult to synthesize & quantify

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 provide members information think you want to hear only they • Group reluctant members to maybe 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