1. Needs Assessment & Analysis

2. Process used to determine whether training is necessary
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

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

4. Causes & Outcomes of needs assessment
Pressure Points
Lack of basic skills
Poor performance
New Technology
Customer requests
New Products
Higher standards
New jobs
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
What is the context
In what
do they need
Training
Org
analysis
Operator
Operation
Who needs Training

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. Training needs of Individual employees
Initiated through activities such as
Performance Reviews
Selection Process
Testing & Assessment
Employee Career Objectives
Succession plans

12. 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

13. Training Needs Analysis Report
SAMPLE
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

14. Training Needs Analysis Report
SAMPLE
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

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

16. Methods used in Needs Assessment

17. Interviews Knowing whom to interview Planning the Interview
Designing the Questions
Scheduling the Interview
Notifying the Interviewee
Conducting the Interview
Conclude the Interview

18. Interviews Advantages Disadvantages
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

19. 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.

20. 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

21. A typical Job Analysis Grid Interview
SAMPLE
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)

22. A typical Job Analysis Grid Interview
SAMPLE
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)

23. A typical Job Analysis Grid Interview
SAMPLE
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

24. 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

25. 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

26. Key Consultation Advantages Disadvantages
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

27. Observation Advantages Disadvantages 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

28. Group Discussions Advantages Disadvantages 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

29. Focus Groups Advantages Disadvantages
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

30. 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

31. Tests Advantages Disadvantages
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

32. 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

33. Questionnaires Advantages Disadvantages
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

34. 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

35. Print Media Advantages Disadvantages
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