Needs Assessment[1]

8/3/2019 Needs Assessment[1]

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Objectives

Discuss the role of organization analysis, personanalysis, and task analysis in needsassessment.

Identify different methods used in needsassessment and identify the advantages anddisadvantages of each.

Discuss the concerns of upper-level and mid-level

managers and trainers in needs assessment.Explain how person characteristics, input, output,

consequences, and feedback influence

performance and learning.


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Objectives (continued)

Create conditions to ensure that employees arereceptive to training.

Discuss the steps involved in conducting a task

analysis.

Analyze the task analysis data to determine the

tasks in which people need to be trained.

Explain competency models and the process usedto develop them.


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Introduction

Effective training practices involve the useof an instructional systems design process.

The instructional systems design process

begins by conducting a needs assessment.

The example of Texas Instruments shows,

before you choose a training methods, it isimportant to determine whether training is

necessary.


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Needs Assessment

Refers to the process used to determine iftraining is necessary.

Because needs assessment is the first step

in the instructional design process:

If it is poorly conducted, training will notachieve the outcomes or financial benefits

the company expects.


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The Needs Assessment Process

Reasons or PressurePoints

Outcomes

What is the Context?Legislation

Lack of Basic Skills

Poor Performance

New TechnologyCustomer Requests

New Products

Higher Performance

Standards

New Jobs

What Trainees Need to

Learn

Who Receives

Training

Type of Training

Frequency of Training

Buy Versus Build

Training Decision

Training Versus Other

HR Options Such asSelection or Job

Redesign

Who Needs the

Training?

In What Do

They Need

Training?

Organizatio

n Analysis

TaskAnalysis

Person

Analysis


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Needs assessment involves:

Organizational Analysis

involves determining:

the appropriateness of training, given the business

strategy

resources available for training support by managers and peers for training

Task Analysisinvolves:

identifying the important tasks and knowledge, skill,

and behaviors that need to be emphasized in training

for employees to complete their tasks


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Needs assessment involves: (continued)

Person Analysis

involves:

determining whether performance deficiencies

result from a lack of knowledge, skill, or

ability (a training issue) or from a motivationalor work design problem

identifying who needs training

determining employees readiness for training


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Key Concerns of Upper- and Midlevel Managersand Trainers in Needs Assessment

Upper-Level Managers Midlevel Managers Trainers

Organizational

analysis

Is training important to

achieve our business

objectives?

How does training

support our business

strategy?

Do I want to spend

money on training?

How much?

Do I have the budget to

buy training services?

Will managers support

training?

Person

analysis

What functions or

business units need

training?

Who should be trained?

Managers?

Professionals?

Core employees?

How will I identify which

employees need

training?

Task analysis Does the company have

the people with the

knowledge, skills, and

ability needed to compete

in the marketplace?

For what jobs can

training make the biggest

difference in product

quality or customer

service?

What tasks should be

trained?

What knowledge, skills,

ability, or other

characteristics are

necessary?


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Advantages and Disadvantages of NeedsAssessment Techniques

Technique Advantages Disadvantages

Observation Generates data relevant to

work environment.

Minimizes interruption of

work.

Needs skilled observer.

Employees behavior may be

affected by being observed.

Questionnaires Inexpensive

Can collect data from a

large number of persons.

Data easily summarized.

Requires time.

Possible low return rates,

inappropriate responses.

Lacks detail.


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Advantages and Disadvantages of NeedsAssessment Techniques (continued)

Technique Advantages Disadvantages

Read technical

manuals and

records

Good source of

information on procedure.

Objective.

Good source of taskinformation for new jobs

and jobs in the process of

being created.

You may not be able to

understand technical

language.

Materials may be obsolete.

Interview subject

matter experts

Good at uncovering details

of training needs.Good at uncovering

causes and solutions of

problems.

Time consuming.

Difficult to analyze.

Needs skilled interviewer.


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The Needs Analysis Process

Do We Want To Devote Time

and Money For Training?

Person AnalysisPerson Characteristics

Input Output Consequences Feedback

Task Analysis or Developa Competency Model

Work Activity (Task)

KSAs

Working Conditions

Organizational Analysis

Strategic Direction

Support of Managers

& Peers for Training

Training Resources


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Readiness for training refers to whether:

Employees have the personalcharacteristics necessary to learn program

content and apply it on the job.

The work environment will facilitate

learning and not interfere withperformance.


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Factors that influence employeeperformance and learning:

Personal Characteristics

Ability and skill

Attitudes and motivation

Input

Understand need to perform

Necessary resources (equipment, etc.)

Interference from other job demands

Opportunity to perform


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Factors that influence employeeperformance and learning: (continued)

Output

Standard to judge successful performers

ConsequencesPositive consequences/incentives to

perform

Few negative consequences to performFeedback

Frequent and specific feedback about how

the job is performed


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Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacyis the employees belief thatshe can successfully perform her job or

learn the content of the training program.

The job environment can be threatening to

many employees who may not have been

successful in the past.

The training environment can also be

threatening to people.


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Employees self-efficacy level can beincreased by:

Letting employees know that the purpose ofthe training is to try to improve

performance rather than to identify areas in

which employees are incompetent.

Providing as much information as possibleabout the training program and purpose of

training prior to the actual training.


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Employees self-efficacy level can beincreased by: (continued)

Showing employees the training success oftheir peers who are now in similar jobs.

Providing employees with feedback that

learning is under their control and they

have the ability and the responsibility toovercome any learning difficulties they

experience in the program.


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To ensure that the work environmentenhances trainees motivation to learn:

Provide materials, time, job-relatedinformation, and other work aids necessaryfor employees to use new skills or behavior

before participating in training programs.Speak positively about the companys

training programs to employees.

Let employees know they are doing a goodjob when they are using training content intheir work.


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To ensure that the work environment enhancestrainees motivation to learn: (contd)

Encourage work-group members to involveeach other in trying to use new skills on the

job by soliciting feedback and sharing

training experiences and situations in which

training content was helpful.

Provide employees with time and

opportunities to practice and apply new

skills or behaviors to their work.


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To determine if training is the bestsolution, assess whether:

The performance problem is important and hasthe potential to cost the company a significant

amount of money from lost productivity or

customers.

Employees do not know how to perform

effectively.Perhaps they received little or no previous training

or the training was ineffective.

(This problem is a characteristic of the person)

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To determine if training is the bestsolution, assess whether: (continued)

Employees cannot demonstrate the correctknowledge or behavior.

Employees were trained but they infrequently or

never used the training content on the job. (This isan input problem.)

Performance expectations are clear (input) and

there are no obstacles to performance such asfaulty tools or equipment.

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To determine if training is the bestsolution, assess whether: (continued)

There are positive consequences for goodperformance, while poor performance is not

rewarded.

Employees receive timely, relevant, accurate,constructive, and specific feedback about their

performance (a feedback issue).

Other solutions such as job redesign ortransferring employees to other jobs are too

expensive or unrealistic.

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Is training the best solution?

If employees lack the knowledge and skillto perform and the other factors are

satisfactory, training is needed.

If employees have the knowledge and skill

to perform but input, output, consequences,or feedback are inadequate, training may

not be the best solution.

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Task Analysis

Task analysis results in a description ofwork activities, including tasks performed

by the employee and the knowledge, skills,

and abilities required to complete the tasks.

Task analysis should only be undertaken

after you have determined from the

organizational analysis that the company

wants to devote time and money for

training.

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Steps in a Task Analysis

Select the job(s) to be analyzed.

Develop a preliminary list of tasks performed

by the job.

Validate or confirm the preliminary list of

tasks.

Identify the knowledge, skills, or abilities

necessary to successfully perform each task.

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Competency Models

A competency refers to areas of personalcapability that enable employees to successfully

perform their jobs by achieving outcomes or

successfully performing tasks.A competency can be knowledge, skills, attitudes,

values, or personal characteristics.

A competency model identifies thecompetencies necessary for each job as well as

the knowledge, skills, behavior, and personality

characteristics underlying each competency.

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Competency models are useful for trainingand development in several ways:

They identify behaviors needed for effective jobperformance.

They provide a tool for determining what skills are neededto meet todays needs as well as the companys future

needs. They help determine what skills are needed at different

career points.

They provide a framework for ongoing coaching and

feedback to develop employees for current and futureroles.

They create a roadmap for identifying and developingemployees who may be candidates for managerial

positions

Needs Assessment[1]

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