Chapter Highlights
Training Needs Analysis: The process of identifying training needs in an organization for the purpose of improving employee job performance. Show A successful training needs analysis will identify those who need training and what kind of training is needed. It is counter-productive to offer training to individuals who do not need it or to offer the wrong kind of training. A Training Needs Analysis helps to put the training resources to good use. Types of Needs AnalysesMany needs assessments are available for use in different employment contexts. Sources that can help you determine which needs analysis is appropriate for your situation are described below.
Principle of Assessment: Use assessment instruments for which understandable and comprehensive documentation is available. Knowledge, Skills, and AbilitiesToday's workplace often requires employees to be independent thinkers responsible for making good decisions based on limited information. This kind of work may require training if the employee does not have these skills. Below is a list of various competencies that employees may be required to posess in order to perform their jobs well.
TechniquesSeveral basic Needs Assessment techniques include:
Conducting an Organizational AnalysesDetermine what resources are available for training. What are the mission and goals of the organization in regards to employee development? What support will te senior management and managers give toward training? Is the organization supportive and on-board with this process? Are there adequate resources (financial and personnel)?Conducting a Work / Task AnalysisInterview subject matter experts (SME's) and high performing employees. Interview the supervisors and managers in charge. Review job descriptions and occupational information. Develop an understanding of what employees need to know in order to perform their jobs.Important questions to ask when conducting a Task Analysis:
Most employees are required to make decisions based on information. How is information gathered by the employee? What does the employee do with the information? Can this process be trained? Or, can training improve this process? Cognitive Task AnalysisDevelop a model of the task. Show where the decision points are located and what information is needed to make decisions and actions are taken based on that information. This model should be a schematic or graphic representation of the task. This model is developed by observing and interviewing the employees. The objective is to develop a model that can be used to guide the development of training programs and curriculum.Since the training is based on specific job tasks, employees may feel more comfortable taking the effort to participate in training.Gather information about how the task is performed so that this can be used to form a model of the task. Review job titles and descriptions to get an idea of the tasks performed. Observe the employee performing the job. Review existing training related to the job. Make sure you observe both experts and novices for comparison. Critical Incident AnalysisCritical Incident Interview Guide.Conducting a Performance AnalysisThis technique is used to identify which employees need the training. Review performance appraisals. Interview managers and supervisors. Look for performance measures such as benchmarks and goals.Sources of performance data:
Checklist for Training Needs AnalysisIt is helpful to have an organized method for choosing the right assessment for your needs. A checklist can help you in this process. Your checklist should summarize the kinds of information discussed above. For example, is the assessment valid for your intended purpose? Is it reliable and fair? Is it cost-effective? Is the instrument likely to be viewed as fair and valid by the participants? Also consider the ease or difficulty of administration, scoring, and interpretation given available resources. Click here for a sample checklist that you may find useful. Completing a checklist for each test you are considering will assist you in comparing them more easily. |