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Training Needs Assessment

Needs assessment is performed to determine what training will successfully address any skill

deficits. – Cornell, Technology Training Services

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Why Conduct a Training Needs Assessment?

• To determine what training is relevant to employees’ jobs

• To determine what training will improve performance

• To determine if training will make a difference

• To distinguish training needs from organizational problems

• To link improved job performance with the organization’s goals and bottom line.

Indicators of training needs

Market Analysis

Customer Complaints

Unsatisfactory customer survey ratings

Missed objectives and targets

New facilities or technology

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Needs Analysis

A needs assessment is the process of identifying performance requirements and the "gap" between what performance is required and what presently exists.

What Is a Training Needs Assessment (TNA)?

• A TNA is the process to determine whether training to address a performance gap is necessary.

• Training might be appropriate when the performance issue is a “can’t do” issue:– Poor performance (resulting from a knowledge or

skill deficiency).– Lack of basic skills (reading, writing, technology,

math skills).– Policies requiring new knowledge or skills.– New technology.– A customer request for new products or services.– New jobs.

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When Is Training NOT the Best Intervention?

• Training is not the best intervention when the performance issue is a result of:– Recruiting, selection or compensation

problems.

– Policies and procedures issues.

– Insufficient tools, equipment or resources.

– Physical setting problems.

– A lack of motivation (job-person fit; person-org fit); a “won’t do” issue.

The ASK Concept

• If we follow the GAP concept, training is simply a means to use activities to fill the gaps of performance between the actual results and the expected results.

• This GAP can be separated into 3 main themes

1.Attitude

2.Skills

3.Knowledge

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Assessing Training Needs

Three-step process (Goldstein, 1991)

1) Organizational Analysis

2) Task Analysis

3) Person Analysis

Organizational Analysis• Identifies what types of training may be needed

for large segments of the organization

– New products/services

– Changes in laws or regulations

– Introduction of new technology

• Assess the organization’s objectives and gaps in knowledge or skill that may prevent the accomplishment of the organization’s goals.

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Organizational Analysis• Assess organizational training implications

across a variety of levels and functions within

the organization due to the introduction of new

computer hardware and software to perform

previously nonautomated tasks.

• Determine changes in management

techniques, equipment, or tools needed to

implement a new “focus on customer service.”

• Gain information on how well customer

requirements are currently being met

Assessing Training Needs

2) Task Analysis– What are the employee characteristics

(KSAs) necessary to perform various aspects of the job?

– What are the likely KSAs needed with the introduction of new products and services?

– Usually based on a job analysis

– Direct training toward enhancing those KSAs that are critical to job performance.

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Job/task Analysis (continued)

If lack of performance is due to:

–Deficiency in knowledge or

–Deficiency in skill

Then training is the solution!

Job/task Analysis (continued)• Assess workforce skills for short- and long-term

staff planning.

• Gain information obtained through analyzing critical

positions: Knowledge, skills, and abilities required for

the job.

• Level of performance required of the worker.

Products or services resulting from the work

Equipment, materials, and tools used in performing

the work. Physical or environmental conditions of the

job.

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Person Analysis• Identifies specific individuals who lack

knowledge or skill

• Identifies if the individual has the ability and motivation to learn

• If the individual lacks ability and/or motivation, the organization must seek other solutions such as reassignment or termination

ORGANIZATION NEEDS Job Needs Individual Needs

Occur at the highest level in

the organization where

broad, cross-cutting, cross-

functional guidance is

established, new directions

are set, and/or budget and

resource decisions for

training are made.

ISSUES

• Turnover and absenteeism

• Customer requirements

• Diversity and cultural

issues

• Safety record

• Efficiency

• Quality

• Productivity

• New technology

Focus on what

competencies

and characteristics are

required for job groups

critical to accomplishing

the organizational

mission.

ISSUES

• Workforce trends

• Occupational forecasts

• Recruitment

• Hiring

• Training and Retraining

EXAMPLES

Assess workforce skills

for short- and long-term

staff planning.

Focus on the specific

knowledge, skills,

abilities, and attitudes

required by each

employee. Individual

needs should be viewed

within the context of the

strategic goals of the

organization in order to

ensure professional

growth and development

of employees within

established career

paths.

ISSUES

• Career paths

• Individual development

plan (IDP)

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Define the problem

DESIRED PERFORMANCE (Optimals)

- ACTUAL PERFORMANCE (Actuals)

= POSSIBLE TRAINING NEED

Describe Discrepancy

Key stages for TNASTAGE A

What is the job under review and what are the main duties? What are the high-level skills required? To what standards are people expected to do the job? Are they currently meeting these standards?

STAGE BIdentify key people or stakeholders involved.

STAGE CConsider the best means of finding out what B know now, plus what they feel they will need to know, to achieve A.

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Key stages for TNA cont…

STAGE DAnalyze data, using valid systematic methods, and match against what skills are required to find the gaps in the present knowledge or skill – this will identify a training need.

STAGE EPresent to management or relevant party with plan of how to meet identified need.

Response to exercise

• Accidents report

• Sick leave report

• Product quality control report

• Wastage report

• Efficiency report

• Machinery out-of-order report

• Staff discipline report

• Staff enquiries & complaints

• Customer complaints

• Quality of product report

• Market needs & trends

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A training need exists when there is a gap between what isrequired of an employee to perform their work competentlyand what they actually know.

Data Collection Methods

• Interviews

• Surveys/Questionnaires

• Focus Groups

• Observation

• Existing Data

• Tests

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All Effective Training Begins With Needs Assessment. The Training Needs Survey Measures What Skills Employees Have, What They Need, And How To Deliver The Right Training At The Right Time.– American Society Of Training And Development

Interview Method• Face-to-face interviews allow you to explore topics in

depth, probe answers and follow up new information. Such interviews are usually 'semi-structured', so although you cover key areas, there is no formal list of questions.

• Both face-to-face and telephone interviews are also useful when you need more background information about an area. Imagine that customer complaints have risen and you are wondering if the call centre staff require more training. In-depth interviews will help you explore the reasons for the complaints, current working practices and skill gaps

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Benefits of interviews:

Inexpensive to conductNot much material is required other than the observers

time and the interview plan

Interviewer can clarify

questions

Watch the participants body language to determine if

they understood what you were asking

Variety of perspectives can

be elicited

Probing for understanding is possible during an

interview

Can be very useful way to

build rapport with

audience/participants

Be open to what they have to say

Can generate broad and deep

data about system

Probing further when an interesting point is made

allows you to vary your approach and explore ideas you

had not considered

Interviewer can receive

additional information in the

form of nonverbal clues

Watch the interviewee’s body language for

understanding, interest, restlessness, etc. Tailor your

interview appropriately to gain the most information

possible while maintaining rapport

Limitations of interviews:

Inexpensive to conductNot much material is required other than the

observers time and the interview plan

Interviewer can clarify questions

Watch the participants body language to

determine if they understood what you were

asking

Variety of perspectives can be

elicited

Probing for understanding is possible during an

interview

Can be very useful way to build

rapport with

audience/participants

Be open to what they have to say

Can generate broad and deep data

about system

Probing further when an interesting point is made

allows you to vary your approach and explore

ideas you had not considered

Interviewer can receive additional

information in the form of

nonverbal clues

Watch the interviewee’s body language for

understanding, interest, restlessness, etc. Tailor

your interview appropriately to gain the most

information possible while maintaining rapport

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A focus group is an interactive exchange between a interviewer/facilitator and a group of people. Typically the discussion is guided by the facilitator according to a preplanned set of questions.Focus groups are also useful when an in-depth exploration of an area is needed. Focus groups typically involve 8-10 fairly homogenous people (e.g. with similar roles). Information from focus groups can be used as the starting point for a well-designed wide-scale TNA survey.

FOCUS GROUP

Inexpensive Usually only a room, interviewer’s

time, and some drinks or snacks

Input can come from wide range

of people and perspectives

Builds buy-in from as many

sectors as are represented in the

focus group

Participants may have positive

public relations impacts

Participants usually know several

people in the same field that they

talk to regularly

Can clarify different points of

view

Group participation leads to more

exchange

Can really investigate root of

problem

Resulting conversations give

participants different

perspectives

Benefits of Focus groups

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Difficult and time-consuming to analyze, synthesize, and quantify

Advanced planning can help with this, but additional time for analysis must be planned as well

May represent special interests

Interviewer must keep the group on task

Participants may use as “gripe session”

Establishing guidelines at the beginning of the section for returning to the task at hand will allow the interviewer to stop this. Stop it as soon as it starts or it will mushroom

One participant may influence attitudes and opinions of others

Interviewer should assure that all participants speak, and probe participants to give their own opinions

Very difficult to capture all information without taping session

When the group asks to goes off the record, turn off the tape. Have the tape transcribed as soon as possible after the meeting so that the interviewer and note takers can remember the non-verbal communication

Not all people are comfortable being taped

Several note takers can be used if taping is not advisable

Need to transcribe and code information for analysis

Interviewer and note taker should spend time doing this

Focus groups limitations:

Observation

The value of workplace observation is that it captures the real picture. Compared with other data collection techniques, observation is expensive and time consuming and it is important that the observer remains in the field long enough to have observed 'normal' activity. The observer should be experienced and ideally a subject-matter expert.

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Little interruption of work flow or group activity

By being a passive observer, you can see an entire process in action. Additionally, you will not "color" or effect the process by getting in the middle or otherwise interrupting.

Works best with specific skill-based tasks

When observing a process with variable tasks it can be hard to figure out when a step has been missed or a wrong decision is made.

Generates data about actual behavior, not reported behavior

Observation does not mean interpreting what is seen, only reporting it.

The observer can follow action at different points in the system

When observing a specific skill based task the observer can figure out when a step has been missed or a wrong decision is made.

The benefits of observation Method:

The limitations of assessing by observation :

Observer can be seen as a spy

There may be an inherent mistrust of the observer by the participants

Requires process and content knowledge by observer

Without context, you may not understand what you are observing

Data can be skewed by observer’s biases

It can be hard to remain neutral while observing the actions of others, especially if you witness actions that "hit close to home."

Data is not easily quantifiable

The observer should come up with a method to quantify before the observation or data collection begins, such as timing an activity, or counting an activity

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Questionnaires• Questionnaires Are A Survey Instrument

Through Which Individuals Respond To Printed Questions.

• Questionnaires are probably the most widely used method of conducting TNA. As with all approaches, they offer both benefits and limitations.

Easiest to quantify the data Data easily summarized and reported

Time-effective for use with geographically dispersed or large numbers of people

Questionnaires can easily be sent to people through mail or as part of a magazine or other media

Relatively inexpensiveIncurring some costs for a well designed survey will be money well spent for reliable data

Data easily summarized and reported

Questions can be asked in formats (multiple choice, ranking, etc.) that provide for easy tabulation and summarizing.

Opportunity for expression without fear of embarrassment (anonymity)

Anonymity can help provide more truthful and thoughtful answers.

Permit people time to think about answers

While there are insights to be gleaned from spontaneous answers, thoughtful answers will usually be less colored by emotion.

Questions can be used or modified from other instruments

Questionnaires can be compiled from a variety of materials.

Benefits of Surveys:

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Limited provision for unanticipated responses

Insert comment boxes after questions that may have unanticipated answers so that participants can list these.

In general people can express themselves better orally than in writing

Provide a contact name and number for participants who want to express themselves further

Low return rates which can skew data

Introduction letter can reduce this impact. Phone calls to priority participants can increase the return rate.

Difficult to get at root causes or possible solutions

Insert comment boxes after questions that may have unanticipated answers so that participants can list these.

Can be impersonalFollow up the survey with a phone call to ask them if they have any other comments they would like to discuss

Questions may miss true issues. Questions and answers can be interpreted differently.

The pilot run should help reduce this issue, additionally comment boxes and personal follow up will help

Language or vocabulary may be an issue

Ask the editors to watch for this

Survey limitations.

Open-ended can be easier to construct but more difficult to quantify and interpret, Closed-ended can be more difficult to construct but easier to interpret.Use closed-ended if there will be 25 or more questionnaires

Always pilot the questionnaire to find any poorly-worded, vague, or confusing questions, and to assess whether the answers answer the questions properly

Ensure that responses are kept confidential

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Organizational data/Existing Data

• Existing Data Mean Looking At Information Already Gathered By The Organization.

• Existing information eg reports, work samples, historical data, planning and budget reports, organizational structure charts, evaluations, career development reports that can be reviewed and analyzed.

• Relevant internal organizational data are often easily and quickly available. Companies collect data on sales figures, customer complaints, productivity, call-centre call rates etc.

Can be less time consuming

No need to write and test questions, etc.

Most likely has been reviewed or seen by the senior management

There might be less resistance to change when the data is familiar to the senior management

Makes use of already gathered statistical data

Number crunching and statistical analysis may already have been done

Easier to chart changes over time

Existing data provides a baseline from which to measure improvements

Provides excellent evidence of problem

If deficiencies are noted in employee reviews, reports, etc. it provides additional justification for exploring training or other solutions to fix the problem

Minimum effort or interruption of workers

Workers do not have to be taken away from their jobs for interviewing

Benefits of Existing data:

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Can be out-of-date, e.g., technology needs

Old data can provide incorrect impressions of technical capabilities when compared to similar organizations

May not address specific questions

A problem may exist but current evaluation processes do not reveal the problem

Statistical data may not address people’s perceptions of needs

Wants vs. needs

Causes of problems may not show up

Old technology, faulty equipment, and employee attitudes all could cause problems but may not be addressed in reports

Organizations can be hesitant to share if results reflect poorly on the organization. Reports may be adjusted or “selectively edited”

Organizations may show bias in their self-reporting in order to appease stockholders or stakeholders

Limitations Reviewing existing data:

WHERE CLOSED QUESTIONS ARE USED IN ORDER TO ELICIT "YES" OR "NO" ANSWERS TO A SET OF PRESELECTED QUESTIONS.

INTERVIEW

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Reach a large number of people in a relatively short time

Calling a list of stakeholders can take only a few minutes per call depending on the length of the survey

Relatively inexpensive (can be done with trained volunteers)

Survey must be well designed to assure consistency

Data easy to summarize and report

Answers can be entered directly into a data base

High level of return Reach most of the people on your list

Does not depend on reading proficiency

Volunteers do the reading for the participant

Good for information that requires sequencing

Close-ended questions sequence easily

Interviewers can clarify questions

Assures understanding on the part of the participant

INTERVIEW BENEFITS…

Little provision for free expression or unanticipated responses

Leave space for comments on most questions

Requires substantial time and technical skill to develop

Have your survey edited by an unbiased editor

People tend to want to get the “right” answers

Develop questions that will ask the same thing in a different way to get at the opinion

People will use opportunity to vent or describe their issues

Train the interviewer how to handle this by moving to the next question and noting their concern

The interviewer can influence the respondents

Train the interviewer to be unbiased

People will hurry through answers without thinking about them

The interviewer should stress the participants stake and the importance of the project in the introduction

LIMITATIONS OF INTERVIEWS…

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Tests

• A test means simply an exam that assesses knowledge or skill level.Tests are sometimes used in TNA. Multiple-choice tests are often quick and easy to administer. However, the results are only as good as your test, and test development requires expertise

Benefits of tests Helps participants

recognize a problem

or a deficiency in

knowledge or skills

When participants notice they

cannot answer a question it may

point to the need for training or tools

Individual

performances can

be easily compared,

and results are

easily quantified

Especially on standardized tests such

as multiple choice tests, results can

be reviewed quickly

Easily seen as job

related

Many vocations require regular tests

and assessments

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LIMITATIONS OF TESTS…

Limited availability of

validated tests for

specific situations

Tests that have been field tested for reliability

may not be available for the specific task or

skill being tested

Validity issuesDoes it test knowledge and skills actually

used on job?

Language or vocabulary

can be an issue

Use of jargon or poorly worded questions can

skew results

People can be very

concerned with how test

results will be utilized

Respondents might fear poor performance on

a test might be cause for disciplinary action

Results can be influenced

by attitudes

Adults sometimes resent taking tests, which

typically have a negative connotation

Gather and Analyze Data

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02468

101214

Never

Monthly

Weekly

Daily

To train or not to train?

Calculate cost

Select best

solution(s)

Implement

Select best

solution(s)

Select best

solution(s)

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TRAINING CYCLE