What is Training Needs Assessment?

Needs Assessment: the process to identify "gaps" between current performance and department/organizational objectives.

Assessment Methods: Advantages and Disadvantages

Survey Questionnaires Web based or printed questionnaires distributed to employees for completion. Construction of surveys to include multiple/fixed choice questions and free/open-ended questions for text responses. Advantages Disadvantages

Survey a large number of employees at the same time. Do not require a lot of time. Enable honest and open feedback. Gathers quantitative and qualitative data easily. It is less expensive. Data easily summarized. May be difficult to design questionnaires to allow for follow-up or more elaborate responses. Might not identify the specific causes behind employee actions/behaviors. It is time consuming. Only provide that information which is asked in questions. Less detail. In appropriate responses from respondents.

Personal Interviews Conducted by a trained "interviewer" who follows an interview outline (or set of questions) to be asked during the interview. Advantages Disadvantages

More flexible in the ability to ask various questions. Able to immediately follow-up on items mentioned in the interview. Is not limited in scope or limited to only a certain set of questions. Questions can be modified. Provide detailed information. Time consuming. Especially if only one individual is interviewed at a time. Requires the interviewer to document conversations in detail. Any details not documented are lost or need to be gathered through subsequent interviews. Require skilled interviewer. Difficult to analyse.

Personal Observations An observation of the employee at work. May be structured (i.e., the employee performs specific

tasks) or unstructured (i.e., the observer tries to document the employees work without influencing what the employee does). Advantages Disadvantages

May reduce the amount of interruption of the employee's work. May be more realistic--observations are made of the employee actually at work. Generate data relevant to work environment. Minimize interruption of work. Requires a trained observer.

Requires the observer to document the work in detail. Any details not documented are lost or need to be gathered through subsequent observations. Employee behavior may be affected when he knows that he was observed.

Focus group.
A group of people selected for their particular skills, experience, views, or position are asked a series of questions about topic or issue to gather their opinions. Group interaction is used to obtain detailed information about a particular issue.

Advantages. Opinions or ideas of individual group members can be taken and refined

by the group, resulting in more accurate information. A "snowballing" effect can occur, causing the ideas of individual members of the group to be passed around the group, gathering both momentum and detail. Focus group interviews are generally more interesting to the respondent than individual interviews. As a result, answers are likely to be longer and more revealing.

As the questions of the moderator are directed at a group rather than individuals, the degree of spontaneity of resultant answer is often greater in a focus group interview Disadvantages

Structuring a random sample is a complicated task. The responses of the participants in the interview are likely to be different from the responses of those that did not participate. Therefore, non-response can be a serious problem. Focus groups are generally costlier than other end-user interview alternatives. The moderator can introduce significant biases into the proceedings, should she/he fail to ask certain questions or delve deeply into specific areas.

Skilled moderators are difficult to find, and when their services are available, they are often expensiveDisadvantages

Structuring a random sample is a complicated task. The responses of the participants in the interview are likely to be different from the responses of those that did not

participate. Therefore, non-response can be a serious problem.

Focus groups are generally costlier than other end-user interview alternatives. The moderator can introduce significant biases into the proceedings, should she/he fail to ask certain questions or delve deeply into specific areas.

Skilled moderators are difficult to find, and when their services are available, they are often expensive. Disadvantages

Structuring a random sample is a complicated task. The responses of the participants in the interview are likely to be different from the responses of those that did not participate. Therefore, non-response can be a serious problem. Focus groups are generally costlier than other end-user interview alternatives. The moderator can introduce significant biases into the proceedings, should she/he fail to ask certain questions or delve deeply into specific areas.

Skilled moderators are difficult to find, and when their services are available, they are