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Chapter

3
Needs Assessment

Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Objectives
After reading this chapter, you should be able to:
1. 2.

3. 4.

Discuss the role of organization analysis, person analysis, and task analysis in needs assessment. Identify different methods used in needs assessment and identify the advantages and disadvantages of each. Discuss the concerns of upper-level and midlevel managers and trainers in needs assessment. Explain how person characteristics, input, output, consequences, and feedback influence performance and learning.
Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Objectives (continued)
5.

6.
7. 8.

Create conditions to ensure that employees are receptive 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 used to develop them.
Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Introduction
Effective

training practices involve the use of 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 is important to determine whether training is necessary.
Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Needs Assessment
Refers

to the process used to determine if training is necessary. needs assessment is the first step in the instructional design process:
If

Because

it is poorly conducted, training will not achieve the outcomes or financial benefits the company expects.
Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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The Needs Assessment Process

Reasons or Pressure Points
Legislation Lack of Basic Skills Poor Performance New Technology Customer Requests New Products Higher Performance Standards New Jobs
Person Analysis

Outcomes
What Trainees Need to Learn Who Receives Training
Task Analysis

What is the Context?

Organization Analysis

In What Do They Need Training?

Type of Training Frequency of Training Buy Versus Build Training Decision Training Versus Other HR Options Such as Selection or Job Redesign

Who Needs the Training?

Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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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 Analysis involves: identifying the important tasks and knowledge, skill, and behaviors that need to be emphasized in training for employees to complete their tasks

Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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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 motivational or work design problem identifying who needs training determining employees readiness for training

Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Key Concerns of Upper- and Midlevel Managers and Trainers in Needs Assessment
Upper-Level Managers Organizational analysis Is training important to achieve our business objectives? How does training support our business strategy? What functions or business units need training? Does the company have the people with the knowledge, skills, and ability needed to compete in the marketplace? Midlevel Managers Trainers Do I want to spend money Do I have the budget to on training? buy training services? How much? Will managers support training?

Person analysis

Who should be trained? Managers? Professionals? Core employees? For what jobs can training make the biggest difference in product quality or customer service?

How will I identify which employees need training?

Task analysis

What tasks should be trained? What knowledge, skills, ability, or other characteristics are necessary?

Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Needs Assessment Techniques

Technique Observation Advantages Generates data relevant to work environment. Minimizes interruption of work. Inexpensive Can collect data from a large number of persons. Data easily summarized. Disadvantages Needs skilled observer. Employees behavior may be affected by being observed.

Questionnaires

Requires time. Possible low return rates, inappropriate responses. Lacks detail.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Needs Assessment Techniques (continued)

Technique Read technical manuals and records Advantages Good source of information on procedure. Objective. Good source of task information for new jobs and jobs in the process of being created. Good at uncovering details of training needs. Good at uncovering causes and solutions of problems. Disadvantages You may not be able to understand technical language. Materials may be obsolete.

Interview subject matter experts

Time consuming. Difficult to analyze. Needs skilled interviewer.

Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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The Needs Analysis Process

Person Analysis Person Characteristics Input Output Consequences Feedback Organizational Analysis Strategic Direction Support of Managers & Peers for Training Do We Want To Devote Time and Money For Training?

Training Resources
Task Analysis or Develop a Competency Model

Work Activity (Task)

KSAs Working Conditions
Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Readiness for training refers to whether:

Employees

have the personal characteristics necessary to learn program content and apply it on the job.

The

work environment will facilitate learning and not interfere with performance.

Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Factors that influence employee performance and learning:

Personal
Ability

Characteristics

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 employee performance and learning: (continued)

Output
Standard

to judge successful performers

Consequences
Positive

consequences/incentives to perform Few negative consequences to perform

Feedback
Frequent

and specific feedback about how the job is performed

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Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy

is the employees belief that she 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.
Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Employees self-efficacy level can be increased by:

Letting

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employees know that the purpose of the training is to try to improve performance rather than to identify areas in which employees are incompetent. as much information as possible about the training program and purpose of training prior to the actual training.
Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Providing

Employees self-efficacy level can be increased by: (continued)

Showing

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employees the training success of their peers who are now in similar jobs. employees with feedback that learning is under their control and they have the ability and the responsibility to overcome any learning difficulties they experience in the program.
Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Providing

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To ensure that the work environment enhances trainees motivation to learn:

Provide

materials, time, job-related information, and other work aids necessary for 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 good job when they are using training content in their work.
Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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To ensure that the work environment enhances trainees motivation to learn: (contd)
Encourage

work-group members to involve each 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.
Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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To determine if training is the best solution, assess whether:

The performance problem is important and has the 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)
Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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

Employees cannot demonstrate the correct knowledge or behavior.

Employees

were trained but they infrequently or never used the training content on the job. (This is an input problem.)

Performance expectations are clear (input) and there are no obstacles to performance such as faulty tools or equipment.

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

There are positive consequences for good performance, 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 or transferring employees to other jobs are too expensive or unrealistic.

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Is training the best solution?

If

employees lack the knowledge and skill to 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.
Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Task Analysis
Task

analysis results in a description of work 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.

Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Competency Models

A competency refers to areas of personal capability 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 the competencies necessary for each job as well as the knowledge, skills, behavior, and personality characteristics underlying each competency.
Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Competency models are useful for training and development in several ways:

They identify behaviors needed for effective job performance. They provide a tool for determining what skills are needed to 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 future roles. They create a roadmap for identifying and developing employees who may be candidates for managerial positions.
Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.