Items Description of Module

Subject Name Human Resource Management

Paper Name Training and Development
Module Title Training Needs Assessment Part 1

Module Id Module -12

Pre- Understanding of the basic concepts of TNA
Requisites
Objectives To study the Training needs, Training needs assessment and Steps of Effective training
need assessment
Keywords Training Goals, Organizational Analysis, Observation
 QUADRANT-I

1.Module 6: Training Needs Assessment Part 1

2. Learning Outcome
3. What is TNA or Training Need assessment
4. Why Training Needs Arise
5. When Training Needs Arise
6. Who Should Participate In Needs Assessment.

7. The Needs Assessment Process

8. Summary

1. Module 12: Training Needs Assessment Part 1

2. Learning Outcomes:

After completing this module the students will be able to

 Understand the role of organization analysis, person analysis, and task analysis in needs assessment.
 Understand the process training need assessment

3. What is TNA or Training Need Assessment

A training need is a shortage of skills or abilities, which could be reduced or eliminated by means of
training and development. Training needs hinder employees in the fulfillment of their job responsibilities or
prevent an organisation from achieving its objectives. They may be caused by a lack of skills, knowledge or
understanding, or arise from a change in the workplace.
Training needs analysis identifies training needs at employee, departmental or organisational level in order
to help the organisation to perform effectively. The aim of training needs analysis is to ensure that training
addresses existing problems, is tailored to organisational objectives, and is delivered in an effective and
cost-efficient manner.
Training needs analysis involves:
• monitoring current performance using techniques such as observation, interviews and questionnaires
• anticipating future shortfalls or problems
• identifying the type and level of training required and analysing how this can best be provided.
 Source: http://blog.commlabindia.com

4. Why Training Needs Arise?

The gap between actual and expected performance, behavior and attitude leads to emergence of training
needs. The main purpose of training is to achieve objectives of any organization.

Thus, training needs arise when there is a requirement to move to a particular level of performance,
behavior and attitude.

Source: https://www.acmtraining.co.uk
 EXPECTED PERFORMANCE,
BEHAVIOUR AND
ATTITUDE

ACTUAL PERFORMANCE,
BEHAVIOUR AND
ATTITUDE

5. When Training Needs Arise?

 When existing level of performance, behavior and attitude of employees is not contributing to the
success of the organization.
 When the level of motivation and morale is low among the employees in the organization.
 When employees themselves convey to the organization through management about the key areas in
which they are not much competent.
 When there is a need for updating the knowledge of employees as per the industry scenario. This is
especially the case in relation to market scenario and legislations.
 When the organization is intending any employees development, for promotion or succession purposes.
 When business plan or business strategy demands new orientation in knowledge, skills, attitude, or
behavioral orientation.
 When there is a change in politics, systems, priorities, procedures, management expectations and focus
in the organization.

Source : http://atfa.co.za
6. Who Should Participate In Needs Assessment.

The goal of needs assessment is to determine whether a training need exists, who it exists for, and for what
tasks training is needed, it is important to include managers, trainers, and employees in the needs
assessment process. Traditionally, only trainers were concerned with the needs assessment process.

Table below shows the questions that upper-level managers, mid-level managers, and trainers are interested
in answering for organizational analysis, person analysis, and task analysis.

Upper-level managers view the needs assessment process from the broader company perspective. They do
not focus on specific jobs. Upper-level managers are involved in the needs assessment process to identify
the role of training in relation to other human resource practices in the company (e.g., selection,
compensation). That is, upper-level managers help to determine if training is related to the company’s
business strategy-and if so, what type of training is required. Upper-level managers are also involved in
identifying what business functions or units need training (person analysis) and in determining if the
company has the knowledge, skills, and abilities in the work force that are necessary to meet its strategy and
be competitive in the marketplace. Mid-level managers are more concerned with how

TABLE : Key Concerns of Upper-Level and Mid-Level Managers and Trainers in Needs Assessment

Upper-Level Mid-Level Managers Trainers

Managers
Organization Analysis Is training important toDo I want to spend Do I have the budget to
achieve our business money on training? buy training services?
objectives? How does How much? Will managers support
training support our How will training and training?
business strategy? development help meet
What are the threats to my business goals?
our talent base? Are we retaining top
talent
Person Analysis What functions or Who should be trained? How will I identify
business units need Managers? which employees need
training? Professionals? Core training?
What do employees employees?
need to do to
accomplish our business
objectives?
Task Analysis Does the company have For what jobs can For what tasks should
people with the training make the employees be trained?
knowledge, skills, and biggest difference in What knowledge, skills,
abilities or product quality or ability, or other
competencies needed to customer service? characteristics are
compete in the necessary?
marketplace?

Some Practical Examples

 Training is imparted to a cricket team so that they are brought from the existing level of performance to
the desired level of performance.
 Training, both technical voice and accent, is imparted to the candidates joining any BPO industry.
 Management students go through on-the-job summer training process before starting their careers in
management.
 Even nursery class teachers receive training before they are expected to develop tour kids.
 It took years of training in dance, music and action before Hrithik Roshan became an ‘overnight’ star.
 Pilots go through rigorous training before they earn their pilot’s license and assume the responsibility
for the lives of passengers and crew.
 A church or temple priest has to go through a stringent process of study and preparation before he is
entitled to guide others in spiritual advancement.

7. . The Needs Assessment Process

This section examines the three elements of needs assessment: organizational analysis, person analysis and
task analysis.In practice, organizational analysis, person analysis, and task analysis are not conducted in any
order. Whether time and money are devoted to training is contingent on the results of organizational person,
and task analyses. While any one analysis can indicate the need for training; companies need to consider the
information from ail three types of analysis before the decision is made to devote time and money to
training. Because organizational analysis is concerned with identifying whether training fits with the
company’s strategic objectives and whether the company has the budget, time, and expertise for training
(the context for training), it is usually conducted first. Person analysis and task analysis are often conducted
at the same time because it is difficult to determine whether performance deficiencies are a training problem
without understanding the tasks and the work environment. An initial organizational analysis may suggest
that a company does not want to spend financial resources on training. However, if person analysis reveals
that a large number of employees lack a skill in an important area that is related to the company’s business
objectives (such as customer service), upper-1evel managers may decide to reallocate financial resources for
training.

Person Analysis

Person Characteristics

• Input
• Output
• Consequences
• Feedback

Organizational Analysis
 Strategic Direction
 Support of Managers,
 Peers, and Employees
for Training Activities
 Training Resources
Do We Want to Devote Time and
Training or Development
Money to Training?
Method
 Buy vs. Build
• Evaluation
 Other HR Option, such as
Selection • Learning Environment
• Transfer of Training

Task Analysis or Competency

Model

• Work Activity (Task)

• Knowledge, Skill, Ability,
Personal
Capability(Competency),C
 I. Organizational Analysis
If the organizational analysis indicates the company wants to devote time and money to training, a
person and task analysis is then conducted. Organizational Analysis focuses on three factors to
examine when determining if training is the appropriate intervention.

i. The company’s strategic direction influences training to the extent that, in companies where training
plays a significant strategic role, more money is invested in training and the training function is more likely
to be structured as a virtual training organization or a corporate university.
ii. Support of Managers and Peers for Training Activities is critical.
a. A key factor is a positive attitude among peers and managers about participation in training.
b. Another key factor is managers’ and peers’ willingness to help create opportunities to use
new skills, knowledge, and behaviors back on the job and to make trainees aware of those.
iii. Training resources, including money, time and expertise, need to be identified in the
organizational analysis phase.
a. When external consultants will be used for training, a request for proposal (RFP), or a
document outlining to potential consultants what services the company is seeking, the
timeline, funding, etc., may be made. This creates a standard set of criteria upon which to
evaluate consultants.
b. Questions to ask vendors and consultants include: What type of experience does your
company have? What are the qualifications and expertise of your staff? What evidence do you
have that your programs have been effective?
c. When choosing an external consultant, it is important to consider how customized the training
will be to one’s company.
II . Person Analysis

Person analysis helps to identify employees who need training, that is, whether employees’ current
performance or expected performance indicates a need for training. Person Analysis helps to
identify who needs training by examining whether current and expected performance match.
i. Employees’ readiness for training (or readiness for learning) refers to whether a.
Employees have the ability, attitudes, beliefs, and motivation to learn
b. The work environment will maximize learning.
c. Performance improvement needs are indicated by customer complaints, low
performance ratings, accidents, errors and unsafe behavior.
ii. It identifies factors that influence employee performance and learning, by way of the
motivation to learn:
a. Person characteristics, including knowledge, skill, abilities, attitudes and
motivation.
b. Input, or the instruction and resources provided.
c. Output, which refers to the job’s performance standards.
d. Consequences, referring to the incentives employees receive for performing well. e.
Feedback, or information employees receive while they are performing about
their performance.
iii. Person characteristics
a. Basic skills are those that are necessary for employees to perform successfully on the job
as well as learn the content of training. A literacy audit can be used to indicate
employees’ basis skill levels (see Table 3-5, p. 104).
b. Cognitive ability, related to successful job performance, includes three
dimensions:
 Verbal comprehension, which is an individual’s capacity to understand and
use written and spoken language.
 Quantitative ability is how fast and accurately one can solve mathematical
problems.
 Reasoning ability is the person’s capacity to create solutions to problems.
iv. Reading ability is related to job performance and training success such that
inadequate reading ability impedes performance and learning. Training material
should be presented at an appropriate reading level for the trainees. The difficulty of
written materials is referred to as readability.Readability can easily be determined by
analysis of sentence length and word difficulty.If reading ability doesn’t match what is
needed to comprehend training materials, it should be determined if audiotape or videotape
could be used instead; employees’ reading skills could be assessed and those lacking the
necessary skill could be reassigned to more appropriate positions; or provide remedial
training to those with reading deficiencies.
v. Self-efficacy is the employee’s belief that he/she can successfully perform on the job or
master the content of a training program. It can be increased by:
 Letting employees know that the purpose of the training is to improve
performance rather than reveal incompetencies.
 Providing as much information as possible about the training program and its
purpose prior to the training.
 Showing employees the training success of their peers.
 Making employees aware that learning is under their control and that they
have the ability as well as the responsibility to overcome learning obstacles
they experience.
vi. Awareness of training needs, career interests, and goals helps employees be motivated to
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 learn. The link between training and areas where employees need to improve should be
emphasized.
vii Input relates to the instructions that guide employees on how, what and when to
perform.
o Situational constraints include lacking the necessary tools and equipment,
materials and supplies, budgetary support, and time to perform.
o Social support is the managers’ and peers’ willingness to provide feedback and
reinforcement and to provide opportunities.
o To ensure that the work environment supports trainees’ motivation to learn:
Provide materials, time, information, and work aids necessary for employees to use
new skills before the training begins.
Speak positively about the company’s training initiatives to employees.
Reinforcement employees’ using new skills, knowledge or behaviors.
Provide feedback to encourage work-group members to support each other in using
new skills and behaviors.
Provide the time and opportunities to practice and apply new skills and
behaviors.
viii. Output refers to the job’s performance standards.
a. Lack of awareness of performance standards may result in substandard
performance.
b. Understanding the need to perform up to standards is important for learning to occur.
ix. Consequences are the incentives that employees receive for good job performance. a. If
employees don’t believe reward or incentives are adequate, they may not be
motivated to perform, even if they have the necessary knowledge, skills, and
abilities.
b. Trainees’ motivation to learn can be enhanced by communicating the them the job,
personal and career-related benefits of learning.
c. Unmet expectations about training programs will hinder motivation to learn. d.
Work group norms may encourage employees not to meet performance
standards. Norms refer to accepted standards of behavior for work-group
members.
x. Feedback is the information employees receive regarding their job performance and whether
they are meeting performance standards
a. Employees need specific, detailed feedback regarding performance. b.
Feedback also needs to be frequent to influence performance.
xi. If employees lack the knowledge and skill to perform and other factors above are in place,
training is likely needed. To determine if training is the best solution, assess whether:
a. The performance problem is important and could potentially cost the company
significant money or lost production.
b. Employees do not know how to perform effectively.
c. Employees cannot demonstrate the correct knowledge or behavior (i.e., an input
problem).
d. Performance expectations (input) are clear and there are no obstacles to
performing well.
e. There are positive consequences for good performance, and poor performance is not
rewarded.
f. Employees are receiving timely, relevant, specific, constructive feedback about their
performance.
g. Other solutions, such as job redesign or transferring employees to other jobs, are not
feasible or are too expensive.
III. Task Analysis
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 Task analysis results in a description of tasks performed on a job as well as the knowledge,
skills and abilities required to perform those tasks.
i. A job is a specific work position involving and requiring the completion of a defined set of
related tasks.
ii.. A task is a specific work activity that is a component of a job.
iii. Certain KSAOs, or Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other considerations, are
required to perform each task.
a. Knowledge includes facts, figures, and procedures. b.
Skill is the competency to perform a task
c. Ability refers to the physical and mental capacities required to perform a task.
d. Other considerations include conditions under which tasks are performed, such as
necessary equipment and environmental features, time constraints, safety
considerations, or performance standards.
iv. There are four primary steps to a task analysis.
a. A job or cluster of jobs are selected to be analyzed.
b. A preliminary list of tasks performed on the job is developed by interviewing and
observing employees and managers as well as talking with others who have
performed a task analysis.
c. The preliminary list of tasks is validated or confirmed, typically by asking a group of
subject matter experts (SMEs) to indicate
 How frequently the task is performed.
 How much time is spent performing the task.
 How important or critical the task is for successful job performance.
 How difficult the task is to master.
 Whether performance on the task is required of entry-level employees.
d. The knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform each task are
identified via interviews or questionnaires. Training content and prerequisites can
then be determined.
v. Key points to remember when conducting a task analysis
a. Task analysis should determine both what employees are actually doing on a job
and what they should be doing.
b. Task analysis starts by breaking jobs into their subunits of duties and tasks.
c. Use more than two methods for collecting task information to increase the
validity of the analysis.
d. Information should be gathered from subject matter experts (SMEs), including job
incumbents, managers and other employees familiar with the job.
e. Emphasis should be placed on tasks that are necessary to achieve company goals and
objectives, which may or may not be the same tasks that are the most difficult or
time-consuming.

8.Summary

Training needs assessment is an ongoing process of gathering data to determine what training needs
exist so that training can be developed to help the organization accomplish its objectives. Conducting
needs assessment is important to ensure the success of a training program. Often, organizations will
develop and implement training without first conducting a needs analysis. These organizations run the
risk of overdoing training, doing too little training, or missing the point completely.

We have seen that the rationale for developing a training program depends on identifying training
needs, and justifying the costs and benefits to the organization. Without a clear understanding of needs,
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training efforts cannot give expected results. The trainer will only be successful and perceived as such
to the extent that needs are carefully assessed, and programs developed and carried out that meet those
needs. The end result is the precise picture of training needs, which results in improvement of
performance

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