FIRST STEP

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A discrepancy between expectations and performance

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Question:
Why is needs assessment information critical to
the development and delivery of an effective
HRD program?

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Organizational goals linked to its effectiveness
Gaps b/w employees present skills and skills required
Gaps b/w current skills ann skills required in future
The conditions under which HRD actitvity will occur

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Figuring out what is really needed
Not always an easy task
Needs lots of input
Takes a lot of work
“Do it now or do lots more later”

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Difficult time consuming
Action preferred over research
Available information preferred over research
Lack of support

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Diagnostic
 Factors that can prevent problems from occurring
Analytic
 Identify new or better ways to do things
Compliance
 Mandated by law or regulation

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Focusing only on individual performance deficiencies
 Doesn’t fix group of systemic problems
Starting with a “Training Needs Assessment”
 If you know training is needed, why waste everyone’s
time?

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Using Questionnaires
 Hard to control input, often high developmental costs,
hard to write properly
Using soft data (opinions) only
 Need performance and consequence data

Using hard data only

 Easily measured data is provided, but critical, hard-to-
measure data is missing

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Organization
 Where is training needed and under what conditions?
Task
 What must be done to perform the job effectively?
Person
 Who should be trained and how?

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A broad, “systems” view is needed
Need to identify:
 Organizational goals
 Organizational resources
 Organizational climate
 Environmental constraints

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Ties HRD programs to corporate or organizational
goals
Strengthens the link between profit and HRD actions
Strengthens corporate support for HRD
Makes HRD more of a revenue generator
 Not a profit waster

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Mission statement
HRM inventory
Skills inventory
Quality of Working Life indicators
Efficiency indexes
System changes
Exit interviews

Performance Appraisal

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The collection of data about a specific job or group of
jobs
What employee needs to know to perform a job or
jobs

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Job descriptions
Task analysis
Performance standards
Perform job
Observe job
Ask questions
Analysis of problems

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Develop job description
Identify job tasks
 What should be done
 What is actually done
Describe KSAOs needed
Identify potential training areas
Prioritize potential training areas

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Determines training needs for specific individuals
Based on many sources of data
Summary Analysis
 Determine overall success of the individual
Diagnostic Analysis
 Discover reasons for performance

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Relied on heavily in person analysis
Hard to do
Vital to company and individual
Should be VERY confidential
Based too often on personal opinion

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Determine basis for appraisal
 Job description, MBO objectives, job standards, etc.
Conduct the appraisal
Determine discrepancies between the standard and
performance
Identify source(s) of discrepancies
Select ways to resolve discrepancies

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There are never enough resources available
Must prioritize efforts
Need full organizational involvement in this process
Involve an HRD Advisory Committee.

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Why is needs assessment so often not performed in
many organizations?

Why should organizations care about needs

assessment?

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