Chapter 05: Training Needs Assessment (TNA)

1. Training Needs Assessment(TNA)- Its meaning,

necessities, causes and outcomes
2. Who should participate in TNA?
3. Methods used in TNA
4. TNA Process
5. Scope of TNA

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1. Training Needs Assessment(TNA) –Its Meaning & Necessity,
causes and outcomes

 Needs Assessment refers to the process used to determine

whether training is necessary or not

 TNA does not only determine whether training is required or

not, it determines the following things also:
 If training is not required, what are the reasons behind the
dissatisfactory performance (Environment: physical,/social
&/psychological environments, Motivation)

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1. Training Needs Assessment(TNA) –Its Meaning &
Necessity, causes and outcomes

Whether Training has got strategic significance or not

Whether there is strong organizational culture which
gives emphasis on training
Whether organization itself will provide training or will
buy training

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1.Training Needs Assessment(TNA) –Its meaning & necessities,
causes and outcomes

Whether organization has got required budget

for training
 For which jobs and tasks training is required
Whether employees get required things which
they need to do the job
Whether employees get feedback regarding their
performance
Others

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Necessities of TNA
Without TNA-
Training may be incorrectly used as a solution to a
performance problem because the reasons may be
--------------------------lack of motivation and or
improper environment(physical, social & psychological
environment) or any combination of lack of required
KSAs, Lack of Motivation & improper Environment
Training Programs may have the wrong contents,
objectives or methods
Trainees may be sent to training programs for which
they don’t have perquisite KSAs and or confidence
needed to learn
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Necessities of TNA
Training will not deliver the expected learning,
behavior change or financial results that the
company expects
Money will be spent on training programs that are
unnecessary because they are unrelated to company’s
business strategy

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 Causes & Outcomes
of Training Needs Assessment(TNA)
Pressure Points What is the Context Outcomes
(symptoms
which give signals that TNA
should be done)
 Legislation Organization Analysis(determines ********
 Lack of Basic Skills the context )
Person Analysis (Who needs Training)
 Poor Performance
 New Technology
 Customer Task Analysis(In What do they need
Requests training)
 New Products
 Higher Performance
Standards
 New Jobs
 Others
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2. Who should Participate in TNA?
Upper-level managers : usually involved in
determining whether training meets the
company’s strategy & then providing appropriate
financial records
Upper Level Managers: are not usually involved in
identifying which employees need training, the tasks for
which training is needed or the KSAs & other
characteristics needed to complete those tasks. It is the
task of Subject-matter Experts (SMEs).
SMEs are employees, academics, line managers, HR
manager, technical experts, trainers, customers,
suppliers etc.
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3. Methods used in TNA
(a) Observation (b) Questionnaire

(c) Interviews (d) Focus Group Discussion

(e) Documentation( Technical Manuals, Records)

Online Technology(Software)

*** Multiple methods are usually used

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4. The TNA Process
(a) Organizational Analysis

(i) Company’s Strategic Direction

(ii) Support of managers & peers for training

activities

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(iii) Training Resources
 Whether the company has the budget, time and expertise for training
 If a company decides to purchase a training program from a consultant
or vendor rather than build the program in-house, it is important to choose
a high quality provider
 Training Providers may include individual consultants, consulting firms or
academic institutions
 Many companies identify vendors and consultants who can provide
training Services by using a request for proposal(RFP)/Request for
Expression of Interest(RFEI)
 Usually RFP/RFEI helps to identify several vendors who meet the criteria
 RFP/RFEI may be mailed to potential consultants and vendors or posted
on the
company’s website

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(b) Person Analysis

(i) Person Characteristics (KSA, Self-efficacy, Locus of control, awareness

regarding Training Needs, Career interests, Goals)

(ii) Input (instructions, equipment, time, budget)

(iii) Output (Job performance Standards)

(iv) Consequences (Incentives for performing Well)

(v) Feed back

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(c) Task Analysis

Select the Jobs to be Analyzed

Develop a preliminary list of tasks performed on the job

Confirm the preliminary list of tasks

Identify the KSA to successfully perform each task

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4. The TNA Process
In practice, Organizational Analysis, Person Analysis & Task Analysis are not
conducted in any order
Person 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 peer analysis reveals that a large number of employees lack a
skill in particular area that is related to company’s business objectives,
upper level managers may decide to reallocate financial resources for
training

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(5) Scope of TNA

No TNA, No Training
The scope of TNA may me small, medium or large
which depends on pressure points

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