Training and Development

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Concept

 “Training Needs Assessment” (TNA) is the method of determining if

a training need exists and, if it does, what training is required to fill the gap.

 TNA seeks to identify accurately the levels of the present situation in the
target surveys, interview, observation, secondary data and/or workshop.

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Training needs assessment
The training needs assessment is a critical activity for the training and
development function.

Whether you are a human resource generalist or a specialist, you should be adept
at performing a training needs assessment.

This paper will begin with an overview of the training and development function
and how the needs assessment fits into this process, followed by an in-depth look
at the core concepts and steps involved in conducting a training needs
assessment.

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Needs Assessment

A needs assessment is the process of identifying the "gap" between

 Performance required

and

 Current performance.

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Overview of Training and Development
 The first step in designing a training and development program is to conduct
needs assessment.

 The assessment begins with a "need" which can be identified in several ways
but generally described as a gap between

 what is currently in place and what is needed,

 In the future. Gaps can include discrepancies/differences between:

 What the organization expects to happen and what actually happens.

 Current and desired job performance.

 Existing and desired competencies and skills.

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A needs assessment can also be used to assist

 Competencies and performance of work teams.

 Problem solving or productivity issues.

 The need to prepare for and respond to future changes in the organization or
job duties.

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Outcome

 The results of the needs assessment allows the training manager to set the
training objectives by answering two very basic questions:

 who, if anyone, needs training and what training is needed.

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Sometimes training is not the solution.
Some performance gaps can be reduced or eliminated through other
management solutions such as

 communicating expectations,

 providing a supportive work environment,

 arranging consequences,

 removing obstacles and checking job fit.

Once the needs assessment is completed and training objectives are clearly
identified, the design phase of the training and development process is initiated:

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Needs assessment methods

Formal needs assessment methods include critical incident techniques,

 Gap analysis
 Objective knowledge
 Skills tests,
 observation, revalidation, self assessment, video assessment, and peer review.

Such methods are often used to identify group needs.

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The types of needs assessments.

 Methods of needs assessment can be classified into seven main types, each
of which can take many different forms in practice.

 Gap or discrepancy analysis.

 Reflection on action and reflection in action.

 Self assessment by diaries, journals, log books, weekly reviews.

 Peer review.

 Observation

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Purpose Training needs assessment

The purpose of a training needs assessment is to identify performance

requirements and the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by an organization
or an workforce to achieve the requirements.

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Importance of training needs assessment
A Training Needs Assessment identifies

 The specific knowledge and skills that employees need to become more productive,

efficient and innovative in their jobs.

 By performing better in their jobs, employees help the company achieve its strategic goals

The effective training program is correctly identifying what or who needs to be trained.

Poorly conducted needs analyses can lead to training solutions that train:

 The wrong competencies;

 The wrong people;

 The wrong learning methods.

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Important Question
 The results of a training needs analysis provides the employer with answers to
the following questions:

 What is needed and why?

 Where is it needed?

 Who needs it?

 How will it be provided?

 How much will it cost? and

 What will be the business effect?

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Prepare a training needs assessment
 Step 1: Determine the Desired Business Outcomes.

 Step 2: Link Desired Business Outcomes With Employee Behavior.

 Step 3: Identify Trainable Competencies.

 Step 4: Evaluate Competencies.

 Step 5: Determine Performance Gaps.

 Step 6: Prioritize Training Needs.

 Step 7: Determine How to Train.

 Step 8: Conduct a Cost Benefit Analysis

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Background
Designing a training and development program involves a sequence of steps that
can be grouped into five phases:

 Analysis / Needs assessment,

 Design,

 Development,

 Implementation

 Evaluation.

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Process

 To be effective and efficient, all training programs must start with a needs
assessment. Long before any actual training occurs, the training manager
must determine

 Who, what, when, where, why and how of training.

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Process

 To do this, the training manager must analyze as much information as

possible about the following:

 Organization and its goals and objectives.

 Jobs and related tasks that need to be learned.

 Competencies and skills that are need to perform the job.

 Individuals who are to be trained.

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Three levels of training needs analysis

 The model provides a systematic means of conducting a TNA at three levels:

organizational, operational (or task), and individual (or person).
The levels of analysis are a hierarchy which descends from the
organizational level to the personal level. 

 Organizational;

 Work team;

 Individual.

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The components of a training needs assessment

Several basic Needs Assessment techniques include:

 Direct observation.

 Questionnaires.

 Consultation with persons in key positions, and/or with specific knowledge.

 Review of relevant literature.

 Interviews.

 Focus groups.

 Assessments/surveys.

 Records & report studies.

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Steps to Identify training needs of your Employees

 Set clear expectations.

 Monitor performance.

 Ask away.

 Analysis (and lots of it)

 Set up personal development plans.

 Set up a focus group.

 Set up a system of mentoring and coaching.

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 Analysis
 Before you start developing training strategies, analyze the current situation in terms of training,

knowledge gaps etc.

 Start with a series of questions to understand the current situation and to also understand what is the

goal of the training itself. This influences a huge amount of decisions later in the process.

 One very common question is: What is the point of the training? Why are we doing it? What type of

behavioral change is desired? Will training actually help?

 This phase should be a full audit of the audience, business goals, training methodologies used, media

types used, etc. Once this is done, you can generate a training plan that addresses:

 Who, What, When, Where, Why, How?

 The core of your training plan will be "How can we improve the situation and achieve business goals

through training?".  You will use this question as the foundation for the rest of the process. You should

come out with: an analysis of training needs and a training plan

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Identify training needs in an organization

 Explore overall performance. Look at each section of your organization

instead of the organization as a whole.

 Compare yourself to similar organizations.

 Perform individual assessments.

 Consider your industry.

 Different training programs for different roles.

 Train for common job requirements.

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