Conducting a Needs Assessment

1
 Think About It

• Your sales director complains that her representatives are not

making their monthly quotas. She is convinced they need more
sales training to address this issue and asks you to design
something by the end of the week.

• What would you do?

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 Objectives

1. Describe the role of a training needs assessment to address

performance issues.

2. Discuss the reasons to complete a training needs

assessment.

3. Describe the three steps to conduct a training needs

assessment: organization, person/learner, and task analysis.

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 Objectives

4. Describe the methods available to collect needs assessment

data.

5. Design a needs assessment plan based on a performance

issue.

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 A Short Primer
on Assessing Performance Issues

• How do you determine the exact cause of the sales

representatives’ failure to meet their sales quota and
whether training is the answer?

• Process:
1. Conduct a performance analysis; desired vs. actual
employee performance. What is the difference in current
vs. desired performance?

2. Conduct a training needs assessment (TNA) to

determine if training is the most appropriate
intervention. How can the performance gap most
effectively be eliminated?

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 What Is a
Training Needs Assessment (TNA)?

• A TNA is the process to determine whether training to

address a performance gap is necessary.

• Training might be appropriate when the performance

issue is a “can’t do” issue:
> Poor performance (resulting from a knowledge or skill
deficiency).
> Lack of basic skills (reading, writing, technology, math
skills).
> Legislation or policies requiring new knowledge or skills.
> New technology.
> A customer request for new products or services.
> Higher performance standards.
> New jobs.

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 When Is Training NOT the Best Intervention?

• Training is not the best intervention when the

performance issue is a result of:

> Recruiting, selection or compensation problems.

> Policies and procedures issues.
> A lack of coaching and feedback.
> Insufficient tools, equipment or resources.
> Physical setting problems.
> A lack of motivation (job-person fit; person-org fit); a “won’t
do” issue.

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 Role of TNA in the Training Process

• A TNA is the first step in the

training process model.

• TNA assessment involves:

> Organization analysis.
> Task analysis.
> Person/learner analysis.

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 Three Types of TNA Analyses

• Organizational Analysis
> To align training with business strategy and to ensure
there are resources and managerial support for training.
• Task Analysis
> To identify the important work-related tasks and
knowledge, skills, behaviors, abilities (KSBAs);
determine if the content and activities are consistent with
trainee on-the-job experience; and to develop
measurable and relevant content, objectives and
methods.
• Person Analysis
> To ensure that trainees have the basic skills, motivation,
prerequisite skills or confidence.

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 Think About It

• Recall a training experience where you thought the content

to be mismatched to the tasks you actually performed on
the job.

• How did this mismatch influence your ability to learn in the

training program? To successfully use your knowledge and
skills on the job?

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 Organization Analysis

An Organization Analysis involves determining the:

> Appropriateness of training given the organization’s
strategy.
> Resources (financial and development) available for
training and transfer after training.
> Support by managers and peers for training and
transfer.

 Gather data mainly from senior and mid-level managers.

Why?
 Is there a reason this TNA step should be accomplished
first?

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 Task Analysis

2. Task Analysis involves:

> Identifying the important work-related tasks and
knowledge, skills, behaviors and abilities (KSBAs)
that must be emphasized in training.
> Data sources: Subject matter experts (SMEs),
managers, exemplary employees.

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 Task Analysis Process

• The task analysis process involves:

1. Selecting the job(s) to be analyzed.

2. Developing a list of tasks performed (from an interview or

survey of exemplary employees).

3. Mining data sources: Ask SMEs, managers and/or

exemplary employees to validate tasks:
a. Frequency: How frequent is the task completed?
b. Importance: How important is this task to the overall
work?
c. Difficulty: How difficult is this task?

4. Identify KSBAs that should be trained to address the gap.

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 Person/Learner Analysis

The person/learner analysis involves:

> Determining whether performance deficiencies result from
a lack of knowledge, skill, behavior or ability (a training
issue) or from a motivational or work design problem.
> Identifying who needs the training; who has a KSBA
deficiency.
> Determining readiness for training: basic skills, motivation,
self-efficacy.
 Data sources include learners, managers and document
reviews (personnel records, prior training records, or
testing).

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 Data for a Person/Learner Analysis

• Person: Is the person • Performance

cognitively and/or physically
able to complete the task?
Does the person believe in
their ability to complete the
task (i.e., self efficacy)?
• Barriers: Does the person
perceive any constraints to
performing the task correctly?
Are the constraints physical or
managerial?
expectations: Does the
person understand the level
of performance expected?
• Consequences: What
consequences exist to
correct an incorrect task
demonstration?
• Feedback: Are people
receiving timely and
accurate feedback about
their performance?

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 Quick Review: Think-Pair-Share

• We’ve just explored the three areas in a TNA. Let’s review

before moving to the methods used to collect TNA data.

• Consider the following superlatives and answer each

concerning the content we just covered:

> A key point that was most surprising.

> A key point that helped me understand needs

assessment.

> A key point that was most useful.

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 TNA Data-Gathering Methods

• Observation • Interviews

• Questionnaire • Document Review

• Focus Groups

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 Pros and Cons of TNA Methods

• Observation
> Pro: Generates data relevant to work environment and
minimizes work interruptions.
> Con: Requires a skilled observer. Employees’ behavior may
be affected by being observed. In addition, it is time
consuming.

• Questionnaire
> Pro: Inexpensive and can collect data from a umber of people.
> Con: Provides limited information. There are also anonymity
concerns.

• Interviews
> Pro: Good at uncovering details of training needs and the
trainer can explore questions that arise.
> Con: It is time consuming and difficult to analyze. To succeed,
need a skilled interviewer.

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 Pros and Cons of TNA Methods (Cont’d)

• Focus Group:
> Pro: Useful with complex or controversial issues that one person
may be unable or unwilling to explore.
> Con: Time consuming to organize; status or position differences
may limit participation.

• Document Review
> Pro: Good source of information on procedure; objective.
> Con: May not be available, accessible, or valid; technical
language might require SMEs to explain.

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 Challenges of TNA

• Time constraints can limit the length and detail obtained

from needs assessment.
> What should you do if you lack the time to conduct a TNA?

• Lack of management support :

> The scope of the needs assessment depends on the size of the
performance issue.

• Starting over each time. However, you can anticipate

training needs if you are attuned to:
> Business problems.
> Technological developments.
> Other issues facing the organization.

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 Review and Closing

Direction: How will you

use your new knowledge?

Petrol: What
Luggage: resources or
What new support do you
knowledge will need?
you take with
you?

Exhaust: What are

you leaving behind?

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 Thank You!

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Resource made available by SHRM US