Figure 6-1.
An Iowa manufacturer wanted to identify the training needs of machine operators. It selected people from the industrial relations department to conduct the investigation. The ma- chine operators being questioned assumed there was a hid- den agenda—was the company really looking for information to reduce the number of employees? The result: The informa- tion obtained was unreliable and the study a failure.
Chapter 5 described the practice of assigning a training profes- sional to interact with a specific department on a regular basis. If this is a practice at your organization, that person is probably the best one to conduct a training needs analysis in that department.
There is already an established relationship, and the training pro- fessional has considerable knowledge of the management, em- ployees, and procedures of the department.
Sometimes a team is used consisting of a training professional (who knows how to structure and implement information gather- ing) and a department employee (who has the necessary knowl- edge and skills required in the area). When teams are used, it is important that they work well together, agree on what information is required, and trust each other’s abilities and motives.
The Investigation
The last steps in preparing for the training needs investigation are:
❐ Deciding who to contact and in what sequence
❐ Determining the information sought from each contact
❐ Selecting the method(s) of information gathering Your Contacts List
The process of identifying possible areas of training probably in- cludes some of the people who possess the information you re- quire. That is a starting point. What you need to do next is determine whom you need to see for each item of information you want to obtain. Sometimes it will be a single individual. Other
times it may be several different people. The important consider- ation is that you have a source for all required information.
If you know there are different views on the possible training, it is better to include people with differing opinions. They will pro- vide a fuller understanding of the situation. You also want to en- sure you see enough people to obtain all the details you need.
Once you have decided who you need to contact, you then need to place them in a logical sequence. Consider going first to those people who can provide basic information, then moving on to people with more detailed knowledge to share. Another ap- proach is to start with those directly involved and then move to those with less involvement in the subject at hand.
For example, assume you are seeking information about an em- ployee’s performance gap. The first person to talk to is probably the employee’s supervisor. The supervisor most likely brought the situation to your attention—that is, it is the supervisor who identified the performance gap.
The second person to see is the employee. The employee can provide additional information about individual performance and the reasons the gap exists.
These two people may deliver information that indicates you should meet with others as well, such as coworkers, the supervi- sor’s manager, or employees in other departments who work with the employee. This is a logical sequence of interviews. You begin with the basic and move to the more detailed.
If you are seeking information for a new employee orientation training course, you might begin with senior management to dis- cover their objectives. From there a meeting with middle manage- ment could identify generally subjects to include, and a meeting with employees might produce details of what a new employee needs to know.
Then individual areas such as human resources can be con- tacted for specifics of the various topics to cover, and finally sources such as exit interview reports can be reviewed. Again a logical sequence.
Planning Form
Figure 6-2 is an information planning form for training needs. The first column is used to list the information you seek. The second
Training Subject: Date:
Information Who to Contact Sequence Method
...9669$$$CH612-09-0208:25:15PS
column is for listing the people you’ll seek the information from.
The third column is used to indicate the sequence of information gathering (i.e., the first person to contact; the second, and so on).
The fourth column is for identifying the information-gathering method to use.
Figure 6-3 is an example of the same form, only it has been completed to illustrate how you might go about seeking informa- tion for a new employee orientation training course. In this exam- ple, the numbers one through five indicate the order in which you will contact the people listed as contacts. Also, Q is for question- naire; M is for meeting; and I is for interview technique.
Investigation Methods
We have already introduced general investigative methods to use for information gathering—the interview, the questionnaire, and the meeting. Within each of these general classifications are a number of specific approaches. Chapter 7 gives an overview of the most commonly used approaches, as well as some that are unique. It includes information to assist in selecting which ap- proach to use. Subsequent chapters will provide implementation details on a number of procedures.
Training Subject: New Employee Orientation Training Course Date: November 7
Information Who to Contact Sequence Method
Overall course objectives President and 3 senior VPs 1 I
General subjects to include 14 middle managers 3 M
What new employees need to know 22 middle managers 2 Q
Reasons employees left company 10 new employees 5 M
Employment conditions details 10 employees with one year plus seniority 4 Q
Exit interview reports 7 NA
Human resources 6 I
Notes:
...9669$$$CH612-09-0208:25:15PS