Because the objective of training is to contribute to the organization’s overall goals, training programs should be developed systematically with the organization’s true needs in mind. However, often they are not. Instead, training objectives may be undetermined or hazy, and the programs themselves may not be evaluated rigorously or at all. In fact, it sometimes seems that what is important is that the training program is attention getting, dramatic, contemporary, or fun. Effective training can raise performance, improve morale, and increase an organization’s potential. To maximize the benefits of training,
organizations must closely monitor the training process. The training process consists of three parts:
needs assessment (or analysis), design and implementation, and evaluation.
Needs Assessment
Needs assessment takes time and money. Unfortunately, a great many organizations undertake training without this necessary preliminary investment. Training that is undertaken without a careful analysis of whether or not it is needed is likely to be ineffective and a waste of money. In the needs assessment phase the organization conducts a systematic analysis of an organization’s job-related needs and specifies the objectives of the training effort.
As part of the assessment, those responsible for conducting the assess-
ment must carefully assess the organization’s strategy, the resources it has available for training, and its general philosophy regarding employee training and development. By philosophy, we are referring to the extent to which the organization views training as a true investment in human resources or simply as necessary to alter or change a specific outcome or criterion measure. Workforce analysis involves a careful assessment of the capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses characterizing the organization’s current workforce. That is, it is important to understand the extent to which the organization’s existing workforce is skilled or unskilled, motivated or unmotivated, committed or not committed to the
organization, and so forth.
An organization can use a variety of sources for gathering information and several sources of
information for needs assessment. The choice of assessment methods and sources depends partly on the purpose of the training. If the purpose is to improve employees’ performance in their present jobs, then clearly the trainer must begin by looking at present performance and identifying performance
deficiencies or areas where there seems to be room for improvement. Sources of information on
performance deficiencies include supervisors’ and customers’ complaints, performance appraisal data, objective measures of output or quality, and even special performance tests given to determine the
current KSA level of employees. In addition, HRM personnel might collect critical incidents of poor job performance and look at accident reports to locate possible knowledge, skill or ability problems.
Individual or group interviews with employees (supervisors, incumbents, or even customers) can be conducted by HRM specialists or outside experts. Interviews are a good way of gathering information on performance discrepancies and perceived training needs. Group techniques are especially helpful for anticipating future training needs, for prioritizing training demands, or for ambiguous situations. A group of top managers, for instance, might work together to predict and prioritize new skills that will be needed by top managers in the organization over the next decade. Similarly, members of self-managed teams might do the same to predict and prioritize new skills that will be needed in six months or a year to successfully complete future projects, and so on.
An example of some basic interview questions that could be asked in reference to a particular job are as follows: What problems is the employee having in his or her job? What additional KSAs does the
employee need to better perform the job? What training does the employee believe is needed? Of course, in conducting interviews, every organization would have several additional questions about specific issues. In addition, if interviews are to provide useful information, employees must believe their input will be valued and not be used against them.
When a large number of potential trainees are involved, or when they are geographically dispersed, a subsample may be selected for needs assessment interviews, or a questionnaire or survey on needs assessment may be developed for wider distribution. Typically, existing data will be scrutinized and some interviews will be held prior to designing the questionnaire.
Using surveys and/or questionnaires involves developing a list of KSAs required to perform particular jobs effectively and asking employees to check those KSAs in which they believe training is needed.
When using employee attitude surveys, organizations often bring in an outside party or organization to conduct and analyze the surveys. Customer surveys can also indicate problem areas that may not be obvious to employees of the organization. Responses to a customer survey may indicate areas of training for the organization as a whole or for particular functional units.
Observations are also frequently used in needs assessment for determining training needs. HRM
specialists or managers may learn a great deal by observing current employees to see how they appear to be working. To be effective observations must be conducted by individuals trained in observing
employee behavior and translating observed behavior into specific training needs. HRM specialists who have been trained in performing job analysis should be particularly adept at observing to identify
training needs.
Focus groups can also be used to determine training needs. Focus groups are composed of employees from various departments and various levels within the organization. An HRM specialist or an outside expert can conduct the focus group sessions. Focus group topics should address issues such as the following: What KSAs will our employees need for our organization to stay competitive over the next few years? What problems does our organization have that can be solved through training?
It is also useful to examine existing records or documents on absenteeism, turnover, and accident rates to determine if problems exist and whether any problems identified can be addressed through training.
Another useful source to examine is performance appraisal information gathered through the
organization’s performance appraisal system. Performance problems common to many employees are likely areas to address through training.
Once an organization has identified a performance deficiency, the next step is to determine whether the deficiency should be addressed by training. In some cases, motivation, constraints, or poor task design cause the deficiency. In such situations, training in job skills would not solve the problem.
If training is being planned for current employees destined for promotion or transfer, needs assessment is more complex. In this situation an HRM specialist must measure the demands of the future job and then attempt to assess the ability of the employees to meet those demands. Because the employees being assessed do not yet hold the future job, their current level
of performance may or may not indicate their ability to do the future job. Therefore, the HRM specialist may have to use special techniques to assess the employees’ level of KSAs relative to the demands of the future job. Such techniques include assessment centers and possibly tests or supervisory ratings of relevant KSAs.
When training is being designed for new hires, the methods used must be slightly different. Training is designed on the basis of a careful analysis of job content and the assumed characteristics of the trainees.
If the trainees are not yet hired, it is difficult to assess their current level of KSAs. Thus the HRM specialists must coordinate closely with those who set hiring criteria and evaluate candidates.
Regardless of the method employed, a systematic and accurate needs assessment should be undertaken before any training is conducted. Following the needs assessment, objectives or goals must be
established for meeting those needs.