Analysis of Training Needs

ORGANIZATION’S SUPPORT FOR TRAINING NEEDS

ASSESSMENT

Training needs assessment is an organizational intervention. A well planned and

designed assessment helps the organization to a greater extent. Its success
largely depends on the support extended by the organization and its members at all
levels.
Training need analysis requires three different types of analyses namely,
(1) Organization analysis,
(2)Task analysis, and
(3) Person analysis.

1) Organization Analysis
This is the first step in training needs assessment; broad issues that can influence
training needs are identified in this phase. Organization analysis involves
examination of the business environment strategies of the organization and the
resources at its command to determine where training is needed.
Economic and public policy issues influence the training needs of organizations.
The environment consciousness has forced lot of organizations to conduct training
on environment saving methods and ISO-14001, etc. are good examples of the
public policy influencing the environmental concerns of training.
Strategic initiatives of the organizations like re-structuring, down-sizing,
empowerment, team working, etc. have influenced the need for training. The
resources of the organizations like technological, financial and human resources
influence the training needs of an organization.
In the recent years the organizations have strived to reduce cost and the
training budgets are often constrained. This makes the careful planning by
managers more imperative, so that the training expenses become more
productive. This makes a rigorous organization analysis a sine qua non (main thing).

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 Types of Training Needs

Basic Magnitude Period of Trainees’ No. of Specific

of content Utility relation with Persons area
the
organization

Individual Group
Type
Micro Macro Short- Long- Low
term term

Pre-service In-service
Subject Behavioral
Training Training
matter/
Needs Needs
Technical

Types of Training Needs

2) Task Analysis
This is the second step in training needs assessment. In task analysis the job
description and job specification are reviewed in order to identify the activities
of a particular job and the job knowledge skill level and attitude required for
performing them.
The first step in task analysis is listing all the tasks and duties of the job. The
second step is to list the steps performed by the employee to complete each task.
This helps to understand the job completely and the types of performance
required.
The skills and knowledge that are needed can be determined by observing and
questioning the skilled workers and by reviewing job descriptions. This will help
the trainers in program content, coverage and the most effective method of
instruction.

3) Person Analysis
Person analysis determines which employees require training and which employees
do not require training. It helps organization to avoid the mistake of sending all
employees to training when some of them do not need it. It certainly helps in saving
the training cost of the organization. Person analysis also helps managers to
determine the content coverage and design of the training program. The person
analysis is done in two phases. In the 1st phase the performance indicators are
developed and in 2nd phase the gaps existing in knowledge, skill attitudes are
determined and approaches to resolve them are developed.
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METHODS OF IDENTIFYING TRAINING NEEDS

i) Identifying Specific Problems: Such problems are productivity, high costs,

poor material control, poor quality, excessive scrap and waste, excessive
labor-management troubles, high employee turnover and transfers, excessive
absenteeism, accidents, excessive fatigue, struggling with the job; standards
of work performance, bottlenecks in production, deadlines not being met and
delayed production.
ii) Anticipating Impending and Future Problems: The expansion of business, the
introduction of new products, new services, new designs, new plant, new
technology and organizational changes concerned with manpower inventory for
present and future needs.
iii) Management Requests: The supervisors and managers may make specific
request for setting training programs. Though this method is simple and a
correct evaluation of the employees’ performance deficiencies can be made,
but often such recommendations may be built on faulty assumptions and
requests may not coincide with each other or organizational goals.
iv) Interviewing and Observing the Personnel on the Job: Interviewing
personnel and direct questioning and observation of the employee by his
supervisors may also reveal training needs.
v) Performance Appraisal: An analysis of the past performance records of the
prospective trainee and comparing his actual performance with the target
performance may provide clues to specific interpersonal skills that may need
development.
vi) Questionnaires: Questionnaires may be used for eliciting opinions of the
employees on topics like communication, satisfaction, job characteristics,
their attitude towards working conditions, pay, promotion policies, etc. These
will reveal much information about where an employee’s skills and knowledge
are deficient.
vii) Checklist: The use of checklist is a useful supplement to interviews and
observations. Through it, more reliable information can be obtained and the
data got are quantifiable.
viii) Morale and Attitude Surveys: An occasional personnel audit may be
conducted to forecast future promotions, skill requirements and merit rating
to initiate informal discussions and examination of records and statistics
regarding personnel, production, cost, rejects and wastages.

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TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT (TNA) PROCESS
The following are the steps in TNA Process:
Step One: Identify Problem Needs
 Determine organizational context.
 Gap analysis is performed.
 Objectives are set.
Step Two: Determine Design of Needs Analysis
 Method selection criteria are established.
 Advantages and disadvantages of the methods are assessed.
Step Three: Collection of Data
 Interviews are conducted.
 Questionnaires and surveys and administered.
 Documents are reviewed.
 People at work are observed to find out how the work is being done.
Step Four: Analyses of Data
 Qualitative analysis and
 Quantitative analysis is conducted.
 Solutions/recommendations are determined.
Step Five: Provide Feedback
 Report is prepared.
 Presentation is made to the management.
 What training is needed is decided.
Step Six: Develop Action Plan
Once this formal needs assessment process is competed the information is used as
the basis for training design development and evaluation. However, one must
continue to assess the attitudes, knowledge and skill level of participants prior to
each session. Different audiences may have different needs.

APPROACHES OF TNA

There are two approaches to conducting a TNA:

i) Proactive TNA; and
ii) Reactive TNA

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Proactive TNA
This mainly focuses on future HR requirement i.e. developing the human resources
irrespective of whether the performance deficiencies are caused by the lack of
the required job.

 Organizational Analysis – Proactive TNA approach begins with strategic plans,

where the organization’s internal environment and future expectations are
analyzed to find a perfect fit. These might include the organization’s
structure, policies, procedures, practices, pay structures, etc., which need to
be addressed at the organizational level as a whole.
 Operational Analysis – Employees need to be prepared for the dynamic
changes in the job. Hence the job analyst has to also take into account the
future task requirements of the job. This analysis is defined as identifying the
requirements for the job to be performed effectively in future. Information
changes in areas such as social values, political issues, economic market, etc.,
have to be considered in order to take an account of these changes that may
affect the job scenario.
 Person Analysis – Person analysis determines which employees require training
and which employees do not require training. It helps organization to avoid the
mistake of sending all employees to training when some of them do not need it.
The person analysis is done in two phases. In the 1st phase the performance
indicators are developed and in 2nd phase the gaps existing in knowledge,
skill attitudes are determined and approaches to resolve them are
developed.

Reactive TNA
This begins with any discrepancy in job performance. Once the discrepancy has
been identified, it is to be considered whether it is important enough in the job to
interfere to change it. Reactive TNA also follows organizational analysis,
operational analysis and person analysis, but the distinction is that here it takes
the backseat for various reasons:
 Focus is mainly on a single unit or department or team.
 The individuals demonstrating the discrepancy become the important persons
who are interviewed about the three components organization, operation and
person.
 The discrepancy generally focuses on that part of the job where it exists.

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 Organizational Analysis – Here a complete analysis and other components of
the job are required in order to identify performance discrepancy if any
and/or to avoid any in future.
 Operational Analysis/ Person Analysis – The performance discrepancy is
already identified in the reactive approach because of the analysis which
determines to focus of TNA.
When a reactive performance discrepancy is identified, it is better to work from
the discrepancy and deal with issues that are indicated in relation to the
discrepancy.

ORGANIZATIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TRAINING

This becomes part of the strategic plan developed by HRD in taking the
organization in the right direction. This involves examining the plan which describes
the aims, mission and aspirations of the organization and the methods it plans to
follow to get there. An organizational analysis provides information about:
i) The organization’s mission and strategies for development
The organizational analysis process helps the analyst to find the training
procedures appropriate to the missions and strategies of the organization.
ii) The availability and allocation of the available resources according to the
objectives and the strategic plans of the organization
The issues of finance, facilities, infrastructure, equipment, raw materials, etc.
arise in the discussion of the availability of resources.
The decision on resources has to be taken during the strategic planning phase
where the priorities are weighted and the important ones are inducted into the
strategic plan. The other major concern is the training that is to be provided for
the changes that are made.
The most important resources of any organization are the human resources. At the
strategic levels, the human resources department provides the information about
skills and potentials of the existing human resources to the management, which can
be taken into consideration when making important decisions.
iii) The factors within the organization which might cause problems
Another important aim of organizational analysis is to examine the structure,
policies, systems, etc. within the organization to determine their congruence with
the objectives of the department/departments where discrepancies have been
identified.

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iv) Data collection to set the discrepancy
Once a discrepancy has been identified in a certain unit, the cause of this
discrepancy is to be found to set it right. Data collection identifies potential
individuals susceptible to discrepancy and to set right this discrepancy,
appropriate training given at an early time is effective.

OPERATIONAL ANALYSIS FOR TRAINING

Operational analysis is done to determine what is required by employers to be

effective i.e., in order to bring about effective performance. Operational analysis
helps to:
 Determine the employees in order to meet the expected standards of
performance; and
 Determine the characteristics of the environment that are required for
performance to be effective.

a) Analyzing the job

The first step is to determine what job is to be analyzed. It is important to
determine the parameters of the job clearly that is to be analyzed. There are
several job analysis techniques available to gather information about a job. The
main categories are worker-oriented approach and task-oriented approach.
Worker-oriented approach
This focuses mainly on the issues that are required for the job, rather than the
tasks or behaviors performed by the employees. One drawback of this approach is
that it does not possess a thing to link the tasks that are responsible for
performance discrepancy.
Tasks-oriented approach
This focuses mainly on the various activities/ tasks required to perform a job. Only
after determining the tasks, the examination of identifying the necessary training
contents to perform them.

b) Expected Performance
Job analysis is mainly done in order to result in increase in the current
performance level in the direction of expected performance which requires all
important tasks to be performed. This information becomes important so that
expected behavior that needs to be performed on the job can be identified, actual

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training programs can be developed and subsequent evaluations of the training
programs can be conducted.
The following tests can serve to find the effectiveness of training.
 Knowledge – All jobs require some type of knowledge. Job analysis should
provide the tasks that will indicate the knowledge requirement necessary to
perform the job successfully.
 Skill – Job analysis will also provide a list of the skills necessary to perform the
job successfully. Along with the knowledge and skills required for the
performance of a job, the analyst will have a complete understanding of the job
requirement.
 Attitude – The attitude of the person plays an important role for the
fulfillment of the job requirements. Information about the right attitude that
is required at work also indicates the kind of training that needs to be
addressed.

c) Competency Mapping
A competency is a cluster of related knowledge, skills and attitude that
differentiate “high performers” from “average and low performers” about their
feelings, motivation, satisfaction, etc. apart from the knowledge and skill required
for job performance.

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