A
training needs assessment identifies individuals' current level of competency,
skill or knowledge in one or more areas and compares that competency level to
the required competency standard established for their positions or other
positions within the organization. The difference between the current and
required competencies can help determine training needs. Rather than assume
that all employees need training or even the same training, management can make
informed decisions about the best ways to address competency gaps among
individual employees, specific job categories or groups/teams.
Assessments
can be conducted at any time but are often done after hiring, during
performance reviews, when performance improvement is needed, for career
development plans, for succession planning, or when changes in an organization
also involve making necessary changes to employees' jobs. It is beneficial to
perform these assessments periodically to determine the training needs of an
organization, employees' knowledge and skills, and also training program
effectiveness.
Step
1: Identify the Business Need
A
training assessment is the first step to any successful training program and is
also a critical aspect of succession planning. Conducting this analysis
allows an organization to focus its efforts on areas of training that are
necessary for employees to successfully carry out the organization's goals,
make optimum use of the company's training dollars and motivate employees by
contributing to their career development. The person conducting the training
needs assessment must clearly understand the overall organization and
department goals and priorities, so he or she can properly assess the training
options and identify which training opportunities will contribute most to the
overall success of employees, the business units and the organization as a
whole.
Essentially,
why is the organization conducting a training needs assessment? What is the end
result that the employee, manager or executive team is trying to accomplish? Will
training contribute to this accomplishment? Sometimes training is not the
answer. There may be other organizational issues that would be best addressed
through another means—for example, through job analysis, goal clarification,
reorganizing or realigning a department, or employee engagement.
Step
2: Perform a Gap Analysis
Performing
a gap analysis involves assessing the current state of a department's or
employee's performance or skills and comparing this to the desired level. The
difference between the existing state and the desired state is the gap. There
are many different methods for conducting a gap analysis. The method for
identifying the gap will depend on the organization and the situation.
Depending on the situation, it may be helpful to use one or more gap analysis
methods. Some gap analysis assessment tools are the following:
- HR records.HR
records can include accident and safety reports, job descriptions, job
competencies, exit interviews, performance evaluations and other company
records such as production, sales and cost records. For example, if a
department has a dramatic increase in workplace accidents, then it would
be important to review accident reports as part of the gap analysis prior
to conducting safety training.
- Individual interviews.Individual interviews may be conducted with employees,
supervisors, senior managers and even sometimes clients/customers or
outside vendors. If an organization is providing safety training, talking
with the employees who not only had the accidents but also witnessed the
accidents would be advisable. In addition, talking to employees who have
never had accidents could be useful in creating a training program that
includes a standard of safe practices. If the accidents involved
equipment, it may be beneficial to talk to the vendor that manufactured or
serviced the equipment. The information gathered can identify the gaps
that an organization needs to address. A company and its employees can
benefit from new training opportunities as a result of the training needs
assessment.
- Focus groups.Unlike
individual interviews, using focus groups involves simultaneously
questioning a number of individuals about training needs. Best results
occur with a department or group of employees who have similar training
needs. The participants brainstorm about all the training needs they can
think of and write them on a flip chart. Then each person is provided
perhaps five dots or sticky notes (employers should provide the number of
dots or sticky notes that will work best for the organization). Each
individual places his or her dots or sticky notes on the training ideas he
or she believes are the most important. An individual could choose to
place one dot on five different items, or all five on one training item.
- Surveys, questionnaires and self-assessments.Surveys generally use a standardized format and can be
done in writing, electronically or by phone. Depending on the situation,
it may be helpful to conduct surveys with employees as well as with
customers. When conducting a customer service training needs assessment,
employers should ask employees what would help them provide better
customer service. Employers should also obtain opinions from customers
about their experiences with employees.
- Observations.Sources
for observation include a supervisor's direct observation and input,
on-the-job simulations of work settings, and written work samples.
Step
3: Assess Training Options
The
gap analysis generates a list of training options and needs. Now the list can
be assessed based on the goals and priorities of the organization, both
currently and in the future.
A
scale of 1 to 3 could be used with number 1 being critical, 2 being important
and 3 being not important at all. Here are factors to consider when determining
if training is a viable option.
- Solution to a problem. For example,an employee has a performance
problem that has clearly been identified as a training issue. The employee
is provided with additional on-the-job training in which he or she
successfully acquires the needed skills. As a result, the company would
have a fully competent employee who is also meeting the required
performance standards.
- Cost. Cost
of training is a significant factor that needs to be weighed in terms of
importance. Depending on the situation, the organization may be willing to
invest a significant amount in one training but not in the others listed
due to organizational priorities and finances. Here is the formula to
calculate the total cost of training:
Number of Employees Trained x Cost of Training = Total Cost of
Training
- Return on investment. Return on investment (ROI) is a calculation showing the
value of expenditures related to training and development. It can also be
used to show how long it will take for these activities to pay for
themselves and to provide a return on investment to the organization.
- Legal compliance. If any of the training needs from the gap analysis are
required legally (i.e., by federal, state or industry laws) or to maintain
employees' licenses or certifications, then these trainings would be a
high priority.
- Time. Sometimes
the amount of time involved to build the capacity within the organization
will affect its operational needs as it can interfere with the employees'
ability to complete other job duties. In this case, it may be more
beneficial to hire the talent from outside the organization or outsource
the task to fill in the skills gaps. In other cases, like succession
planning, the organization can afford a long-term commitment to building
the capacity from within.
- Remaining competitive. Perhaps there exists minimal
knowledge/competencies in a new product or service that is negatively
affecting company revenue. The employer can provide the needed training to
its employees so that the new product or service generates or exceeds the
desired revenue. In this situation, the company benefits from the increase
in revenue, therefore outweighing the cost of training.
After
all the training needs/options have been assessed, the HR professional will
have a list of training priorities for individual employees, departments or the
organization as a whole.
Step
4: Report Training Needs and Recommend Training Plans
The
next step is to report the findings from the training needs assessment, and
make recommendations for short- and long-term training plans and budgets,
starting with the most critical priorities from the training option list. If
there is a timeline for any of the trainings, such as a deadline to satisfy
training obligations for legal compliance purposes, then they should be
budgeted and scheduled accordingly. The report should include a summary of why
and how the assessment was completed, the methods used and people involved, and
the training recommendations with a general timeline.
Considerations
for the report and recommended training plans include:
- What
training is already being offered, and should it continue to be offered?
- Will
the training be conducted in-house or externally?
- Does
it make sense to bring in a trainer to train several employees on the same
subject matter, rather than send everyone to an off-site training?
- Does
the company have the subject matter expertise within HR, the training
department or another department to conduct the training?
- Can
and should the training be conducted online?
- What
is the learning style of the participants?
- Are
all participants at one location or multiple locations, or are they
decentralized?
Source:
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/how-to-guides/pages/conduct-training-needs-assessment.aspx