Chapter 3
Chapter 3
frequency of training.
Needs Assessment - Process used to
determine whether training is necessary. Organizational Analysis - Determine the
appropriateness of training, given the company’s
Why is Needs Assessment Necessary business strategy and resources.
/situation that could occur if need assessment is not
properly conducted. The company’s strategic direction
Training may be incorrectly used as a Support of managers, peers, and
solution to a performance problem employees for training activities
Training programs may have the wrong Training resources
content, objectives, or methods
Trainees may be sent to training programs Person Analysis - Determines whether
for which they do not have the basic skills, performance deficiencies result from a lack of
prerequisite skills, or confidence needed to knowledge, skill, or ability, who needs training and
learn employee readiness for training.
Training will not deliver the expected
learning, behavior change, or financial Readiness for training
results that the company expects o Employees have the personal
characteristics necessary to learn
Causes of Needs Assessment program content and apply it on the
Legislation job
Lack of basic skills o The work environment will facilitate
Poor performance learning and not interfere with
New technology performance
Customer requests o This process includes evaluating
New products person characteristics, input, output,
Higher performance standards consequences, and feedback
New jobs o A major pressure point for training is
substandard or poor performance
Outcomes of Needs Assessment
What trainees need to learn Process for Analyzing the Factors That
Who receives training Influence Employee Performance and Learning
Frequency of training
Selection or job redesign 1. Person Characteristics
How training should be evaluated
Basic Skills - Skills that are necessary
Who Should Participate in Needs Assessment for employees to perform on the job and
learn the content of training programs
Subject-Matter Experts (SMEs) - successfully.
Employees, academics, managers,
technical experts, trainers, and even o Cognitive Ability - Trainees’
customers or suppliers. level of cognitive ability also can
influence how well they can learn
Job Incumbents - Employees who are in training programs.
currently performing the job. o Reading Ability (Readability) -
Difficulty level of written
Methods Used in Needs Assessment materials.
Focus Groups - Type of SME interview that Self-Efficacy - Employees’ belief that
involves a face-to-face meeting with groups they can perform their job or learn the
of SMEs in which the questions that are content of the training program
asked relate to specific training needs. successfully. Employees’ self-efficacy
level can be increased by:
Crowdsourcing - Asking a large group of
employees to help provide information for o Letting employees know the
needs assessment that they are not purpose of training
traditionally asked to do. o Providing as much information
as possible about the training
Benchmarking - Using information about
program and the purpose of
other companies’ training practices to help
training prior to the actual Norms - Accepted standards of
training behavior for workgroup members.
o Showing employees the training
success of their peers who are 4. Consequences - Type of incentives that
now in similar jobs employees receive for performing well.
o Traditionalists - Patriotic and Ability - Include the physical and mental capacities
loyal, great deal of knowledge of to perform a task.
the history of organizations and
work life Steps Involved in a Task Analysis