Module 2

Training Need Analysis

What is a training needs

analysis?
A training needs
analysis is the
method of
determining if a
training need
exists and if it
does, what
training is
required to fill the
gap.
2

The Gap Concept

Expected Curve

Performan
ce/Results

1,000
Cars

Gap
200
Cars

Actual
Curve
800

Cars
Time

In training terms this means we

need to develop programs to fill
the Gap

Training Needs
As training experts we
The reasons for
must analyze the
not making the
situation to
1,000 cars:
determine if:
Not enough
Expected result too high
resources
Target achievable
Poor machines
Is training the only way
Poor staff skills
to make it happen

Are there other factors.

4

The Training Process

Identify
Identify
the
the

Need
Need

Evaluate
Evaluate

Plan
Plan

the
the
Training
Training

the
the
Training
Training

Deliver
Deliver
the
the
Training
Training

Types of Needs

Democratic Needs

Diagnostic Needs

Compliance Needs

Analytical Needs

Analysis Phase
Input

Process

Organizational
Analysis
Objectives
Resources
Environment
TRIGGER
Actual Organizational
Performance
(AOP) < Expected
Organizational
Performance (EOP)

Operational/Task
Analysis
Expected
Performance
(EP)

Person Analysis
Actual
Performance
(AP)

Output

Training
Needs
Identify
Performance
Discrepancy (PD)
PD = EP < AP
And Causes of PD
Non
Training
Needs

Needs Assessment

Organizational Analysis
Task/Operational Analysis
Person Analysis

Organizational Analysis

Organizational goals and strategy

Organizational resources (financial,
facilities, resources)
Organizational culture/climate
Environmental constraints

Task/Operational Analysis

Overall job description

Task identification
What it takes to do the job/KSAs
Areas that can benefit from
training
Prioritizing training needs

10

Person Analysis

Performance deficiency

Is performance substandard?
Are current employees capable of training?
Can performance be improved through training

Issue of whether to train, replace, motivate

Target population values, education, prior
knowledge, motivation

11

Model of Process When Performance

Discrepancy Is Identified Part 1 of 2
Performance Discrepancy
YES
Is it worth fixing?
YES
KSA
Deficiency
YES

Choose
Appropriate
Remedy

Reward/
Punishment
Incongruence
YES

Change
Contingencies

Inadequate
Feedback

Obstacles in
the System

YES

YES

Provide
Proper
Feedback

Remove
Obstacle
s
12

Model of Process When Performance

Discrepancy Is Identified
Part 2 of 2
Performance discrepancy is worth fixing
AND is due to a KSA deficiency
Choose
Appropriate
Remedy

Change
Contingencies

Provide
Proper
Feedback

Remove
Obstacles

Job Aid
Training
Practice
Change the Job
Transfer or Terminate
13

Data Sources for Organizational

Analysis Part 1 of 3
Data Source
Recommended

Training Need
Implications

Example

Organizational Goals,
Objectives and Budget

Where training emphasis To maintain a quality

can and should be
standard of no more than 1
placed.
reject per thousand
Goal is to become ISO
certified and 90,000 dollars
has been allocated to this
effort

Labor Inventory

Where training is needed Thirty percent of our truck

to fill gaps caused by
drivers will retire over the
retirement, turnover,
next four years
age, etc.

14

Data Sources for Organizational

Analysis Part 2 of 3
Data Source
Recommended
Organizational Climate
Indices

Grievances

Absenteeism

Accidents

Training Need
Implications

Example

These may help focus on

problems that have
training components
Items related to
Seventy percent of
productivity are useful in
determining
grievances are
performance
related to behaviors of 6
deficiencies
supervisors
High absences in clerical
staff
Accident rate for line workers
increasing
15

Data Sources for Organizational

Analysis Part 3 of 3
Data Source
Recommended
Analysis of Efficiency
Indices

Training Need
Implications
Can help document
difference between actual
performance and desired
performance

Cost of labor

Changes in System or
Subsystem

Example

Labor costs have increased

8 percent in the last year
New or changed equipment
may present training
problem

The line has been shut down

about once per day since the
new machinery was installed.
Waste has doubled since
using the new cutting tool

16

What Do You Ask and Of Who

Part 1 of 3
What to Ask About
Mission Goals and Objectives
What are the goals and objectives of
the organization
How much money has been allocated
to any new initiatives
Is there general understanding of
these objectives
Social Influences
What is the general feeling in the
organization regarding meeting
goals and objectives
What is the social pressure in your
department regarding these goals
and objectives productivity

Who to Ask
Top management
Relevant department
managers, supervisors
and incumbents

Top management
Relevant department
managers, supervisors
and incumbents

17

What Do You Ask and Of Who

Part 2 of 3
What to Ask About
Reward Systems
What are the rewards and how are
they distributed?
Are there incentives, are they tied to
the goals and objectives?
What specifically do high performers
get as rewards?
Job Design
How are the jobs organized?
Where does their work/material/
information come from, where
does it go when done?
Does the design of the job inhibit
workers from being high
performers?

Who to Ask
Top management
Relevant department managers,
supervisors and incumbents

Relevant supervisors and

incumbents, perhaps
relevant department
managers

18

What Do You Ask and Of Who

Part 3 of 3
What to Ask About
Job Performance
How do employees know what level
of performance is acceptable?
How do they find out if their level of
performance is acceptable?
Is there a formal feedback process?
Are there opportunities for help if
required?
Methods and Practices
What are the policies/ procedures/rules
in the organization.
Which if any inhibit performance

Who to Ask

Relevant supervisors and

incumbents

Relevant department managers

supervisors and incumbents

19

Data Sources For

Task/Operational Analysis Part
1 of 3 Training Need Implications Practical Concerns
Sources for Obtaining
Job Data
1. Job Descriptions

2. Job Specifications

3. Performance
Standards

Outlines the jobs typical

duties and responsibilities
but is them not meant to
be all inclusive
List specified tasks required
for each job.

Objectives of the tasks of

job, and standards by
which they are judged.

Often inaccurate due to time

constraints or job knowledge.

May be product of the job

description and suffer from the
same problems
Very useful if available, and
accurate, but often
organizations do not have
formal performance standards

20

Data Sources For Operational

Analysis Part 2 of 3
Sources for Obtaining
Job Data

Training Need Implications

Practical Concerns

4. Perform the Job

Most effective way of

determining specific tasks,
but has serious limitations
in higher level jobs

Easy, short cycle type jobs are a

possibility.

5. Observe JobWork
Sampling

Most effective way of

determining specific tasks,
but has serious limitations
in higher level jobs

Useful again for very short cycle

jobs. Be aware of the impact of
being observed can influence
behavior

21

Data Sources For Operational

Analysis Part 3 of 3
Sources for Obtaining
Job Data

Training Need Implications

6. Questions directed to
the job holder and
the supervisor.

7. Review Literature
concerning job in
professional journals
practitioner journals
other industries

Practical Concerns

Most often used method the job

holder and his supervisor
have different perspectives
and information

Useful for determining

specific issues related to
the job and what is being
done by others and what
the results are

Need to be sure information is

relevant to your organization

22

Example of Worker Oriented

Approach: Information Input
Note on Rating Importance to This Job:
Rate each of the items in the questionnaire using the
"Importance to This Job (1)" scale. Each item is to be
rated on how important the activity described is to the
completion of the job. Consider such factors as
amount of time spent, the possible influence on overall
job performance if the worker does not properly
perform this activity, etc.

Code Importance to
This Job (1)
N Does not apply
1 Very minor
2 Low
3 Average
4 High
5 Extreme

1.____ Far visual differentiation (seeing differences in the details of the

objects, events or features beyond arm's reach for example, operating a
vehicle, landscaping, sports officiating, etc.)

23

Worker Oriented Approach:

Information Input Part 2 of 2
2.____ Depth perception (judging the distance from
the observer to objects, or the distances between
objects as they are positioned in space, as in operating
a crane, operating a dentist's drill, handling and
positioning objects, etc.).
3.____ Color perception (differentiating or identifying
objects, materials, or details thereof on the basis of
color).

Code Importance to
This Job (1)
N Does not apply
1 Very minor
2 Low
3 Average
4 High
5. Extreme

4.____ Sound pattern recognition (recognizing different patterns, or

sequences of sounds for example, those involved in Morse code,
heartbeats, engines not functioning correctly, etc.)

24

Applying the Job-Duty-Task Method of

Job Analysis to the Job of HRD
Professional
HRD Professional
Task Analysis
Job Title: ___________________
Specific duty: _______________
Tasks

Subtasks

_________________ ______________________

Knowledge and
Skills Required

__________________________

1. List Tasks

1. Observe behaviorList four characteristics of behavior

Classify behavior
2. Select verb
Have knowledge of action verbs
Have grammatical skills
3. Record behavior
State so understood by others
Record neatly

2. List subtasks

1. Observe behaviorList all remaining acts

Classify behavior
2. Select verb
State correctly
Have grammatical skill
3. Record behavior
Record so it is neat and
understood by others
25

Job

A Comparison of the Outcomes

for Worker- and Task-Oriented
Approaches to Job Analysis
Task-Oriented
Approach

Worker-Oriented
Approach

______________________________________________________________
Garage attendant
Checks tire Pressure
Obtains information
from visual displays
Machinist

Checks thickness of
crankshaft

Use of a measuring
device

Dentist

Drills out decay from

teeth

Use of precision
instruments

Forklift Driver

Loads pallets of
washers onto trucks

High level of eye-hand

coordination
26

Data Sources for Person

Analysis Part 1 of 5
Data Sources for
Obtaining Data
Performance Data or
Appraisals

Observation Work
Sampling

Interviews

Training Need
Implication
Easy to analyze and
quantify for purposes
of determining subjects
and kind of training
needed.
More subjective
technique.

Only individual knows

what he believes he
(she) needs to learn.

Remarks
Supervisor ratings are
often done poorly as there
is no real incentive to do
them well, and a lot of
good reasons not to
Done effectively in some
situations like customer
service where you can
monitor behavior
Be sure employee believes
it is in his best interest to
be honest
27

Data Sources for Person

Analysis Part 2 of 5
Data Sources for
Obtaining Data

Training Need
Implication

Questionnaires

Same approach as
the interview.

Tests
a. Job knowledge
b. Skills
c. Achievement
Attitude Surveys

Can be tailor-made or
standardized. Care
must be taken so that
they measure job
related qualities.
On an individual basis,
useful in determining
morale, motivation, or
satisfaction of each
employee.

Remarks
Same concerns as the
interview
Care in the development
of scoring keys is
important and difficult to
do if not trained in the
process
Important to use well
developed scales

28

Data Sources for Person

Analysis Part 3 of 5
Data Sources for
Obtaining Data

Training Need
Implication

Remarks

Checklists or
Training Progress
charts

Up-to-date listing of each Rely on supervisor

employees skills.
ratings, see Performance
data or Appraisals

Rating Scales

Care must be taken to

ensure objective
employee ratings.

Critical Incidents

Observe actions critical

to successful and
unsuccessful
performance.

Rely on supervisor
ratings, see Performance
data or Appraisals
Rely on supervisor
ratings, see Performance
data or Appraisals

29

Data Sources for Person

Analysis Part 4 of 5
Data Sources for
Obtaining Data

Training Need
Implication

Remarks

Diaries

The individual
employee records
details of his (her) job.

Devised Situations

Certain knowledge,
skills, and of attitudes
are demonstrated in
these techniques.

Useful, but again, care

in development of
scoring criteria is
important

Combination of several of
the above techniques.

Although expensive to
develop and operate,
these are very good

Assessment Centers

30

Data Sources for Person

Analysis Part 5 of 5
Data Sources for
Obtaining Data
Coaching

MBO or Work
Planning

Training Need
Implication
Similar to interview
one-to-one.

Provides actual performance

data on a recurring basis
related to organizational
and group or individually
negotiated standards.

Remarks
Must choose coaches
carefully and train to be
most effective
Good process when
implemented properly,
and Review Systems are
the support of top
management

31

Six Component analysis of

Needs

Context Analysis
Participants Analysis
Work Analysis
Content Analysis
Suitability Analysis
Cost Benefit Analysis
32

Work Planning and Review at

Corning
Dimension
Applying
quality
principles

Behavioral
Statement
Sets high standards
for self and others:
puts a great deal of
emphasis on errorfree work

Written
Example
Developed written
requirements for all
suppliers on the
Stafford project and
encouraged others to
do the same.

33

Likelihood of Deficiency Being a

Training Issue
Distinctiveness

High
Consensu
s
Low

Low

High

Unsure

Low

High

Unsure

34

A Comparison Reliability and

Validity

Not reliable
or valid

Reliable but
not valid

Reliable and
valid
35

Diagram Illustrating the

Criterion (Constructs) of
Deficiency, Relevance, and
Contamination
Ultimate
criterion

Criterion
deficiency
Criterion
relevance

Actual
criterion

Criterion
contamination

36