The chapter discusses the importance of needs assessment in training. It identifies three levels of analysis in needs assessment: organization analysis, person analysis, and task analysis. Organization analysis examines whether training is the appropriate solution, and person analysis identifies who needs training and their characteristics. Task analysis describes the tasks and skills required for a job. The chapter also discusses different data collection methods and outlines steps for task analysis and developing competency models.

1. CHAPTER 3
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
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OBJECTIVES (1)
Discuss the role of organization analysis, person analysis, and task
analysis in needs assessment
Identify different methods used in needs assessment and identify the
advantages and disadvantages of each method
Discuss the concerns of upper-level and mid-level managers and
trainers in needs assessment
Explain how person characteristics, input, output, consequences, and
feedback influence performance and learning

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OBJECTIVES (2)
Create conditions to ensure that employees are receptive to training
Discuss the steps involved in conducting a task analysis
Analyze task analysis data to determine the tasks in which people
need to be trained
Explain competency models and the process used to develop them

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WHY IS NEEDS ASSESSMENT IMPORTANT?
Training may be incorrectly used as a solution to a performance
problem
Programs may have the wrong content, objectives, or methods
Trainees may be sent to programs for which they do not have the basic
skills, prerequisite skills, or confidence to learn
Training will not deliver the expected results
Money will be spent on training programs that are unnecessary

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WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE?
It is important that all relevant stakeholders be involved
Different stakeholders bring unique and needed perspectives to the
process
• Company leaders
• Mid-level managers
• Trainers
• Employees
• Subject matter experts (SMEs)

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HOW SHOULD DATA BE COLLECTED?
Various methods may be used to collect information. No one method is
necessarily superior to another. There are strengths and limitations of
each, and each may be more relevant in some contexts than others.
Jump to HOW SHOULD DATA BE COLLECTED? Long Description

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OBSERVATION
ADVANTAGES
• relevant data
• minimizes interruption of work
DISADVANTAGES
• requires skill in observation
• employee behavior may be
affected by observation

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SURVEY
ADVANTAGES
• inexpensive
• can collect data from a large
number of individuals
• data easily summarized
DISADVANTAGES
• requires time
• potentially low response rates
• may lack detail
• only provides information
directly related to questions
asked

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INTERVIEW
ADVANTAGES
• good at uncovering detail
• can explore unexpected issues
• questions can be modified
DISADVANTAGES
• time consuming and difficult to
schedule
• difficult to analyze
• need skilled interviewers
• can be threatening to SMEs
• SMEs may provide socially
desirable information

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FOCUS GROUPS AND CROWDSOURCING
ADVANTAGES
• useful for complex or
controversial issues
• can explore unexpected issues
• reduces risk that training will be
rejected by stakeholders
DISADVANTAGES
• time consuming to organize
• group members may only
provide socially desirable
responses

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DOCUMENTATION
ADVANTAGES
• good source of information
• objective
• good source of task information
for new jobs and jobs in the
process of being created
DISADVANTAGES
• may be difficult to understand
• potentially obsolete

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TECHNOLOGY
ADVANTAGES
• objective
• minimizes work interruption
• limited human involvement
DISADVANTAGES
• may threaten employees
• managers may use data to
punish versus train

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HISTORICAL DATA REVIEW
ADVANTAGES
• provides data related to
performance and practices
DISADVANTAGES
• data may be inaccurate,
incomplete, or not fully
reflective of performance

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THREE LEVELS OF ANALYSIS

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ORGANIZATION ANALYSIS
There are three factors to examine to determine if training is the
appropriate solution
• The company’s strategic direction
• Social support to ensure that individuals are motivated to attend
training, learn, and transfer
• Training resources, time, and expertise

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PERSON ANALYSIS
Helps to identify who needs training
Also known as gap analysis, which involves determining what is
responsible for the differences between current and expected
performance
Involves obtaining a variety of information on person characteristics,
inputs, outputs, consequences, and feedback

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BASIC SKILLS
Basic skills are those necessary for employees to learn training content
and perform successfully on the job
A literacy audit can be used to assess employees’ basic skill levels

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COGNITIVE ABILITY
Cognitive ability relates to intellectual capacity and general intelligence
Includes verbal comprehension, quantitative ability, and reasoning
ability
Assessing cognitive ability is important because it is one of the
strongest determinants of training success

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READING ABILITY
Training material should be evaluated to ensure that its reading level
does not exceed that required by the job and trainees’ abilities
If trainees’ reading ability is low:
• use other training methods
• reassign trainees to different positions
• provide remedial training

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SELF-EFFICACY
Self-efficacy relates to trainees’ beliefs that they can master training
content and perform on the job
• If trainees lack confidence, motivation will suffer

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ENHANCING SELF-EFFICACY
Let trainees know the goal is to improve performance and not reveal
incompetence
Providing information about training prior to the program
Describe the success of peers
Emphasize that learning is under trainees’ control
Emphasize that trainees have the ability to overcome obstacles

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NEEDS, CAREER INTERESTS, & GOALS
Awareness of training needs, career interests, and goals enhances
motivation to learn
The link between training and areas where employees need to improve
should be emphasized

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AGE
There is biological evidence that certain mental capacities decrease
from age twenty to age seventy
However, with age comes experience
Trainers may need to adapt training design and delivery accordingly

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GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES
Gen Zs are entrepreneurial and tech-savvy
Millennials are optimistic, embrace technology, and appreciate diversity
Gen Xers need feedback and flexibility and dislike close supervision
Baby Boomers are competitive, hardworking, and concerned with
fairness
Traditionalists are patriotic, loyal, and have a great deal of knowledge

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INPUTS
Inputs relate to resources employees need to help them learn
Situational constraints include lack of tools, equipment, materials,
supplies, budgetary support, and time to perform
Social support refers to manager and peer willingness to provide
feedback and reinforcement

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OUTPUTS
Outputs refer to job performance outcomes
Therefore, it is important to assess employee perceptions of
performance expectations
Trainees need to understand the level of expected proficiency

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CONSEQUENCES
Consequences refer to the type of rewards that employees receive for
performing well
If employees do not believe rewards are adequate, motivation will
suffer
Motivation to learn can be enhanced by communicating the job,
personal, and career benefits of learning

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FEEDBACK
Feedback refers to the information that employees receive
Employees need specific and detailed feedback
Feedback also needs to be frequent to influence performance

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IS TRAINING THE BEST SOLUTION?
Is the performance problem important and potentially costly?
Do employees know how to perform effectively?
Can employees demonstrate the correct knowledge or behavior?
Were performance expectations clear?
Were positive consequences offered for good performance?
Did employees receive appropriate feedback?
Were other solutions too expensive or unrealistic?

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TASK ANALYSIS
Results in a description of the tasks to be performed and the
knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform
A job is a specific work position involving the completion of a defined
set of related tasks
A task is a specific work activity that is a component of a job

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KSAOS
To complete a task, employees must possess the necessary KSAOs
• Knowledge includes facts, figures, and procedures
• Skill is the competency to perform a task
• Ability refers to physical and mental capacities
• Other requirements include conditions under which tasks are
performed

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TASK ANALYSIS STEPS
Jump to TASK ANALYSIS STEPS Long Description

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COMPETENCY MODELS
A competency model identifies the competencies necessary for a given
job
They provide descriptions of competencies that are common for an
entire occupation, organization, job family, or specific job
They are useful for variety of HR practices, including recruiting,
selection, and training and development

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WHY ARE COMPETENCY MODELS VALUABLE?
They identify behaviors needed for effective performance
They provide a tool for determining what skills are necessary to meet
current and future needs
They help to determine what skills are needed at different career points
They provide a framework for ongoing coaching and feedback
They create a “road map” for developing future managers
They provide a common set of criteria to identify training activities

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DEVELOPING A COMPETENCY MODEL
Jump to DEVELOPING A COMPETENCY MODEL Long Description

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SCOPE OF NEEDS ASSESSMENT (1)
Often managers and trainers may avoid conducting a needs
assessment
They may provide a variety of excuses
Without conducting a proper needs assessment, training will not be
well targeted

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SCOPE OF NEEDS ASSESSMENT (2)
A needs assessment in practice would not collect all information
presented in the text, but should be tailored to situation at hand
Due to time constraints, sometimes a rapid needs assessment would be
appropriate
A rapid needs assessment refers to a needs assessment that is done
quickly and accurately without sacrificing the quality

38. Appendix of Image Long Descriptions

39. HOW SHOULD DATA BE COLLECTED? Long Description
At the bottom of the slide are different methods for conducting a needs assessment in different boxes (from left to right):
Observation
Survey
Interview
Focus Groups & Crowdsourcing
Documentation
Technology
Historical Data Review
Jump back to HOW SHOULD DATA BE COLLECTED?

40. TASK ANALYSIS STEPS Long Description
This slide presents the steps in conducting a task analysis with an arrow (from left to right):
Select the jobs to be analyzed
Develop a preliminary list of tasks to be analyzed
Validate the list of tasks with SMEs
After the most important tasks have been identified, identify the most important KSAOs
Jump back to TASK ANALYSIS STEPS

41. DEVELOPING A COMPETENCY MODEL Long Description
This slide presents the steps in developing a competency model with an arrow (from left to right):
Identify business strategy and goals
Identify jobs, positions, or job families
Conduct interviews and focus groups with top performers
Develop competencies and the competency model
Validate and review the model
Jump back to DEVELOPING A COMPETENCY MODEL