Steps in the Needs Assessment Process
Step One: Identify Problem Needs
Determine organizational context
Organizational context is important in the determination of attitudes and behaviors before and after the training. We firstly find employee job satisfaction, organizational commitment, job involvement, and partial inclusion and higher levels' of role conflict and role ambiguity.
Perform gap analysis
We identify where employees are, then we plan where employees want to be and how to get there. That analysis is conducted by the managers who noted the shortcomings and weak areas of the employees.
Managers compare the actual performance and the desired performance of the employees.
Set objectives
As the managers sees the clear indications of the gap, they set there recommendations for the training of the employees.
Step Two: Determine Design of Needs Analysis
Method selection criteria
After the identification of the problem areas, managers establish criteria to select the method to improve things. They plan for the training modules and mode of training.
Advantages and disadvantages for methods
After the initial selection of methods and modules, managers draw conclusion with the help of advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages/Disadvantages
- fast, inexpensive
- broad involvement
- low-risk
- low-visibility
- not precise or specific
- based on opinion
- difficult to validate
- difficult to set priorities
- difficult to relate to output or to evaluate the importance of training
- once you ask people what training they feel is important you create an implicit expectation that you will deliver it.
Step Three: Collect Data
Conduct interviews
Departmental heads starts taking interviews of the concerned persons to get each and every thing. With the help of this managers get what are the shortfalls for employees.
Questionnaires and Surveys
Questionnaires and surveys also enable managers to get the employees input, because they can formulate training courses with the help of these results.
Observe people at work
When employees are working on site then managers can easily scrutinize all working and give their suggestions and recommendation.
Step Four: Analyze Data
Initial Analysis
The assessment can be as detailed and involved as needed. Factors to consider when considering the level of detail are time, money, number of people involved, criticalness of skill, anticipated return on investment?, resources available, etc. A comparison of some of the factors between in-depth and a mini assessment follows.
In-depth
Mini
Type of Information
Quantitative
Qualitative
Methods
Multi-tiered approach
Surveys
Observation
Interviews
Focus groups
Document reviews
Interviews
Focus groups
Scope
Widespread organizational involvement
Broad ranging objectives
Fewer people involved
Short term focus
Length
Several months to a year
Few days to a week
Cost
Expensive
Inexpensive
Focus
Linked o defined outputs
Immediate, quick results
Exposure/Visibility
High profile and risk
Lower risk
Determine solutions/recommendations
Finalize the plan after finding all the possible solutions.
Step Five: Provide Feedback
Write report and make oral presentation
HOD makes a report and presentation and delivers it to the management of the company.
Determine next step – Training needed?
After thorough evaluation of report and the presentation, management finally decides whether to conduct training or not. Is it fruitful or not?
Step Six: Develop Action Plan
Once this formal needs assessment process is completed the information is used as the basis for training design, development and evaluation. However managers continue to assess the attitudes, knowledge and skill level of participants prior to each session. Different employees may have different requirements. This can be done both through a basic questionnaire sent just prior to a specific training event and also during the welcome time of each session.
