Introduction
Training or development equips employees with specific skills that enable them to perform better. An effective staff development requires an analysis of skills and abilities of an employee or department in order to align training needs with an organization’s strategic objectives.
In addition, due to budgetary constraints, organizations often focus their training on areas that are cost-effective or those that promise high returns on the invested capital. In this regard, an effective training needs analysis or assessment (TNA) is essential in the modern workplace environment, which is highly dynamic with respect to the types of skills and technology required.
A prior analysis of training needs helps design an effective staff development plan. TNA is a three-pronged process that includes organizational, operational, and personal analyses. Its aim is to identify the “performance gaps as well as their causes and prioritize the most important ones” (Blanchard & Thacker, 2013, p. 93).
Thus, TNA ensures that a training program focuses on priority needs that could potentially yield higher returns on investment. It allows firms to invest their resources in training areas that promise better job skills, improved morale, and higher productivity.
TNA involves performance appraisals that assess the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) that a particular employee requires to do a particular task. Thus, TNA ensures that an organization offers the right training to those who need it most.
TNA requires concerted efforts from specialists, managers, and employees in the organization. In most organizations, employee training or development is the role of departmental managers. Thus, managers or supervisors must be conversant with the TNA process in order to design an effective training program for their team.
Moreover, managers should learn to use TNA benchmarks to measure the extent to which the program meets the employees’ training needs. The paper contributes to literature in two ways. First, it examines TNA from the perspective of human resource development, and second, it analyzes the factors that contribute to an effective needs assessment.
Review of Literature
In literature, most authors recognize TNA as an important prerequisite for employee training and development. TNA is a crucial process that informs all organizational training programs as well as spending.
Nevertheless, most organizations do not conduct a needs assessment prior to training because of time limitations and cost considerations. This literature review is organized into three themes relevant to the topic, namely, the training needs analysis models, TNA as a human resource development issue, and the implementation challenges.
TNA Models
In general, all training activities in organizations center on the TNA process. A proper needs assessment approach ensures that the training programs are not only effective, but also cost-effective and reflective of the goals of the organization and those of the trainee.
A TNA model must be systematic, i.e., one that fundamentally integrates the organizational, operational, and personal analyses into the training process (Blanchard & Thacker, 2013). Various studies enumerate the various steps of a general TNA model.
The steps include specifying the training need, selecting the methods to use, designing the program, implementing it, and evaluating its outcomes (Blanchard & Thacker, 2013). The data gathered in this approach can help justify why the training is necessary based on its benefits to the organization and trainees.
It is worth noting that a training need must be triggered by a certain event, which could be a performance problem. According to Blanchard and Thacker (2013), the major inputs of a TNA model that follows a triggering event relate to the performance gaps identified after organizational, personal, and operational analyses.
Organizational analysis determines the impact a firm’s goals and strategies have on the performance of the workers while operational evaluation entails matching the specific job requirements with an employee’s KSAs. On the other hand, a ‘person’ analysis determines whether the employee’s KSAs can enable him or her to perform at the expected level.
In other words, a person analysis reveals the gap between the expected and the actual performance of the employee (Blanchard & Thacker, 2013). The identification of a performance gap necessitates the development of training programs to correct it.
In general, the chosen method must be cost-effective such that the return on investment is higher than the cost of implementing it. An organization can choose to train, transfer, terminate, or redesign the job to enable employees to meet the expected level of performance.
It is evident that TNA is based on the premise that any job requires certain KSAs and therefore, the role of needs assessment is to identify the organizational performance gap. This gap constitutes a training need.
A study by Taormina (2009) outlines how a firm can identify a training need at organizational, team, or personal level in five fundamental steps:
- an organization has to determine the specific area its TNA will concentrate on,
- identify the data collection methods,
- gather the information,
- analyze it,
- suggest solutions (p. 656).
Most TNA models involve these five steps. The common methods used to gather data include “job or task analysis, interviews, and questionnaires” (Ferreira & Abbad, 2013, p. 197). Employee development in large firms often involves performance appraisal to collect data and determine the training needs.
The training needs form the basis for conducting the development. Nevertheless, most organizations ignore this essential step because the process requires a heavy investment of capital and time (Ferreira & Abbad, 2013). Other organizations do not conduct this TNA because they lack qualified trainers to do it. Some organizations also do not believe that the process can effectively reveal the performance gaps.
A TNA process may fail to deliver when trainers lay more emphasis on the training cycle than on organizational goals and objectives. Besides, the emphasis on skills deficits may be misconstrued as a witch-hunt and thus, reduce its support among employees (Ferreira & Abbad, 2013).
In addition, most TNA models rely on job analysis to determine the performance gaps. Job analysis entails an evaluation of the KSAs necessary for a particular position. The process is time-consuming and generates data that can only be used at that particular time (Ferreira & Abbad, 2013). In other words, the data cannot be used to address future changes that an organization might face.
In this view, the process is only useful for stable organizations where major job changes are unlikely to occur in the short-term. Moreover, job analysis or appraisals are usually associated with rewards, which make the identification of training needs difficult.
Ideally, a TNA occurs in three phases, namely, organizational, operational, and personal levels. However, most firms focus on personal needs analysis because of the belief that improving employee skills would translate into better organizational performance. In some cases, supervisors identify training needs without involving the trainees.
A systematic review by Ferreira and Abbad (2013) establishes that in some firms, top company executives identify training needs and plans without involving the employees. This approach may not identify the actual training needs, as top managers are usually unfamiliar with the daily operations of each department.
Ferreira and Abbad (2013) further state that, in those firms, the TNA process is based on the opinions of the management. An ideal TNA approach should involve a comprehensive skills audit to identify the performance gaps and link the KSAs with a firm’s objectives.
TNA as a Human Resource Development Issue
Many studies examine the roles of the trainers in the context of needs assessment. The studies underscore the importance of involving employees as well as the management in the TNA process. In traditional TNA models, the trainer conducts the appraisals and identifies the skills that employees need to perform at the expected level.
However, line managers, by virtue of their closeness to employees and direct involvement in departmental operations, have a big role to play in needs assessment. Cekada (2011) notes that line managers can help employees discover their strengths and abilities as well as skills deficits. Moreover, line managers know the skills required to bolster up an organization’s performance.
In this respect, TNA has clear linkages to human development (HRD). HRD practitioners consider employee development to be a source of sustained competitive advantage. The HRD model of needs assessment differs from other approaches because it aligns TNA with business strategy, incorporates the views of line managers, and considers training as part of the organizational culture, not as a purely academic process (Cekada, 2011).
Ideally, TNA should be a part of an organization’s business strategy and thus, should be conducted as a routine HRD practice. However, often, organizations use TNA when a performance problem or training need arises. In an HRD model, organizations endeavor to cultivate a learning culture that involves all employees in order to create a sustainable competitive advantage.
A survey of big manufacturing companies in Malaysia reveals that line managers play an active role in the TNA process (Haslinda, 2009). This empirical study also establishes that in those organizations, the training needs are anchored on individual, organizational, and occupational goals.
In such organizations, HRD transforms employees into active self-driven learners who continually seek for opportunities to improve their skills (Haslinda, 2009).
The other noteworthy difference between this model and the traditional training approach is that HRD equips employees with skills that not only enables workers to perform better, but also allows them to cope with future changes in the organization. Thus, TNA anchored on human resource development spurs creativity and lifelong learning.
TNA Implementation Challenges
The implementation of a TNA process in large corporations is often challenging because of their large size and the existence of many subcultures. A study by Barker, Marra, and Jones (2012) found that a performance pyramid (a model of needs assessment) is useful in data collection in large organizations like the U.S. army.
Although based on opinion, the study shows that an effective TNA should be pegged on performance improvement, applicable to all departments, and reflective of future changes (Barker, Marra & Jones, 2012). In large corporations, performance appraisal and job analysis, though useful in determining training needs, may be costly undertakings.
Barker, Marra, and Jones (2012) point out that the factors that trigger a TNA can also impede data collection and analysis. One of these factors is the lack of strategic planning to identify and align the training needs with a firm’s goals.
Resistance to change can also hamper the implementation of a TNA process in large organizations. In particular, when the needs assessment process is performance-based, workers may consider it a threat and thus, resist it. To avoid this, the trainees need to be educated on the benefits of the TNA process to the organization and staff (Taormina, 2009).
Often, employees treat needs assessment with suspicion and skepticism and thus, require reassurances that the data will only be used for training and development. The management also needs to play a central role in the TNA process. They must strive to involve the views of the employees.
Otherwise, employees may expect the firm to deliver on their behalf and avoid playing any active role in the process. In addition, industrial disputes may arise if the staff is skeptical of the process.
Linking needs assessment to resource planning within the organization can help overcome the TNA implementation challenges.
According to Iqbal and Khan (2011), aligning the TNA process with corporate strategy and service planning can make it more trainee-centered, which would encourage teamwork and collaboration between the management and staff. The skills requirement for a particular project should also be linked to the learning needs of the staff. In this way, organizations can identify the future training needs of their employees.
Implications of the Literature
The literature reviewed has raised a number of issues that have significant implications for staff training and development. In relation to its implementation, the TNA process should be a concerted activity that involves all parties within the organization. It requires commitment and support from the top management, line managers, and supervisors to identify the training needs of the staff at the department level.
Line managers can also guide trainees in identifying their own training needs. Thus, an effective needs assessment process is the one that involves input from senior management, supervisors, and staff.
It requires an effective communication strategy to allay fears associated with performance assessments and explain to the trainees the benefits of the process. This implication is cited in Haslinda’s (2009) study that examines TNA from an HRD perspective.
The identification of training needs often precedes any development decisions. A TNA process is necessitated by a training need or a gap in organizational performance. However, as noted in the literature, a TNA process may fail to achieve its intended purpose when it is purely performance-based (Iqbal & Khan, 2011).
Performance evaluation tools such as job analysis and employee appraisal fail to capture the future job changes, as they focus on a person’s KSAs at a particular point in time. Most people also associate performance evaluations with rewards and promotions and thus, it is difficult to identify the actual training needs of an employee.
The performance-based evaluations have implications for employee training and development. Educating the supervisors or line managers on the sources of training needs and on how to empower trainees to choose their development goals is one way of creating an effective TNA process.
Literature also highlights the lack of linkages between needs assessment and organizational goals and practices as an impediment to successful implementation of the process (Cekada, 2011). This implies that needs assessment should be a holistic process that encompasses corporate strategy and goals to enable an organization to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage (Barker, Marra & Jones, 2012).
Linking the process to the business strategy helps manage staff expectations, control costs, and introduce new changes based on the needs identified (Barker, Marra & Jones, 2012). It also encourages participation from trainees and facilitates organizational change. Such linkages shift training from its traditional performance-oriented approach to an employee-oriented process where development is a continuous exercise.
Training needs analysis may fail if it is viewed as an outcome and not a process. Lack of clarity of goals that the training aims to achieve can also lead to its failure. This implies that an organization should ensure that the TNA conforms to its organizational strategy and objectives. Resistance from staff or middle management can stall the implementation of the TNA process.
Resistance often arises when the staff is not prepared for the new changes or is skeptical of the process. In this view, needs assessment should be handled as a change management process to help trainees to adjust to the new system. It requires constant communication to create awareness and encourage participation.
Educating the trainees about the importance of TNA can also motivate them to change their attitudes and embrace needs assessment as a career development opportunity.
Conclusions
Training needs analysis is an important initial step in employee development. It entails the analysis of the organization, tasks, and persons or employees (OTP) to identify the specific training needs of the staff. The OTP model is a general approach of identifying the performance gaps in an organization. TNA helps an organization to design an appropriate training program to improve each employee’s KSAs.
To improve organizational effectiveness, a TNA process should involve all parties, including the top management, the line managers, and the staff. The findings of Haslinda (2009) study show that line managers in charge of departments should be involved in the identification of training needs and goals.
A TNA process also needs endorsement from the top management and criteria for evaluating the training outcomes. Furthermore, it should be aligned with organizational strategy and objectives as well as the career goals of the trainees.
References
Barker, L. M., Marra, R. M. & Jones, K. (2012). Meeting needs assessment challenges: Applying the performance pyramid in the U.S. Army. Performance Improvement, 51(1), 32–41.
Blanchard, P. N. & Thacker, J.W. (2013). Effective Training: Systems, Strategies, and Practices. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Cekada, T. L. (2011). Conducting an effective needs assessment. Professional Safety, 56(12), 28-37.
Ferreira, R. & Abbad, G. (2013). Training needs assessment: where we are and where we should go. Brazilian Administration Review, 10(1), 193-201.
Haslinda, A. (2009). Training Needs Assessment and Analysis: A Case of Malaysian Manufacturing Firms. European Journal of Scientific Research, 37(3), 351-360.
Iqbal, M.Z. & Khan, R.A. (2011). The growing concept and uses of training needs assessment. Journal of European Industrial Training, 35(5), 439-466.
Taormina, R. J. (2009). Organizational socialization: the missing link between employee needs and organizational culture. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 24(7), 650-676.