CHAPTER 2: TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS

EFFECTIVE HR TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Why Analyze Training Needs

The identification of training needs has been done by keeping the individual and organization as the base point. Training needs is what an individual has, a group has, must be met immediately and can be met in future. Training Needs call for formal training activities, on the job instruction and off the job instruction those which organization can meet internally and through outside resources and those that individual can meet in concert with others and by himself.

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Whatever enterprise, it’s success depends to a very large extent on development of personnel in management. It is therefore essential to see that training needs are made of personnel in management. It is therefore essential to see that training needs are made as rational and scientific as basis as possible. There are four approaches for the identification of training needs, these are organizational development approach, welfare approach, administrative approach and political approach.

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Systematic training can involve ten steps:

1. Identification of training needs.2. Examination of the occupation chooses as priority.3. Analysis of the occupation.4. Specification5. Selection and appraisal of the people to be trained

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6. Setting up of training

7. Objectives

8. Drawing up a syllabus

9. Planning up the training programme and implementation of the programme

10. Checking the training and following up the training.

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It is necessary to analyze the specific knowledge and skill requirements in order to choose appropriate methods that will meet them. The new starter requires an individual plan showing the sequence of training, who the trainer will be and how the training will be delivered. Training costs money but does not add value to the organization because the people are not being developed in the best way.

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TRAINING NEEDS

Many training needs are not so obvious. There are people who are doing their jobs for a long time and are competent in it. By analyzing their performance you could identify aspects that could be improved or find potential that it is not being used to the full.When new systems or methods of working are introduced analyzing the changes of the new methods and systems will mean to the jobs people do, it will be difficult to prepare your workplace to adapt to new knowledge and skill requirements.

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PLANNING, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Emphasis is placed these days on organizations going through a strategic planning phase, developing business plans and forecasts to set targets for their future growth. By analyzing the current capabilities of people, it is much easier to predict and overcome the potential barriers to achieving the targets set.

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Training and development is an investment, it is important to treat it as seriously as investment made such as machinery, new technology or premises.

By examining individual as well as overall aspects of the organization, effective decisions can be made.

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The benefits to Trainer and organization are:1. Investment in training and development will have a

focus and direction.2. Priority training needs throughout the organization will

become apparent.3. Appropriate methods for meeting for meeting these

needs will be identified.4. Training will be systematic and planned but flexible to

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5. The benefits of training will be measured against the initial costs.

6.The contribution training makes to organizational growth and success will be recognized.

The consequences of not carrying out a detailed analysis of training needs are the negatives of the above benefits. The people who pay the price are the employees who, without the right training can be the biggest liability and those trained can become biggest asset to the organization.

Starting Training Analysis

Before you begin your analysis ask yourself:

• What is the role of the trainer?• What do other people expect of trainer?• Does the organization know what training needs

analysis is about?• What type of training has this organization carried out

in the past?• What is the dominant style of managing people here?

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Role of the Trainer.Skill analysis•Identifying gaps in knowledge and skills.Situational Analysis• Identifying process and behavioral issues.Organizational analysis• Identifying problems of organizational development.

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What do other people expect of trainer.

Is the trainer expected to be an expert with all the answers?If the response is “yes” then this could impact on how readily others are willing to accept your idea and solutions and how much responsibility and ownership others take for making your solutions work--- you could become the “scapegoat” if things don’t go plan.

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Do others see trainer as a facilitator?

If the trainer answer is “yes” then this could have a positive impact on creating an environment of collaboration, others becoming involved throughout the training needs analysis process so that responsibility, ownership and commitment are shared. Perhaps trainer have to work on influencing relationships so that you can create this environment of collaboration.

What type of training has this organization carried out in the past?

One has to take a critical look at whether training initiatives are linked to business plan, this may affect the level of support in terms of finance and time one can expect for training. One has to see the type of training received and who has trained. These considerations will help one to work out a strategy for implementing training needs analysis in a systematic way and for suggesting alternative solutions for identified needs.

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Identification Of Training NeedsA training need is the gap between the expected and the existing knowledge, skills and attitudes. It exists in all levels of the organization. Management training is the systematic and continuous development of knowledge, skills and attitudes which is beneficial to both the organization and the individual in achieving the objectives of the organization. It is raising managerial ability in order to improve the effectiveness of management action.

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Training is a means of reducing obsolescence among the employees and to keep pace with technological and social changes which are rapidly taking place. Training, of the available human resources within the organization ensures a pool of manpower of the required levels of expertise of the right time. Firstly consider the attention and planning given by the average organization to the provision of materials, machinery and equipment. Then compare the commitment to the third, essential factor in the production cycle– manpower.

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In many industries it is expected that the right sort of the staff should be available in a labour crisis and when that does not happen the training department is blamed. This is because of the traditional view of training and trainers. Trainers are seen as expense. Training has tended to follow behind other management activities specially in the planning phase. The traditional attitudes can be changed by convincing the top management that training is essentially a principal management function. Another remedy is for the trainers to become more professional. Contd:

The image of training in the enterprise is often based on conceptions of cost effectiveness. Many see training as a budget-balancing exercise. The main reason for unsatisfactory performance of PEs is lack of training of the management cadre in both general and functional areas of work sphere like operations, finance, marketing and production. Training has to be basically conceived as a function of human resources development. Training guarantees the success of the enterprise personnel and ensures continuous supply of new/ additional trained personnel.

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Persons requiring TrainingThere are three main areas in which people display gaps in their performance i.e. when they are not meeting job requirements. These are:

(A)When their performance in their present position does not match with the required standards- this could well be no fault of their own, e.g., new starters.

(B) When the requirement of the job change due to changing environment.

(C) When the present job ceases to exist, job holder changes job and creating “gaps” in new jobs.

Training needs analysisA training needs analysis is basically a data-gathering process used to identify and compare an organization’s actual level of performance to the projected level of performance. The discrepancy will identify the immediate and long-range training need. The “performance” can be interpreted to new managerial skills or technical skills required to do a job.

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The first stage in any data gathering process is to determine what questions need to be answered. A training need analysis varies in size and scope according to how many different purposes it serves. Often the training needs analyses is limited in scope. Effective management of training requires a training needs analysis with combination of size and scope.

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Management training has to :

•Ensure development of adequate number of all-rounder's

•Professionalize the skills of existing generalists.

•Be oriented to achieving the objectives of the enterprise.

•Be designed with the view to identify the critical problems.

•Sharpen the employee processional and technical skill.

•Bring about changes in the employees attitudes.Contd

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•Expose the managerial personnel to modern management techniques and practice.

•Ensure continuous availability of trained power.

•Prepare employees at middle and lower levels for higher assignments.

•Facilitate improvement of skill and knowledge among workers

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•Improve employee effectiveness to handle various operations.

•Increase level of production and securing reasonable returns on investment, keeping in view the larger interests of public.

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Junior-Level ManagersThe supervisory managers are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the enterprises and getting things done from the subordinates. Training develops a understanding of :

• The rationale and role of public enterprises and commitment to goals

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•Basic management concepts, techniques of leadership and basics of decision making.

•Tools and techniques relevant to their functional areas.

•Organizational problems and ways to solve it.

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Middle – Level managers:

They constitute the back bone in any industrial undertaking. They must be taught:

•To understand the role of public enterprise in the context of national development strategy.

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•To understand management concepts, tools and techniques specially those related to conflict resolution.

•To acquire specialized skills in functional areas of management like finance, marketing etc.

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•To know the techniques of corporate planning project management and understand inter-personal and inter-organizational relationships.•To acquire skills of problem solving, communications etc.•To understand the current problems of the enterprise and abilities to solve them.•To develop an awareness of innovation which are to be applied to functional areas.

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Senior/ Top-Level Managers

They are concerned with the total working of the organization and its future. They design and implement policies. The objective of training for then should be:

•Develop leadership skills, understand problems concerning linkages within and outside the enterprise and participate in their solution.

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•Develop deep knowledge of government and business affairs both in national and international context.

•Understanding of concepts, tools etc in areas of enterprise planning and design, control, coordination etc.

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• Develop an awareness of latest decision-making techniques and current developments in organizational change and management.

• Programmes for training the technical personnel abroad require approval of the Government. The management of public sector undertaking are required to ensure that foreign training is restricted to specialized subjects only for which requisite knowledge is not available in the country. Large scale public enterprises have established their own technical training institutes for providing training to their staff.

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Steps to conducting A Need Assessment

Step 1. Perform a “gap” Analysis.

This is to check the actual performance of an institute and the people against existing standards or to set new standards. This had two parts.

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•Current Situation of the Institute

To determine the current state if skills, knowledge and abilities of the current and future employees. This involves analysis of the institutes goals, climate and internal and external constraints. Upgradation is necessary for the organization to move ahead. This gap of what is and what should be has to be bridged.

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•Desired or Necessary Situation

This analysis focuses on the necessary job tasks/ standards, as well as the skills, knowledge and abilities needed to accomplish these successfully. Actual needs should be distinguished from perceived needs, the wants are: Excellence in teaching, training and research to be attained.

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•Publishing research reports in national and international journals

•Exposure to world-class B- schools through exchange programmes.

•Contacts and maintaining relationships with the industrial world.

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Step 2. Identify Priorities and Importance

The first produces a large list of needs for training and development, career development, organization development. Energy should be devoted to addressing human performance problems with greater impact and greater value.

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Step 3. Identify Causes of Performance Problems and or Opportunities.

Research should be given attention. Building and maintaining relations with the industry is important.

An exchange programme with the world-class B schools is important.

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Step 4. Identify Possible Solutions and Growth Opportunities

Faculty should be encouraged to take up research activity more rigorously. Contemporary skills and methods should be taught with live examples for building effective public relationships. State of the art software should be provided that helps in conducting research of international standards. Educational exchange programs enhance faculty skills and improve contemporary knowledge in the management education.

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