COMS 4322-Ch3-3
Conducting a Needs Assessment and Task Analysis
COMS 4322--Chapter 3
The terms needs and assessment—Before anything of substance gets done, the trainer has to determine what is needed; what is lacking or desired by the audience. Teaching someone what they already know is a waste of everyone’s time. Additionally, what you teach them needs to be beneficial to both the individuals and their organization. We don’t train for the sake of training. Once you know what needs to be taught, you develop a task analysis which is a step-by-step description of how you will satisfy the needs.
Domains of Learning—these are categories of learning. Sometimes we learn concepts, facts, etc. Sometimes we learn to appreciate things; to be motivated to take action or not take action. And sometimes we learn how to perform certain functions in a hands-on manner.
· Cognitive Learning—A very common kind of learning you’ve done for years. Learning facts, concepts, theories, etc. Often a basis for future learning, but frequently not enough for the trainer. In other words, your trainees are likely to need more than knowledge of facts and other information.
· Affective Learning—the focus here is on changing attitudes and feelings; often motivating trainees to want to do something or inspiring them to improve. If you just teach them information but don’t provide a motivational base to use that information, the training is likely to be a disappointment. For example, I could teach you the steps in a sales call (cognitive) but also need to teach how using those steps correctly can result in more money, higher esteem and greater job security (affective).
· Pscyhomotor Learning—teaching someone how to do something. Could be anything from how to create a PowerPoint presentation to how to operate a cement mixer.
How to Conduct a Needs Assessment—A needs assessment can identify the following via what is called a “systems approach.” Training systems lie within and are directly affected by the larger system that involves organizational policies, traditional work modes, and a variety of individual skills. This systems approach to needs assessment is centered on three key variables and how they interaction with one another:
1. Organizational analysis: This provides the background, setting, and context for all the other considerations in needs assessment. One goal in this analysis is to ensure the right kind of training for the right topics, and that it fits the organization’s various agendas. Another goal is to ensure that all training can be transferred back to the workplace where employees can make actual use of it. The organizational culture is vital to consider since any training must be appropriate to or fit within it. In short, a trainer really needs to understand the organization first and what motivates them (management and workers) before designing programs to increase productivity.
2. Task Analysis—the dissection of a task into the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to accomplish it, along with a description of these terms in behavioral terms. For example, just saying that an employee needs to be trained as an “administrative assistant” is particularly vague and needs more explanation. What are the detailed duties of this position? Need to know so training can be developed to fulfill those needs.
3. Person Analysis—this is the employee to be trained and often there are discrepancies or gaps in employees’ skills and the skills required for effective job performance both now and in the future. This analysis provides an understanding of the characteristics of the individuals within the target training population. The better you know the target population, the better you can tailor the training for their needs.
These three analysis variables are logical and make sense. But how can you go about determining what is needed to be taught? In an ideal world some of the following seven options would be done. In reality, time is often limited and availability of trainees might not be possible. Consequently, these options—while certainly good ideas—are often not practical and do not get done. Nonetheless, if you can do any of the following you increase the odds of your training being more valuable to those involved.
· Surveys—questionnaires that determine responses before the training begins. The key is that they must be clear and unbiased in language, otherwise they are essentially useless.
1. Likert Scale—questions that ask “to what degree,” “depth of intensity” etc. that work on a sliding scale from very much one way to very much the other.
2. Checklists—self-explanatory lists that indicate what is known, not known, needed, not needed, etc.
3. Yes and No Responses—like those noted above; yes-no questions have limited value and best not over-used as a result.
4. Rank Order—answers are put in order from most important to least, most used to least, most like to least, etc.
5. Multiple Choice Questions—You’ve taken these for years and know how they work. The challenge is writing them well; very hard to well the first time and often require additional editing later on.
6. Open-Ended Questions—wide open structure for the interviewee and can provide great depth in response. But harder to tabulate and group since the responses can be so varied as to what is needed.
7. 360 Survey Method—information is gathered from a variety of sources to gain a well-rounded perspective on the company and trainees. Very time-consuming but can provide a very in-depth and valuable assessment of the needs.
· Interviews—focus groups are small gatherings of people usually guided by a moderator who keeps the topic on track and asks open-ended questions. You can learn a lot with this option but it is also time-consuming and hard to get people together in one setting for very long. Additionally, you may get many opinions that vary considerably in strength and direction.
· Observation Methods—watching employees at work; seeing how they interact with customers and/or with each other. Less obtrusive than interviews, but sometimes people change their behavior if they know they are being watched (evaluated) in any manner.
· Assessment Tests—essentially these measure what someone knows or what they can do before the training. Very helpful in identifying the weakness and/or skills already possessed.
How to Assess Needs without a Comprehensive Needs Assessment Process—As noted earlier, the reality of the workplace and its environment make it difficult to conduct thorough and detailed assessment practices prior to the training sessions. If you are in a situation in which such preparation is impossible, there are still options available. For some preparation is always better than none.
· Make the first training event a needs assessment exercise—
· Prior to the workshop mail or phone participants to get some idea of what they know and need—
· Talk the people as they arrive at the workshop—
· At the start of the training just ask them what they would like to learn and why they are here—
· Develop a short pre-session questionnaire to determine some of idea of needs and wants—
How to Analyze the Training Task—You can’t teach someone how to do anything unless you can first do it yourself. Building the training task is like constructing a blueprint or detailed model/outline of what needs to be covered/taught. Essentially, you lay out what the trainees need to know and how you will go about teaching them.
How to Prepare a Task Analysis—(Detailed example is shown in text on pages 63-65). This starts with you being sure you know what you’re doing; being competent to teach others. Once your comfortable with your own knowledge/skill level, you construct the steps necessary for teaching others. And determine what visual support you’ll want and need to conduct the training. The Roman numeral list (I-IX) on page 62 provides a good example of how this might flow together in a series of steps.