1

4.Discuss the benefits of trg & devp.

Training presents a prime opportunity to expand the knowledge base of all

employees.However training and development provides both the individual and
organisations as a whole with benefits that make the cost and time a worthwhile
investment. The return on investment from training and development of
employees is enumerated below

(a). Improved employee performance – the employee who receives the

necessary training is more able to perform in their job. The training will give the
employee a greater understanding of their responsibilities within their role, and in
turn build their confidence. This confidence will enhance their overall
performance and this can only benefit the company. Employees who are
competent and on top of changing industry standards help your company hold a
position as a leader and strong competitor within the industry.

(b) Improved employee satisfaction and morale – the investment in

training that a company makes shows employees that they are valued. The
training creates a supportive workplace. Employees may gain access to training
they wouldn’t have otherwise known about or sought out themselves. Employees
who feel appreciated and challenged through training opportunities may feel
more satisfaction toward their jobs.

( c) Addressing weaknesses – Most employees will have some weaknesses

in their workplace skills. A training program allows you to strengthen those skills
that each employee needs to improve. A development program brings all
employees to a higher level so they all have similar skills and knowledge. This
helps reduce any weak links within the company who rely heavily on others to
complete basic work tasks. Providing the necessary training creates an overall
knowledgeable staff with employees who can take over for one another as
needed, work on teams or work independently without constant help and
supervision from others.

(d) Consistency – A robust training and development program ensures that

employees have a consistent experience and background knowledge. The
 2

consistency is particularly relevant for the company’s basic policies and

procedures. All employees need to be aware of the expectations and procedures
within the company. Increased efficiencies in processes results in financial gain for
the company.

(e)Increased productivity and adherence to quality standards –

Productivity usually increases when a company implements training courses.
Increased efficiency in processes will ensure project success which in turn will
improve the company turnover and potential market share.

(f)Increased innovation in new strategies and products – Ongoing training

and upskilling of the workforce can encourage creativity. New ideas can be
formed as a direct result of training and development.

(g)Reduced employee turnover – staff are more likely to feel valued if they
are invested in and therefore, less likely to change employers. Training and
development is seen as an additional company benefit. Recruitment costs
therefore go down due to staff retention.

(h)Enhances company reputation and profile – Having a strong and

successful training strategy helps to develop your employer brand and make your
company a prime consideration for graduates and mid-career changes. Training
also makes a company more attractive to potential new recruits who seek to
improve their skills and the opportunities associated with those new skills.

5.What is the relationship between training and development and

performance appraisal?

5.1 Training and development :Training and development refers to work-

related set of skills, knowledge and capabilities that need to be required and
developed by the employee to perform according to the defined levels of
performance by the management . Training and development can be viewed as a
next step to performance appraisals. Training need assessment is a gap analysis to
identify the gaps between the employee's current level of skill, knowledge and
 3

attributes / capabilities and required level of skill, knowledge and attributes so

that the employee(s) can develop their competencies and meet the future
business challenges. Within the created scenario, training and development
programmes provide employees with appropriate professional training such as
short professional and or technical courses, managerial courses etc. The objective
of training and development programmes and practices is to develop the
employee skill, knowledge and attributes level as needed by the organisation. It
should however be noted that training and development practices are not always
a result of performance appraisals. Any developments in business systems such as
up- gradation, re-engineering, new implementations etc. also demands for
developed workforce that will be ultimately using the new of developed system.

5.2 Performance appraisal : Performance appraisal critically evaluates the

performances of the people in an organisation. Staff performances are a
combination of staffs' knowledge, skills, capabilities and behaviour that result in
good / bad / poor performances. Different organisations have different scales and
ways of evaluating the staff performances, however the ultimate objective of this
human resource practice is to

(i) provide structured judgements / ratings so as to support salary

increments, staff promotions, transfers / job rotation and in extreme cases staff
demotions and termination of employment.

(ii) inform and comment on employees' job performance and provide

constructive feedback for making improvements

(iii) form the basis for identifying the coaching, mentoring and counselling
needs for individual staff members to be provided by the senior and more
experience staff member.

It is imperative to note that employees must experience positive

performance appraisal response so that the performance appraisal practices can
positively influence the employee behaviour . Performance appraisal is mostly
deemed to be one of the most central human resource practices and has been
evolving as a strategic approach towards integrating business policies and human
 4

resource activities. This suggestion indicates towards the extent of involvement of

managerial levels in managing periodic performance appraisals in an organisation.

5.3 The advantage of an appraisal system is that

(a) Employees are able to gain a better understanding of their job

role and performance expectations

(b) Understand the job role within the wider context of the
organisation.

(c) Employees can understand how their performances are perceived

by the management and finding ways of improving their performance
levels.

(d) Employees can develop an understanding of how performances

are appraised, reviewed and monitored by the management.

(e) Employees can also identify their weakness and strengths and
self- evaluate that what further needs to be developed. In so doing
employees also find an opportunity to formally discuss their role,
opportunities for further progression.

(f) Through performance appraisals the management can gain

agreement of the employees about their understanding of their job roles
and objectives for the following year.

(g) From a business / organisational perspective, the current level of

employee and his potential can be assessed. This further forms the basis of
succession planning of each employee.

(h) The management can update the employee information such as

his achievements, new skill, knowledge, ability and competencies.

5.4 The benefit outcomes of training and development practices are:

(a) Training and development practices provide the employees with

challenges that need to be addressed for meeting performance standards as
 5

defined by the management. Challenging job role is one of the many motivational
factors for employees.

(b) Training and development practices can further ensure the employees
that they are being valued by the company that is the reason the company is
making investments in their development.

(c) Successful training and development provides the employees with sense
of ownership of their job role while taking pride in their performance. The results
are higher productivity, efficiency and satisfaction rates.

6. Why is it necessary to link training and development activities to the

achievement of the organisation’s business activities ?

6.1 Training and career development are very vital in any company or
organization that aims at progressing. This includes decision making, thinking
creatively and managing people. Training and development is so important
because-

(a)Help in addressing employee weaknesses

(b) Improvement in worker performance

(c) Consistency in duty performance

(d) Ensuring worker satisfaction

(e) Increased productivity

(f) Improved quality of service and products

(g) Reduced cost.

(h) Reduction in supervision.

6.2 Is investment in the area of training and development linked to the

bottom line within the business. Increasingly, high performing organizations today
 6

are recognising the need to use best training and development practices to
enhance their competitive advantage. Training and development is an essential
element of every business if the value and potential of it’s people is to be
harnessed and grown. Many studies have highlighted the clear links between well
designed and strategic training and development initiatives and the bottom line
within the business. The image of an industry and of individual employers is also
influenced by the extent and quality of staff training and development. Potential
employees in such an open labour market will assess the track record of
prospective employers in this vital area. Career Progression and development is
an increasingly attractive or even basic requirement for many such employees. In
today’s business climate where all industries are experiencing staff and skills
shortages, companies are faced with stiff internal and external competition for
quality employees. Each employer who invests seriously in the area of training
and development will reap the benefits of an enriched working environment with
higher levels of staff retention as well as increased productivity and performance.

6.3 It Improve productivity, effectiveness and efficiency of government service by

development and better utilization of talents, abilities and potential of
employees.

6.4 It Helps employees develop their knowledge, skills and abilities so that they
might become better qualified to perform the duties of their present jobs and
advance to more responsible positions.

6.5 Training and development provide for the development of managers and
supervisors capable of organizing and developing effective management systems
for the accomplishment of each State agency’s goals and objectives.

6.6 Alleviate labor market shortages and reduce personnel turnover.

6.7 Prepared employees to deal more effectively with growing social, scientific
and economic problems faced by government by making use of advances in
professional and vocational knowledge and technology.
 7

ANALYSIS OF TRAINING NEEDS

1. What are the types of training needs in an organisation?

1.1 Any company delving into training and development of its workforce
should first identify and assess training needs. This is the single most
important thing that helps executives to address the gaps between the
existing training and training which will be required in the future. The
three different needs managers should look at for identifying key
training needs at any organization are listed below.

1.2 Industry-related needs :These are quite simple, but it can still be
challenging to narrow them down when formulating a training program.
There surely exists certain pieces of industry knowledge that employees
should have. This need essentially derives from how the organization fits
into the industry.For example, a manufacturing group which creates parts
for high-tech appliances may require the knowledge about where those
parts go, what kind of appliances they structure, and how the
manufacturing of those appliances coordinated by other companies
affects the industry as a whole. When assessing this need, there is need
to know how to differentiate what needs to be known from what would
be nice to know.

1.3 Job-related needs :Job related needs are those that relate directly to jobs
which are part of the organization. This need istaken care by researching
whether there’s training available for certain jobs. If not, organizations
might create a complete training program for a job.The purpose of job-
related needs is to improve the final output of the job itself. It can be
building an error-free part for a technological appliance or a completed
call with a customer. The key is to identify which aspects of the job belong
to executive positions and which ones are related to on-the-job training.

1.4 Task-related needs :A task-related need usually comes in the form of a

requirement in a particular part or output within a job or job
family.Sometimes one or more aspects of a job aren’t working and affect
the overall productivity of a worker. Example – a customer service
representative performs well in sales and customer satisfaction, but when
it comes to data inputs into the CRM system, they’re pretty hopeless. This
 8

problem might affect contact with the customers or even the number of
closed sales.

2. Mention various approaches to training .

2.1 On the job training: In this type of method, a new or less

experienced employee is given some kind of instructions or advice
from a more experienced employee who may be a supervisor or some
kind of a special instructor.The success of how much the person can
learn depends on, how the experienced employee teaches them.

2.2 Off the job training:This type of method involves a trainee leaving
their work for the time being and they need to give or devote their
entire work time for getting the necessary training required.At this
time the person does not contribute to any of the production activities
that the company does in that time. This kind of training is mainly
provided or arranged by the company itself or they may use special
institutes for this purpose who provide such kind of training.Large
companies make it a point to provide such training to their employees
and have different departments or institutes in the workplace in
comparison to smaller companies who do not provide such training.

2.3 Apprenticeship Training:This method is mainly used in industries

and can go on for a long time at times for the duration of about 4-5
years.After the training is over the worker obtains all the necessary
information and then carries on their work. Knowledge both in the
form of practical knowledge while they do their job and theoretical
knowledge from the lectures is obtained by them.It is one of the oldest
and most traditional methods when it comes to training the people of
the organization.

2.4 Vestibule or Training Center Training:A vestibule is a place or

passage or also a room situated between the outside door and inside
of the building. So under vestibule type training the trainers train the
workers on certain special machines in a different location like
classrooms and this is known as a ‘vestibule school’ which the
 9

Personnel Department of the firm runs.The training is provided in

certain conditions which are artificial but make it like real conditions
and the remaining theoretical training is given in the classroom.

2.5 Training Via Internship:There is a lot of advantage of getting

trained in internship. Internship practically is like working but not for
full term purpose and salary basically is low and they are called
stipend. So training will actually inculcate the skill of time management
and will balance between the theory part of the studies and also the
practical part of the subject.The drawbacks behind this idea is that, it
can only be used for skilled and works more of practically oriented goal
instead of just sitting and studying. The time usually depends on
people. Some wants to keep the contract for 6 months or some wants
to keep it for 2 months only. Therefore, the timing also is not frigid,
they are flexible.

2.6 Beginners 1st Level Training: Such training is given to the

individuals who don’t have the advanced level knowledge about the
work. This system actually helps in training such individuals who are
not done a full formal study needed for a position. Such training helps
in at least giving a job security instead of no work at hand.The
individuals are trained and then after successfully completing the
period the employer or the agents will fix them with job which is
secured. Workshops, Seminars, guest lectures are conducted for them
so that they can acquire adequate knowledge.

2.7 Training Institute:The training institutes are actually built to give

vocational training and etc so that they can shape up the ones
personality.Basically, when an employer hires individual he thinks that
it is necessary to send such individual to such training institutes.The
training institutes generally provide soft skills, personality
development, IQ level classes etc so that the person may not only
increase by knowledge but also emotionally and mentally strong. There
are many institutes all over world who give such training to the
employees.

2.8 Role Playing: This is one of the best and effective way for training
employees. It is a form in which a realistic role will be played by a
 10

particular person in an imaginary situation.Here the person gets in to

the skin of the role and portrays it creating a realistic environment.
The main advantage of this role playing method is to help develop
interpersonal relations and attitudinal improvisations.

2.9 Simulation:This is another form of training in which the equipment

or things needed will be duplicated to create a realistic
environment.One of the best example is pilot training, where the
trainees will be given a aircraft like environment so that they get the
feel of flying a real aircraft.This methods helps in developing better
decision making process for the trainees. Though this type of training
method is expensive, but ensures to provide a better understanding of
how to perform the tasks and duties efficiently.

3. What is need analysis ?

3.1 A successful training needs analysis will identify those who need
training and what kind of training is needed. It is counter-productive to
offer training to individuals who do not need it or to offer the wrong
kind of training. A Training Needs Analysis helps to put the training
resources to good use.

3.2 Types of Needs Analyses

3.2.1 Organizational Analysis. An analysis of the business
needs or other reasons the training is desired. An
analysis of the organization's strategies, goals, and
objectives. What is the organization overall trying
to accomplish? The important questions being
answered by this analysis are who decided that
training should be conducted, why a training
program is seen as the recommended solution to a
business problem, what the history of the
organization has been with regard to employee
training and other management interventions.
3.2.2 Person Analysis. Analysis dealing with potential
participants and instructors involved in the process.
 11

The important questions being answered by this

analysis are who will receive the training and their
level of existing knowledge on the subject, what is
their learning style, and who will conduct the
training.Do the employees have required skills? Are
there changes to policies, procedures, software, or
equipment that require or necessitate training?
3.2.3 Work analysis / Task Analysis. Analysis of the tasks
being performed. This is an analysis of the job and
the requirements for performing the work. Also
known as a task analysis or job analysis, this
analysis seeks to specify the main duties and skill
level required. This helps ensure that the training
which is developed will include relevant links to the
content of the job.
3.2.4 Performance Analysis. Are the employees
performing up to the established standard? If
performance is below expectations, can training
help to improve this performance? Is there
a Performance Gap?
3.2.5 Content Analysis. Analysis of documents, laws,
procedures used on the job. This analysis answers
questions about what knowledge or information is
used on this job. This information comes from
manuals, documents, or regulations. It is important
that the content of the training does not conflict or
contradict job requirements. An experienced
worker can assist (as a subject matter expert) in
determining the appropriate content.
3.2.6 Training Suitability Analysis. Analysis of whether
training is the desired solution. Training is one of
several solutions to employment problems.
However, it may not always be the best solution. It
is important to determine if training will be
effective in its usage.
3.2.7 Cost-Benefit Analysis. Analysis of the return on
investment (ROI) of training. Effective training
 12

results in a return of value to the organization that

is greater than the initial investment to produce or
administer the training.

4. What is the significance of 3 tier training need survey ?

4.1 A Training Need reveals a performance gap, and the gap can be filled with
training. It exists when the employee does not know how to do the job –
it is a lack of knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
4.2 While several different approaches can be used to identify the training
needs of an organisation, McGhee and Thayer’s Three-Level Analysis is
the most commonly used. he model provides a systematic means of
conducting a TNA at three levels: organisational, operational (or task),
and individual (or person). The levels of analysis are a hierachy which
descends from the organisational level to the personal level. At the same
time as you descend the hierachy, you also move to a more micro focus in
the organisation.

5. Explain the methods of TNA with examples.

5.1 TNA is a systematic method for determining what caused performance to
be below than expected or required.The need to conduct TNA can be
summarized as given below
5.1.1 To pin point if training will make adifference in productivity and the
bottomline.
5.1.2 To decide what specific training each employee needs and what will
improve their job performance.
5.1.3 To differentiate between the need for training and organiational
issues.
5.1.4 To determine whether training is needed.
5.1.5 To determine causes of poor performance.
5.1.6 To determine content and scope of training.
5.1.7 To determine desired training outcomes.
5.1.8 To provide a basis of measurement.
5.1.9 To gain management support.
5.2 The following methods could be used for conduct of TNA
5.2.1 Surveys : Conduct surveys or polls with a sample pool or all the
employees of the organization. Surveys help find out
 13

performance deficiencies in specific areas. To conduct a survey,

one can prepare a questionnaire and circulate among
employees. The questions in the survey should focus on the
specific tasks and needs of the employees and organization. One
can use different question formats such as open-ended, closed
ended, projective, and priority ranking. Allowing employees to
answer anonymously will increase the credibility and one will get
genuine answers.

Pros and Cons of Surveys

Pros Cons

Reach a large number of employees May not go deep into the reasons
in less time behind the persistent issues

Inexpensive Need enough time to develop an

effective and detailed
questionnaire

In case of anonymity, responses are Free responses might not be

given without fear and hesitation forthcoming

Easy to analyze, summarize, and

report

5.2.2. Observations : Training managers watch the work of employees in

regular working situations. This observation, in turn, provides enough
information on performance gaps. One needs to consider technical,
 14

functional, and behavioral aspects while observing. This gives qualitative and
quantitative feedback on the existing performance.

Pros and Cons of Observations

Pros Cons

Less interruption to regular work Feedback can be unstructured;

flow more anecdotal

Helps generate real-life data Need an impartial, expert observer

with process and domain
knowledge

Data collection possible only in

work settings

Employees may feel “spied on”

Sometimes results may deviate

when observation is ON

5.2.3. Interviews :Interviews allows collection of data on performance gaps

while talking with each employee or a group of employees. It can be formal
or informal. Interviews can be conducted in person or by phone, at work
locations, or anywhere. Sometimes, one can interview the representative of
the work group.
 15

Pros and Cons of Interviews

Pros Cons

Easy to identify performance issues Usually time-consuming

and explore possible solutions

Immediate feedback is possible Difficult to analyze and quantify

results

Need an experienced interviewer to

generate data without making the
interviewee self-conscious
 16

5.2.4. Customer Feedback : One will come to know performance deficiencies

with customers’ feedback. They specifically indicate improvement areas.
However, you need to formulate each question in the feedback form so that
it is directed toward a specific service or performance.

Pros and Cons of Customer Feedback

Pros Cons

Can make improvements with Low response rates

constructive feedback

Get valuable insights about your May not give enough time for
target audience feedback

6. Systematic analysis of training needs is a pre- requisite to designing and

conducting a training programme.Discuss.
6.1 A training needs assessment identifies individuals' current level of
competency, skill or knowledge in one or more areas and compares
that competency level to the required competency standard
established for their positions or other positions within the
organization. The difference between the current and required
competencies can help determine training needs. Rather than assume
that all employees need training or even the same training,
management can make informed decisions about the best ways to
address competency gaps among individual employees, specific job
categories or groups/teams.
6.2 Assessments can be conducted at any time but are often done after
hiring, during performance reviews, when performance improvement
 17

is needed, for career development plans, for succession planning, or

when changes in an organization also involve making necessary
changes to employees' jobs. It is beneficial to perform these
assessments periodically to determine the training needs of an
organization, employees' knowledge and skills, and also training
program effectiveness.
6.3 Step 1: Identify the Business Need : A training assessment is the first
step to any successful training program and is also a critical aspect of
succession planning. Conducting this analysis allows an organization to
focus its efforts on areas of training that are necessary for employees
to successfully carry out the organization's goals, make optimum use
of the company's training dollars and motivate employees by
contributing to their career development. The person conducting the
training needs assessment must clearly understand the overall
organization and department goals and priorities, so he or she can
properly assess the training options and identify which training
opportunities will contribute most to the overall success of employees,
the business units and the organization as a whole.
6.4 Essentially, why is the organization conducting a training needs
assessment? What is the end result that the employee, manager or
executive team is trying to accomplish? Will training contribute to this
accomplishment? Sometimes training is not the answer. There may be
other organizational issues that would be best addressed through
another means—for example, through job analysis, goal clarification,
reorganizing or realigning a department, or employee engagement.
6.5 Step 2: Perform a Gap Analysis : Performing a gap analysis involves
assessing the current state of a department's or employee's
performance or skills and comparing this to the desired level. The
difference between the existing state and the desired state is the gap.
There are many different methods for conducting a gap analysis. The
method for identifying the gap will depend on the organization and
the situation. Depending on the situation, it may be helpful to use one
or more gap analysis methods. Some gap analysis assessment tools are
the following:
6.5.1 HR records. HR records can include accident and safety reports,
job descriptions, job competencies, exit interviews, performance
evaluations and other company records such as production, sales
 18

and cost records. For example, if a department has a dramatic

increase in workplace accidents, then it would be important to
review accident reports as part of the gap analysis prior to
conducting safety training.
6.5.2 Individual interviews. Individual interviews may be conducted
with employees, supervisors, senior managers and even
sometimes clients/customers or outside vendors. If an
organization is providing safety training, talking with the
employees who not only had the accidents but also witnessed
the accidents would be advisable. In addition, talking to
employees who have never had accidents could be useful in
creating a training program that includes a standard of safe
practices. If the accidents involved equipment, it may be
beneficial to talk to the vendor that manufactured or serviced
the equipment. The information gathered can identify the gaps
that an organization needs to address. A company and its
employees can benefit from new training opportunities as a
result of the training needs assessment.
6.5.3 Focus groups. Unlike individual interviews, using focus groups
involves simultaneously questioning a number of individuals
about training needs. Best results occur with a department or
group of employees who have similar training needs. The
participants brainstorm about all the training needs they can
think of and write them on a flip chart. Then each person is
provided perhaps five dots or sticky notes (employers should
provide the number of dots or sticky notes that will work best for
the organization). Each individual places his or her dots or sticky
notes on the training ideas he or she believes are the most
important. An individual could choose to place one dot on five
different items, or all five on one training item.
6.5.4 Surveys, questionnaires and self-assessments. Surveys generally
use a standardized format and can be done in writing,
electronically or by phone. Depending on the situation, it may be
helpful to conduct surveys with employees as well as with
customers. When conducting a customer service training needs
assessment, employers should ask employees what would help
them provide better customer service. Employers should also
 19

obtain opinions from customers about their experiences with

employees.
6.5.5 Observations. Sources for observation include a supervisor's
direct observation and input, on-the-job simulations of work
settings, and written work samples.
6.6 Step 3: Assess Training Options :The gap analysis generates a list of
training options and needs. Now the list can be assessed based on the
goals and priorities of the organization, both currently and in the
future.A scale of 1 to 3 could be used with number 1 being critical, 2
being important and 3 being not important at all. Here are factors to
consider when determining if training is a viable option.
6.6.1 Solution to a problem. For example, an employee has a
performance problem that has clearly been identified as a
training issue. The employee is provided with additional on-the-
job training in which he or she successfully acquires the needed
skills. As a result, the company would have a fully competent
employee who is also meeting the required performance
standards.
6.6.2 Cost. Cost of training is a significant factor that needs to be
weighed in terms of importance. Depending on the situation, the
organization may be willing to invest a significant amount in one
training but not in the others listed due to organizational
priorities and finances. Here is the formula to calculate the total
cost of training:

Number of Employees Trained x Cost of Training = Total Cost of Training

6.6.3 Return on investment. Return on investment (ROI) is a

calculation showing the value of expenditures related to training
and development. It can also be used to show how long it will
take for these activities to pay for themselves and to provide a
return on investment to the organization.
6.6.4 Legal compliance. If any of the training needs from the gap
analysis are required legally (i.e., by federal, state or industry
laws) or to maintain employees' licenses or certifications, then
these trainings would be a high priority.
 20

6.6.5 Time. Sometimes the amount of time involved to build the

capacity within the organization will affect its operational needs
as it can interfere with the employees' ability to complete other
job duties. In this case, it may be more beneficial to hire the
talent from outside the organization or outsource the task to fill
in the skills gaps. In other cases, like succession planning, the
organization can afford a long-term commitment to building the
capacity from within.
6.6.6 Remaining competitive. Perhaps there exists minimal
6.6.7 knowledge/competencies in a new product or service that is
negatively affecting company revenue. The employer can
provide the needed training to its employees so that the new
product or service generates or exceeds the desired revenue. In
this situation, the company benefits from the increase in
revenue, therefore outweighing the cost of training.

After all the training needs/options have been assessed, the HR

professional will have a list of training priorities for individual employees,
departments or the organization as a whole.

6.7 Step 4: Report Training Needs and Recommend Training Plans

The next step is to report the findings from the training needs assessment,
and make recommendations for short- and long-term training plans and
budgets, starting with the most critical priorities from the training option
list. If there is a timeline for any of the trainings, such as a deadline to
satisfy training obligations for legal compliance purposes, then they
should be budgeted and scheduled accordingly. The report should include
a summary of why and how the assessment was completed, the methods
used and people involved, and the training recommendations with a
general timeline.

6.8 Considerations for the report and recommended training plans

include:
6.8.1 What training is already being offered, and should it
continue to be offered?
6.8.2 Will the training be conducted in-house or externally?
 21

6.8.3 Does it make sense to bring in a trainer to train several

employees on the same subject matter, rather than send
everyone to an off-site training?
6.8.4 Does the company have the subject matter expertise
within HR, the training department or another department
to conduct the training?
6.8.5 Can and should the training be conducted online?
6.8.6 What is the learning style of the participants?
6.8.7 Are all participants at one location or multiple locations, or
are they decentralized?

7 Explain the process of training need assessment.

7.1 A needs assessment is the process of collecting information about an

expressed or implied organizational need that could be met by conducting
training. The need can be a desire to improve current performance or to
correct a deficiency.A deficiency is a performance that does not meet the
current standard. It means that there is a prescribed or best way of doing a
task and that variance from it is creating a problem. The needs assessment
process helps the trainer and the person requesting training to specify the
training need or performance deficiency. Assessments can be formal (using
survey and interview techniques) or informal (asking some questions of those
involved).

7.2 The purpose of a needs assessment is to answer some familiar questions:

why,who, how, what, and when. Following the definitions of each type of
needsassessment is the common needs analysis term.

7.2.1 Why conduct the training: to tie the performance deficiency to a

business need and be sure the benefits of conducting the training are greater
than the problems being caused by the performance deficiency. Conduct
twotypes of analysis to answer this question: (1) needs versus wants
analysisand (2) feasibility analysis.
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7.2.2 Who is involved in the training: involve appropriate parties to solve

the deficiency. Conduct a target population analysis to learn as much as
possible about those involved in the deficiency and how to customize
atraining program to capture their interest.

7.2.3 How can the performance deficiency be fixed: training can fix the
performance deficiency or suggest other remediation if training is not
appropriate.Conduct a performance analysis to identify what skill deficiency
is to be fixed by a training remedy.

7.2.4. What is the best way to perform: there is a better or preferred way
to do a task to get the best results. Are job performance standards set by the
organization,such as standard operating procedures (SOPs)? Are there
governmental regulations to consider when completing the task in a
requiredmanner? Conduct a task analysis to identify the best way to perform.

7.2.5. When will training take place: the best timing to deliver training
because attendance at training can be impacted by business cycles, holidays,
and so forth. Conduct a contextual analysis to answer logistics questions.

7.3 A training needs assessment is a three-phase process

7.3.1 Gather information: Any analysis involves gathering information to

help make appropriate decisions. Gathering information can be the process of
collecting existing information or developing new information. The process can
be formal or informal

7.3.2 Analyze information: After gathering information, analyze it,

interpret it,and draw conclusions from the information. It is rarely appropriate
or helpful if the trainer who gathers needs analysis information independently
analyzes and interprets information and suggests conclusions. This phase of the
needs assessment is most effective as a collaborative process that includes all
stakeholders.

7.3.3 Create a training plan: After analyzing and interpreting information

and offering conclusions, the information becomes the basis for a training plan
which proposes how to resolve the performance deficiency
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8. What is training need analysis ? Mention its significance and steps

involved in training need analysis.

8.1 A training needs analysis (TNA) is a review of learning and

development needs for staff, volunteers and trustees within in an organisation.
It considers the skills, knowledge and behaviours that people need, and how to
develop them effectively.

8.2 Organisational TNA should ideally be undertaken at 3 levels ie

Organisational level, Team/departmental level and Individual level.

8.3 Organisational Level : Training needs analysis at this level

should start with a review of the organisation’s strategic and operational
plans. The more people that are involved in identifying the data, the
better. Trustees, managers, staff and volunteers can all bring a different
perspective and contribute to a deeper analysis. Once the strategic picture
of the organisation’s objectives, performance and future direction are in
place, it helps in review from the perspective of the knowledge, skills and
behaviours that can help the organisation to build on its strengths and
address weaknesses.

8.4 Team Level : Analysis of learning needs should also be

undertaken at department/team level. If in a line management role, this
means reviewing the skills needs within team, against the team’s own
objectives. It will involve taking into account both the needs of individuals,
but also anything that can help the department or team to work together
as effectively as possible. A key tool for identifying learning needs at this
level are appraisals or performance reviews. Normally undertaken
annually, appraisal provides an opportunity to review work objectives for
the previous year, and agree objectives for the year ahead.

8.5 Individual Level : Appraisal and supervision meetings allow

individuals to reflect on their own learning needs in relation to their work
objectives. It is important to take into account people’s career ambitions
and personal development objectives. With flatter organisational
structures, there may not be endless opportunities to move up the career
ladder, but people are unlikely to remain motivated if there is no
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progression or challenge built into their work. However, there is also a

need to be realistic about what can be offered by way of development
opportunities and not to raise expectations too high. Identifying learning
needs at individual level is not just about what needs to be learnt, it is also
about how best to do it