UNIT II

TRAINING NEED ANALYSIS (TNA)

MEANING AND PURPOSE OF TNA

Introduction
Effective training practices involve the use of a training design process. The design process
begins with a needs assessment. Subsequent steps in the process include ensuring that
employees have the motivation and basic skills necessary to learn, creating a positive learning
environment, making sure that trainees use learned skills on the job, choosing the training
method, and evaluating whether training has achieved the desired outcomes. Before you
choose a training method, it is important to determine what type of training is necessary and
how it should be delivered.

Needs assessment refers to the process used to determine whether training is necessary.
Needs assessment typically involves organizational analysis, person analysis, and task
analysis.

 An organizational analysis considers the context in which training will occur. That is,
organizational analysis involves determining the appropriateness of training, given the
company’s business strategy, its resources available for training, and support by
managers and peers for training activities.

 Person analysis helps to identify who needs training. Person analysis involves:

 determining whether performance deficiencies result from a lack of knowledge, skill, or

ability (a training issue) or from a motivational or work-design problem,

 identifying who needs training, and

 determining employees’ readiness for training.

 Task analysis identifies the important tasks and knowledge, skills, and behaviors that
need to be emphasized in training for employees to complete their tasks.

Ms. Shikha Dabral

Assistant Professor, IITM
Why is Needs Assessment necessary?

Needs assessment is important because a manager or other client asking for training (which focuses
on closing skill gaps resulting from a lack of knowledge or skill) could really be asking for or need
something else, such as employee motivation, changing perspectives or attitudes, or redesigning
workflow. If a manager requests training for a performance problem, what he or she is looking for is
a solution to a problem that may (or may not) involve training. In conducting a needs assessment,
your role is to determine if training is the appropriate solution.

Needs assessment is the first step in the instructional design process, and if it is not properly
conducted, any one or more of the following situations could occur:

 Training may be incorrectly used as a solution to a performance problem (when the solution
should deal with employee motivation, job design, or a better communication of performance
expectations).

 Training programs may have the wrong content, objectives, or methods.

 Trainees may be sent to training programs for which they do not have the basic skills,
prerequisite skills, or confidence needed to learn.

 Training will not deliver the expected learning, behavior change, or financial results that
the company expects.

 Money will be spent on training programs that are unnecessary because they are unrelated
to the company’s business strategy.

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Assistant Professor, IITM
The figure below shows the three types of analysis involved in needs assessment and the
causes and outcomes resulting from needs assessment.

 There are many different “pressure points” that suggest that training is
necessary.
These pressure points include performance problems, new technology, internal or
external customer requests for training, job redesign, new legislation, changes in
customer preferences, new products, or employees’ lack of basic skills. Note that these
pressure points do not guarantee that training is the correct solution.

For example, consider, a delivery truck driver whose job is to deliver anesthetic gases
to medical facilities. The driver mistakenly hooks up the supply line of a mild
anesthetic to the supply line of a hospital’s oxygen system, contaminating the
hospital’s oxygen supply. Why did the driver make this mistake, which is clearly a
performance problem? The driver may have made this mistake because of a lack of
knowledge about the appropriate line hookup for the anesthetic, because of anger over

Ms. Shikha Dabral

Assistant Professor, IITM
 a requested salary increase that the driver’s manager recently denied, or because of
mislabeled valves for connecting the gas supply. Only the lack of knowledge can be
addressed by training. The other pressure points require reviewing and making
decisions related to the driver’s anger-motivated behavior (fire the driver) or the design
of the work environment (remind supervisor and drivers to check to that valves and
hookup lines are properly labeled at all work sites).

 What outcomes result from a needs assessment?

 Needs assessment provides important input into most of the remaining steps in
the training design. As shown in Figure above, the needs assessment process
results in information related to who needs training and what trainees need to
learn, including the tasks in which they need to be trained plus knowledge,
skill, behavior, or other job requirements.
 Needs assessment helps to determine whether the company will outsource its
training (i.e. purchase training from a vendor or consultant, or develop training
through internal resources).
 Determining exactly what trainees need to learn is critical for the next step in
the instructional design process: identifying learning outcomes and objectives.
 Through identifying the learning outcomes and resources available for training,
the needs assessment also provides information that helps the company choose
the appropriate training or development method.
 Needs assessment also provides information regarding the outcomes that should
be collected to evaluate training effectiveness.

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Assistant Professor, IITM
TNA AT DIFFERENT LEVELS

Who Should Participate in Needs Assessment?

Because the goal of needs assessment is to determine whether a training need exists, who it exists
for, and for what tasks training is needed, it is important that all stakeholders are included in the
needs assessment.

Stakeholders include persons in the organization who have an interest in training and
development and their support is important for determining its success (or failure).

Stakeholders include company leaders and top-level managers, mid-level managers, trainers,
and employees who are end users of learning.

There are several ways to ensure that stakeholders are involved in needs assessment.

One way is through establishing formal advisory groups that meet on a regular basis to discuss
learning issues.

Another way is to ensure that relevant stakeholders are included in interviews, focus groups,
crowdsourcing, and surveys used for needs assessment.

Traditionally, only trainers were concerned with the needs assessment process. But, as training
increasingly becomes used to help the company achieve its strategic goals, both upper- and mid-
level managers are involved in the needs assessment process.

Table 3.1 below shows the questions that company leaders, mid-level managers, trainers, and
employees are interested in answering for organizational analysis, person analysis, and task
analysis.

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Assistant Professor, IITM
 Ms. Shikha Dabral
Assistant Professor, IITM
 Company leaders include directors, CEOs, and vice presidents.

 Company leaders view the needs assessment process from the broader company
perspective rather than focusing on specific jobs.

 Company leaders are involved in the needs assessment process to identify the role of
training in relation to other human resource practices in the company (e.g., selection
and compensation of employees).

 Company leaders want training to anticipate needs, aligned with where the business is
going. Training and development needs to improve employee performance in such a
way that it supports the business strategy. Learning efforts (training, development,
knowledge management) need to be an integrated and holistic approach (rather than a
series of fragmented courses and programs) that adds value to the company.

 Company leaders are also involved in identifying what business functions or units need
training (person analysis) and in determining if the company has the knowledge, skills,
and abilities in the workforce that are necessary to meet its strategy and be competitive
in the marketplace.

 Mid-level managers are more concerned with how training may affect the attainment
of financial goals for the units they supervise.

 As a result, for mid-level managers, organizational analysis focuses on identifying (1)

how much of their budgets they want to devote to training, (2) the types of employees
who should receive training (e.g., engineers, or core employees who are directly
involved in producing goods or providing services), and (3) for what jobs training can
make a difference in terms of improving products or customer service.

 Trainers (including training managers and instructional designers) need to consider

whether training is aligned with the business strategy.

 However, trainers are primarily interested in needs assessment to provide them with
information that they need to administer, develop, and support training programs.

 This information includes determining if training should be purchased or developed in-

house, identifying the tasks for which employees need to be trained, and determining
upper- and mid-level managers’ interest in and support for training.

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Assistant Professor, IITM
 Employees have several interests in needs assessment.

 From an organizational perspective they are concerned with how the company values
learning: Is learning rewarded?

 Does learning help them improve their job performance or meet their career goals?

 Is it easy to get access to formal and informal learning opportunities?

 They also want to know if their manager can be expected to encourage them to take
courses and programs, or informally learn, and if they will provide support to apply
what they have learned.

 Employees have to determine if they are motivated to learn as well as what tasks,
knowledge, skills, or competencies they need for their current job or career.

 Company leaders are usually involved in determining whether training meets the
company’s strategy and then providing appropriate financial resources.

 Upper-level managers are not usually involved in identifying which employees need
training; the tasks for which training is needed; or the knowledge, skills, abilities, and
other characteristics needed to complete those tasks. This is the role of subject-matter
experts (SMEs).

 Subject matter experts (SMEs) are employees, academics, managers, technical

experts, trainers, and even customers or suppliers who are knowledgeable in regard to

(1) training issues including tasks to be performed;

(2) knowledge, skills, and abilities required for successful task performance;

(3) necessary equipment; and

(4) conditions under which the tasks have to be performed.

 A key issue with SMEs is making sure they are knowledgeable about the content that
training must cover as well as realistic enough to be able to prioritize what content is
critical to cover in the time allotted for the subject in the training curriculum.

 SMEs also must have information that is relevant to the company’s business and have
an understanding of the company’s language, tools, and products.

 There is no rule regarding how many types of employees should be represented in the
group conducting the needs assessment.

 Still, it is important to get a sample of job incumbents (employees who are currently

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Assistant Professor, IITM
performing the job) involved in the process because they tend to be most
knowledgeable about the job and can be a great hindrance to the training process if
they do not feel they have had input into the needs assessment.

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Assistant Professor, IITM
 APPROACHES FOR TRAINING NEEDS AND ANALYSIS

OUTPUT OF TNA

METHODS USED IN TNA

Several methods are used to conduct needs assessment, including observing employees
performing the job, using online technology, reading technical manuals and other
documentation, interviewing SMEs, conducting focus groups with SMEs, and
asking SMEs to complete surveys designed to identify the tasks and knowledge,
skills, abilities, and other characteristics required for a job.

Table 3.2 below presents advantages and disadvantages of each method.

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Assistant Professor, IITM
 Ms. Shikha Dabral
Assistant Professor, IITM
 For newly created jobs, trainers often do not have job incumbents to rely on for this
information.

 Rather, technical diagrams, simulations, and equipment designers can provide

information regarding the training requirements, tasks, and conditions under which the
job is performed.

 Historical data review involves collecting performance data from electronic or paper
records. It provides information regarding current performance levels, which is useful
for identifying gaps between actual and desired performance.

 For example, a needs assessment conducted at a hospital to determine the causes of a

high number of errors in radiology orders (e.g., x-rays) from physicians collected
historical data on errors, including incorrect exams, examination of the wrong side of
the patient’s body, use of incorrect diagnosis codes, and duplicate orders.

 The historical data was used along with semi structured interviews and observations to
identify the causes for the errors and interventions to reduce them.

 Another source of information for companies that have introduced a new technology is
the help desk that companies often set up to deal with calls regarding problems,
deficiencies in training, or deficiencies in documentation, software, or systems.

 Help desk management software can categorize and track calls and questions by
application, by caller, or by vendor.

 Report creation capability built into the software makes it easy to generate documents
on user problems and identify themes among calls. Analyzing these calls is practical
for identifying gaps in training.

 For example, common types of call problems can be analyzed to determine if they are
due to inadequate coverage in the training program and/or inadequate written
documentation and job aids used by trainees.

 Online technology is available to monitor and track employee performance.

 This information is useful for identifying training needs and providing employees with
feedback regarding their skill strengths and weaknesses.

 In call centers, for example, technology provides an ongoing assessment of

performance.

 An employee who triggers the online system by failing to meet a defined standard,
such as receiving more than five callbacks on an unresolved issue, is automatically
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Assistant Professor, IITM
 referred to the appropriate job aid or training event.

 As shown in Table above, online technology has several advantages: It provides an

objective report of behaviors, the data can be quickly summarized into reports, it does
not require a trainer or SME to observe or interview employees, and it minimizes work
interruptions.

 However the use of online technology in needs assessment is best suited for only a
small number of jobs requiring interactions with customers through the use of a
computer or telephone.

 Also, for online technology to be effective, managers need to ensure that the
information is used to train and not to punish employees. Otherwise, employees will
feel threatened, which will contribute to employee dissatisfaction and turnover.

 Because no one method of conducting needs assessment is superior to the others,

multiple methods are usually used.

 The methods vary in the type of information as well as the level of detail provided.

 The advantage of surveys is that information can be collected from a large number of
persons. Also, surveys allow many employees to participate in the needs assessment
process. However, when using surveys it is difficult to collect detailed information
regarding training needs.

 Face-to-face and telephone interviews are time consuming, but more detailed
information regarding training needs can be collected.

 Focus groups are a type of SME interview that involves a face-to-face meeting with
groups of SMEs in which the questions that are asked relate to specific training needs.

 Crowdsourcing can also be used for needs assessment. In this context, crowdsourcing
refers to asking stakeholders to provide information for needs assessment.

 With the increasing emphasis on Total Quality Management, many companies are also
using information about other companies’ training practices (a process known as
benchmarking) to help determine the appropriate type, level, and frequency of
training.

 For example, Chevron, Federal Express, GTE, Xerox, and several other companies are
members of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)
benchmarking forum. A common survey instrument is completed by each company.
The survey includes questions on training costs, staff size, administration, design,

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Assistant Professor, IITM
program development, and delivery. The information is summarized and shared with
the participating companies.

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Assistant Professor, IITM
ASSESSMENT OF TRAINING NEEDS

The Needs Assessment Process

This section examines the three elements of needs assessment: organizational analysis, person
analysis, and task analysis.

Figure 3.2 below illustrates the needs assessment process.

In practice, organizational analysis, person analysis, and task analysis are not conducted in any
order.

The question of whether time and money are devoted to training is contingent on the results of
organizational, person, and task analyses.

While any one analysis can indicate the need for training, companies need to consider the
information from all three types of analysis before the decision is made to devote time and money to
training.

Because organizational analysis is concerned with identifying whether training fits with the
company’s strategic objectives and whether the company has the budget, time, and expertise for
training (the context for training), it is usually conducted first.

Person analysis and task analysis are often conducted at the same time because it is difficult to
determine whether performance deficiencies are a training problem without understanding the tasks
and the work environment.

An initial organizational analysis may suggest that a company does not want to spend financial
resources on training.

However, if person analysis reveals that a large number of employees lack a skill in an important
area that is related to the company’s business objectives (such as customer service), upper-level
managers may decide to reallocate financial resources for training.

Ms. Shikha Dabral

Assistant Professor, IITM
 Ms. Shikha Dabral
Assistant Professor, IITM
1. Organizational Analysis

Organizational analysis involves identifying whether training supports the company’s strategic
direction; whether managers, peers, and employees support training activity; and what training
resources are available.

Table 3.3 below provides questions that trainers should answer in an organizational analysis.
Some combination of documentation, interviews, focus groups, or surveys of managers,
individuals in the training function, and employees should be used to answer these questions.

The Company’s Strategic Direction

The strategic role of training influences the frequency and type of training and how the
training function is organized in the company.
In companies in which training is expected to contribute to the achievement of business
strategies and goals, the amount of money allocated to training and the frequency of training
will likely be higher than in companies in which training is done haphazardly or with no
strategic intent in mind. For example, companies that believe learning contributes to their
competitive advantage or that have adopted high-performance work systems (e.g., teams) are
likely to have greater training budgets and conduct more training.
The business strategy also influences the type of training. For example, companies that have
adopted a disinvestment strategy are more likely to focus on outplacement assistance and job
search skills training than are companies with other strategic initiatives.
Last, the greater the strategic role of training, the more likely the company will organize the
training function using the business-embedded or corporate university models. Both these
models emphasize that training is used to help solve business problems.

Support of Managers, Peers, and Employees for Training Activities

A number of studies have found that peer and manager support for training is critical, along
with employee enthusiasm and motivation to attend training.

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Assistant Professor, IITM
The key factors for success are a positive attitude among peers, managers, and employees
about participation in training activities; managers’ and peers’ willingness to provide
information to trainees about how they can more effectively use knowledge, skill, or
behaviors learned in training on the job; and opportunities for trainees to use training content
in their jobs. If peers’ and managers’ attitudes and behaviors are not supportive, employees
are not likely to apply training content to their jobs.

Training Resources

It is necessary to identify whether the company has the budget, time, and expertise for
training.

For example, if the company is installing computer-based manufacturing equipment in one of

its plants, it has three possible strategies for dealing with the need to have computerliterate
employees. First, the company can decide that, given its staff expertise and budget, it can use
internal consultants to train all affected employees. Second, the company may decide that it is
more cost-effective to identify employees who are computer-literate by using tests and work
samples. Employees who fail the test or perform below standards on the work sample can be
reassigned to other jobs. Choosing this strategy suggests that the company has decided to
devote resources to selection and placement rather than training. Third, because it lacks time
or expertise, the company may decide to purchase training from a consultant

Ms. Shikha Dabral

Assistant Professor, IITM
2. Person Analysis

Person analysis helps to identify employees who need training, that is, whether employees’
current performance or expected performance indicates a need for training.

The need for training may result from the pressure points, including performance problems,
changes in the job, or use of new technology. Person analysis also helps determining
employees’ readiness for training. Readiness for training refers to whether (1) employees
have the personal characteristics (ability, attitudes, beliefs, and motivation) necessary to learn
program content and apply it on the job and (2) the work environment will facilitate learning
and not interfere with performance. This process includes evaluating person characteristics,
input, output, consequences, and feedback

A major pressure point for training is poor or substandard performance. Poor performance is
indicated by customer complaints, low performance ratings, or on-the-job incidents such as
accidents and unsafe behavior. Another potential indicator of the need for training is if the job
changes such that current levels of performance need to be improved or employees must be
able to complete new tasks.

Process for Person Analysis

Figure below shows a process for analyzing the factors that influence performance and
learning.

Person characteristics refer to the employees’ knowledge, skill, ability, and attitudes.

Input relates to the instructions that tell employees what, how, and when to perform. Input
also refers to the resources that the employees are given to help them perform. These resources
may include equipment, time, or budget.

Output refers to the job’s performance standards.

Consequences refer to the type of incentives that employees receive for performing well.

Feedback refers to the information that employees receive while they are performing.

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Assistant Professor, IITM
Interviews or questionnaires can be used to measure person characteristics, input, output,
consequences, and feedback.

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Assistant Professor, IITM
Person characteristics, input, output, consequences, and feedback influence the motivation to
learn. Motivation to learn is trainees’ desire to learn the content of training programs.
Consider how your motivation to learn may be influenced by personal characteristics and the
environment. You may have no problem understanding and comprehending the contents of
this textbook. But your learning may be inhibited because of your attitude toward the course.
That is, perhaps you do not believe the course will be important for your career. Maybe you
are taking the course only because it fits your schedule or is required in your degree program.
Learning may also be inhibited by the environment. For example, maybe you want to learn,
but your study environment prevents you from doing so. Every time you are prepared to read
and review your notes and the textbook, your roommates could be having a party. Even if you
do not join them, the music may be so loud that you cannot concentrate!

A number of research studies have shown that motivation to learn is related to knowledge
gained, behavior change, or skill acquisition resulting from training. Besides considering the
factors of person characteristics, input, output, consequences, and feedback in determining
whether training is the best solution to a performance problem, managers should also
consider these factors prior to selecting which employees will attend a training program.
These factors relate to the employees’ motivation to learn. The following sections describe
each of these factors and its relationship to performance and learning.

Person Characteristics

Basic skills refer to skills that are necessary for employees to successfully perform on
the job and learn the content of training programs. Basic skills include cognitive ability
and reading and writing skills.

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Assistant Professor, IITM
Cognitive Ability

Research shows that cognitive ability influences learning and job performance. Cognitive
ability includes three dimensions: verbal comprehension, quantitative ability, and reasoning
ability.

Verbal comprehension refers to the person’s capacity to understand and use written and
spoken language.

Quantitative ability refers to how fast and accurately a person can solve math
problems. Reasoning ability refers to the person’s capacity to invent solutions to
problems.
Research shows that cognitive ability is related to successful performance in all jobs. The
importance of cognitive ability for job success increases as the job becomes more complex.

For example, a supermarket cashier needs low to moderate levels of all three dimensions of
cognitive ability to successfully perform that job. An emergency room physician needs higher
levels of verbal comprehension, quantitative ability, and reasoning ability than the cashier.
The supermarket cashier needs to understand basic math operations (addition, subtraction,
etc.) to give customers the correct amount of change. The cashier also needs to invent
solutions to problems. (For example, how does the cashier deal with items that are not priced
that the customer wants to purchase?) The cashier also needs to be able to understand and
communicate with customers (verbal comprehension). The physician also needs quantitative
ability, but at a higher level. For example, when dealing with an infant experiencing seizures
in an emergency situation, the physician needs to be able to calculate the correct dosage of
medicine (based on an adult dosage) to stop the seizures after considering the child’s weight.
The physician has to be able to quickly diagnose the situation and determine what actions
(blood tests, X-rays, respiratory therapy) are necessary. The physician also needs to
communicate clearly to the patient’s parents the treatment and recovery process.

Cognitive ability influences job performance and ability to learn in training programs. If
trainees lack the cognitive ability level necessary to perform job tasks, they will not perform
well. Also, trainees’ level of cognitive ability can influence how well they can learn in
training programs. Trainees with low levels of cognitive ability are more likely to fail to
complete training or (at the end of training) receive lower grades on tests to measure how
much they have learned.

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Assistant Professor, IITM
Reading Ability

Lack of the appropriate reading level can impede performance and learning in training
programs. Material used in training should be evaluated to ensure that its reading level does
not exceed that required by the job. Readability refers to the difficulty level of written
materials. A readability assessment usually involves analysis of sentence length and word
difficulty.

If trainees’ reading level does not match the level needed for the training materials, four
options are available. First, trainers can determine whether it is feasible to lower the reading
level of training materials or use video or on-the-job training, which involves learning by
watching and practicing rather than by reading. Second, employees without the necessary
reading level could be identified through reading tests and reassigned to other positions more
congruent with their skill levels. Third, again using reading tests, trainers can identify
employees who lack the necessary reading skills and provide them with remedial training.
Fourth, trainers can consider whether the job can be redesigned to accommodate employees’
reading levels. The fourth option is certainly the most costly and least practical. Therefore,
alternative training methods need to be considered, or managers can elect a nontraining
option. Nontraining options include selecting employees for jobs and training opportunities
on the basis of reading, computation, writing, and other basic skill requirements

Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy is employees’ belief that they can successfully perform their job or learn the
content of the training program. The job environment can be threatening to many employees
who may not have been successful performers in the past.

The training environment can also be threatening to people who have not received training or
formal education for some length of time, lack education, or are not experienced in the
training program’s subject matter. For example, training employees to use equipment for
computer-based manufacturing may represent a potential threat, especially if they are
intimidated by new technology and lack confidence in their ability to master the skills needed
to use a computer. Research has demonstrated that self-efficacy is related to performance in
training programs. Employees’ self-efficacy level can be increased by-

 Letting employees know that the purpose of training is to try to improve performance

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Assistant Professor, IITM
rather than to identify areas in which employees are incompetent.

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Assistant Professor, IITM
  Providing as much information as possible about the training program and the
purpose of training prior to the actual training.
 Showing employees the training success of their peers who are now in similar jobs.

 Providing employees with feedback that learning is under their control and they have
the ability and the responsibility to overcome any learning difficulties they experience
in the program.

Input

Employees’ perceptions of two characteristics of the work environment—situational

constraints and social support—are determinants of performance and motivation to learn.
Situational constraints include lack of proper tools and equipment, materials and supplies,
budgetary support, and time. Social support refers to managers’ and peers’ willingness to
provide feedback and reinforcement. If employees have the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and
behavior needed to perform but do not have the proper tools and equipment needed, their
performance will be inadequate

To ensure that the work environment enhances trainees’ motivation to learn, managers should
take the following steps:

 Provide materials, time, job-related information, and other work aids necessary for
employees to use new skills or behavior before participating in training programs.
 Speak positively about the company’s training programs to employees.

 Let employees know they are doing a good job when they are using training content
in their work.
 Encourage work-group members to involve each other in trying to use new skills on
the job by soliciting feedback and sharing training experiences and situations in which
training content has been helpful.
 Provide employees with time and opportunities to practice and apply new skills or
behaviors to their work.

Ms. Shikha Dabral

Assistant Professor, IITM
Output

Poor or substandard performance can occur on the job because employees do not know at
what level they are expected to perform. For example, they may not be aware of quality
standards related to speed or the degree of personalization of service that is expected.
Employees may have the knowledge, skill, and attitudes necessary to perform and yet fail to
perform because they are not aware of the performance standards. Lack of awareness of the
performance standards is a communications problem, but it is not a problem that training can
“fix.”

Understanding the need to perform is important for learning. Trainees need to understand
what specifically they are expected to learn in the training program. To ensure that trainees
master training content at the appropriate level, trainees in training programs also need to
understand the level of proficiency that is expected of them. For example, for tasks, level of
proficiency relates to how well employees are to perform a task. For knowledge, level of
proficiency may relate to a score on a written test.

Consequences

If employees do not believe that rewards or incentives for performance are adequate, they
will be unlikely to meet performance standards even if they have the necessary knowledge,
behavior, skill, or attitudes. Also, work-group norms may encourage employees not to meet
performance standards. Norms refer to accepted standards of behavior for work-group
members.

Consequences also affect learning in training programs. Employees’ motivation to learn can
be enhanced by communicating to them the potential job-related, personal, and career
benefits they may receive as a result of attending training and learning the content of the
training program. These benefits may include learning a more efficient way to perform a
process or procedure, establishing contacts with other employees in the company (also known
as networking), or increasing their opportunity to pursue other jobs in the company. It is
important that the communication from the manager about potential benefits be realistic.
Unmet expectations about training programs can hinder motivation to learn.

Ms. Shikha Dabral

Assistant Professor, IITM
Feedback

Performance problems can result when employees do not receive feedback regarding the
extent to which they are meeting performance standards. Training may not be the best
solution to this type of problem if employees know what they are supposed to do (output), but
do not understand how close their performance is to the standard. Employees need to be
given specific, detailed feedback of effective and ineffective performance. For employees to
perform to standard, feedback needs to be given frequently, not just during a yearly
performance evaluation.

Ms. Shikha Dabral

Assistant Professor, IITM
1. Task Analysis

Task analysis results in a description of work activities, including tasks performed by the
employee and the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to complete the tasks. A job is a
specific position requiring the completion of certain tasks. A task is the employee’s work
activity in a specific job. To complete tasks, employees must have specific levels of
knowledge, skill, ability, and other considerations (KSAOs). Knowledge includes facts or
procedures. Skill indicates competency in performing a task (e.g., negotiation skill, a skill in
getting another person to agree to take a certain course of action). Ability includes the
physical and mental capacities to perform a task (e.g., spatial ability, the ability to see the
relationship between objects in physical space). Other refers to the conditions under which
tasks are performed. These conditions include identifying the equipment and environment
that the employee works in (e.g., the need to wear an oxygen mask, work in extremely hot
conditions), time constraints for a task (e.g., deadlines), safety considerations, or performance
standards.

Task analysis should be undertaken only after the organizational analysis has determined that
the company wants to devote time and money for training. Why? Task analysis is a time-
consuming, tedious process that involves a large time commitment to gather and summarize
data from many different persons in the company, including managers, job incumbents, and
trainers.

Steps in a Task Analysis

A task analysis involves four steps:

1. Select the job or jobs to be analyzed.

2. Develop a preliminary list of tasks performed on the job by (1) interviewing and observing
expert employees and their managers and (2) talking with others who have performed a task
analysis.

3. Validate or confirm the preliminary list of tasks. This step involves having a group of
SMEs (job incumbents, managers, etc.) answer in a meeting or on a written survey several
questions regarding the tasks. The types of questions that may be asked include the
following: How frequently is the task performed? How much time is spent performing each
Ms. Shikha Dabral
Assistant Professor, IITM
task? How important or critical is the task for successful performance of the job? How
difficult is the task to learn? Is performance of the task expected of entry-level employees?

Table below presents a sample task analysis questionnaire. This information is used to
determine which tasks will be focused on in the training program. The person or committee
conducting the needs assessment must decide the level of ratings across dimensions that will
determine that a task should be included in the training program

Tasks that are important, frequently performed, and of moderate-to-high level of difficulty
are tasks for which training should be provided. Tasks that are not important and are
infrequently performed should not involve training. It is difficult for managers and trainers to
decide if tasks that are important but are performed infrequently and require minimal
difficulty should be included in training. Managers and trainers must determine whether or
not important tasks—regardless of how frequently they are performed or their level of
difficulty—will be included in training.

4. Once the tasks have been identified, it is important to identify the knowledge, skills, or
abilities necessary to successfully perform each task. This information can be collected
through interviews and questionnaires. For training purposes, information concerning how
difficult it is to learn the knowledge, skill, or ability is important—as is whether the
knowledge, skill, or ability is expected to be acquired by the employee before taking the job.
Table below summarizes key points to remember regarding task analysis.

Ms. Shikha Dabral

Assistant Professor, IITM
 Ms. Shikha Dabral
Assistant Professor, IITM