Four Steps To Conducting A Needs Assessment

FOUR STEPS TO CONDUCTING A NEEDS ASSESSMENT:

Step 1. PERFORM A "GAP" ANALYSIS.

The first step is to check the actual performance of our organizations and our people
against existing standards, or to set new standards. There are two parts to this:

 Current situation: We must determine the current state of skills, knowledge, and
abilities of our current and/or future employees. This analysis also should examine
our organizational goals, climate, and internal and external constraints.
 Desired or necessary situation: We must identify the desired or necessary conditions
for organizational and personal success. This analysis focuses on the necessary job
tasks/standards, as well as the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to accomplish
these successfully. It is important that we identify the critical tasks necessary, and
not just observe our current practices. We also must distinguish our actual needs
from our perceived needs, our wants.
The difference the "gap" between the current and the necessary will identify our needs,
purposes, and objectives.
What are we looking for? Here are some questions to ask, to determine where HRD may be
useful in providing solutions: (3)
 Problems or deficits. Are there problems in the organization which might be solved

by training or other HRD activities?
 Impending change. Are there problems which do not currently exist but are foreseen
due to changes, such as new processes and equipment, outside competition, and/or
changes in staffing?
 Opportunities. Could we gain a competitive edge by taking advantage of new
technologies, training programs, consultants or suppliers?
 Strengths. How can we take advantage of our organizational strengths, as opposed
to reacting to our weaknesses? Are there opportunities to apply HRD to these
areas?
 New directions. Could we take a proactive approach, applying HRD to move our
organizations to new levels of performance? For example, could team building and
related activities help improve our productivity?
 Mandated training. Are there internal or external forces dictating that training
and/or organization development will take place? Are there policies or management
decisions which might dictate the implementation of some program? Are there
governmental mandates to which we must comply?
Step 2. IDENTIFY PRIORITIES AND IMPORTANCE.
The first step should have produced a large list of needs for training and
development, career development, organization development, and/or other interventions.
Now we must examine these in view of their importance to our organizational goals,
realities, and constraints. We must determine if the identified needs are real, if they are
worth addressing, and specify their importance and urgency in view of our organizational
needs and requirements (4). For example (5):
 Cost-effectiveness: How does the cost of the problem compare to the cost of

implementing a solution? In other words, we perform a cost-benefit analysis.
 Legal mandates: Are there laws requiring a solution? (For example, safety or
regulatory compliance.)
 Executive pressure: Does top management expect a solution?
 Population: Are many people or key people involved?
 Customers: What influence is generated by customer specifications and
expectations?
If some of our needs are of relatively low importance, we would do better to devote our
energies to addressing other human performance problems with greater impact and
greater value.
Step 3. IDENTIFY CAUSES OF PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS AND/OR

OPPORTUNITIES.
Now that we have prioritized and focused on critical organizational and personal needs, we
will next identify specific problem areas and opportunities in our organization. We must
know what our performance requirements are, if appropriate solutions are to be applied.
We should ask two questions for every identified need: (6)
 Are our people doing their jobs effectively?

 Do they know how to do their jobs?
This will require detailed investigation and analysis of our people, their jobs, and our
organizations -- both for the current situation and in preparation for the future.
Step 4. IDENTIFY POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS AND GROWTH

OPPORTUNITIES.
If people are doing their jobs effectively, perhaps we should leave well enough alone. ("If it
ain't broke, don't fix it.") However, some training and/or other interventions might be
called for if sufficient importance is attached to moving our people and their performance
into new directions.
But if our people ARE NOT doing their jobs effectively:
 Training may be the solution, IF there is a knowledge problem.

 Organization development activities may provide solutions when the problem is not
based on a lack of knowledge and is primarily associated with systematic change.
These interventions might include strategic planning, organization restructuring,
performance management and/or effective team building.
We will look at these solutions including training & development and organization

development, in future articles in this series.
The 4-Step Employee Development Plan
Home / Employee Development / Articles
Developing an employee involves improving his or her skills in their current job as well as developing
them for future responsibilities and new positions. As manager, it is your job to develop your people.
Many companies are now holding managers responsible for the development of their employees and
make employee development a part of the manager’s performance appraisal. (To a large degree, the
skills required for employee development are the skills developed in leadership, management,
and supervisory training.)
This four step employee development plan will put you, your employees and the whole department on
track to achieve maximum potential.
1. Prepare the employee

To get the employee thinking about their own development and the areas where development
can occur, here is a series of questions you will want to ask the employee.
a. What are the skills needed to do your job? How well do you perform them?
b. What aspects of your job do you like least/best?
c. What major accomplishments have you achieved since your last performance appraisal?
d. In what ways, can your supervisor and/or the organization help you to do a better job?
e. What changes would you like to see in your current job?
f. What are your job goals for this next year?
g. Where do you see yourself in five years?
h. What have you been doing to prepare yourself to move ahead in your career?
i. What activities would help you develop yourself?
An excellent time to begin the developmental process is during the performance appraisal. Get the
questions to the employee well in advance of the appraisal interview to give them time to prepare. Their
answers will help guide the discussion.
2. Provide Development opportunities

There is a vast array of things you can do to help the employee develop and every employee is
different. Here is a list of some developmental approaches you can consider.
a. Training
Training is obviously first on the list. Often training needs are simply defined by looking
at the employee’s performance or by understanding their experience or lack of
experience with the specific job tasks.
b. Peer Coaching
Employees coach other individuals on their jobs. The benefits are two-fold. First, the
employees develop skills in other areas and can fill in for their counterpart if that person
is on vacation or out sick. Also, by in the process of teaching another person, the teacher
themselves becomes more proficient.
c. Job Design Changes

Here, the employee defines all aspects of their job and makes suggestions as to how the
job might be redesigned to enhance proficiency. You may be surprise by their creativity
and superior ideas. Even though you may not be able to totally revamp a job, the
employee understands the job better and you begin to recognize some of their concerns.
d. Representing the Department

Have the employee represent you, the team, or the department at an important meeting.
Have them report back the proceedings to you and/or the team. In the process, the
employee has a better understanding of how the team, the department, and their job fit
into the big picture of the organization.
e. Delegate Special Projects

Make certain the project challenges the employee. The project must be seen as
meaningful. Also, make sure the employee views the project as a reward for good work
in other areas of their job. In doing so, the assignment becomes a motivating experience
and not just more work.
f. Assist the Boss

Assign an employee to assist your boss or another executive on a special assignment
where the employee will be exposed to new business perspectives of the organization’s
business.
3. Monitor Progress
Observe how the employee is doing. Schedule to meet at least once per quarter to discuss how
things are going. Ask questions; review any quantity and quality measures that are relevant.
Give ongoing feedback on what the individual is doing well and what they need to be doing
differently. Feedback is critical to the success of the developmental process. If you do not follow
up with them, you are essentially telling the employee the developmental process is not all that
important to you. If it is not important to you, how can you expect the employee to take it
seriously?
4. Create Confidence
Let them know you are always available. Give the employee the encouragement and support
needed to feel confident in his or her ability to succeed. When things do not go as well as
planned, focus on what went right. You are asking the person to go beyond their current level,
take it one step at a time. Sometimes we must take smaller steps to ensure a successful
outcome.
The ultimate success in developing the employee depends on the employee themselves. However, the
success of the developmental process depends on the manager. Follow these guidelines to ensure
success in developing your people

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FOUR STEPS TO CONDUCTING A NEEDS ASSESSMENT:

Step 1. PERFORM A "GAP" ANALYSIS.

 Problems or deficits. Are there problems in the organization which might be solved

Step 2. IDENTIFY PRIORITIES AND IMPORTANCE.

 Cost-effectiveness: How does the cost of the problem compare to the cost of

Step 3. IDENTIFY CAUSES OF PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS AND/OR

 Are our people doing their jobs effectively?

Step 4. IDENTIFY POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS AND GROWTH

But if our people ARE NOT doing their jobs effectively:

 Training may be the solution, IF there is a knowledge problem.

We will look at these solutions including training & development and organization

1. Prepare the employee

2. Provide Development opportunities

c. Job Design Changes

d. Representing the Department

e. Delegate Special Projects

f. Assist the Boss

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