TAKING THE COMPLEXITY OUT OF
TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT:
A PROVEN AND A PRACTICAL APPROACH
Terrence Donahue
Corporate Director, Learning, Emerson Electric
TAKING THE COMPLEXITY OUT OF
TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT:
A PROVEN AND A PRACTICAL APPROACH
Terrence Donahue
Corporate Director, Learning, Emerson Electric
Organizational Learning and Performance
Developmental
Education Needs Assessment
Needs Assessment
Training
Needs Assessment
Attribution: Laird, Dugan; Approaches to Training and Development, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., Reading, MA 01867,
1985
Nadler, Leonard Designing Training Programs: The Critical Events Model, Addison-Wesley, Inc., Reading, MA 01867, 1982
Slide 3
Organizational Learning and Performance
Development
Education
Training
Attribution: Laird, Dugan; Approaches to Training and Development, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., Reading, MA 01867,
1985
Nadler, Leonard Designing Training Programs: The Critical Events Model, Addison-Wesley, Inc., Reading, MA 01867, 1982
Slide 4
Organizational Learning and Performance
What are the differences between Training, Education, and Development, and
why do these differences matter when conducting a needs assessment?
Development
Education
Training
Slide 5
Organizational Learning and Performance
Development
Education Experiences and targeted
Knowledge and skill assignments that grow you
Training for your next role
Knowledge and skill
for what you do now
Attribution: Laird, Dugan; Approaches to Training and Development, Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc., Reading, MA 01867,
1985
Nadler, Leonard Designing Training Programs: The Critical Events Model, Addison-Wesley, Inc., Reading, MA 01867, 1982
Slide 6
Organizational Learning and Performance: The 70:20:10 Framework
70 PERCENT of your development may occur through
experience and targeted developmental assignments
20 PERCENT of your development may occur through
learning from others.
70:20:10 10 PERCENT of your development may occur through
focused training.
Attribution: Morgan McCall, Michael Lombardo and Robert Eichinger, Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) 1996
Slide 7
When should we provide training to employees?
Something New Mandated Job Performance Discrepancies
A NEW… IT IS REQUIRED… What is the performance discrepancy?
Employee Compliance What is the cause of the discrepancy?
Promotion Legal
Product Certification How can it be fixed?
Procedure Customer Requirement
Policy Is training the right solution?
Process
Equipment
Strategic Initiative
Change
What Training do they need? Do they need Training?
Slide 8
Two Very Important Questions in a Training Needs Assessment
One Question to Never Ask... One Question to Always Ask
Do you need Training? What do you think you need to
perform your job tasks better?
Slide 9
Three Occasions to Determine Training Needs
Determine if Training is a solution for a performance
1 Requests for Training discrepancy when it is identified that employees lack
knowledge and skill to perform as expected.
Determine the knowledge and skills that will be needed
2 Determining Future Needs in the future and how training can help equip employees
with these skills.
Determine if training solutions in your current curriculum
3 Evaluating Existing Curriculum portfolio are still necessary, relevant, and effective.
Attribution: The Performance Maker Group LLC Copyright 2009 Milwaukee, WI Used with permission
Slide 10
Job Aid Page 2
Three Occasions to Determine Training Needs
1 Requests for Training Reactive
2 Determining Future Needs Proactive
3 Evaluating Existing Curriculum Evaluative
Attribution: The Performance Maker Group LLC Copyright 2009 Milwaukee, WI Used with permission
Slide 11
Job Aid Page 2
Three Occasions to Determine Training Needs
Determine if Training is a solution for a performance
1 Requests for Training discrepancy when it is identified that employees lack
knowledge and skill to perform as expected.
Determine the knowledge and skills that will be needed
2 Determining Future Needs in the future and how training can help equip employees
with these skills.
Determine if training solutions in your current curriculum
3 Evaluating Existing Curriculum portfolio are still necessary, relevant, and effective.
Attribution: The Performance Maker Group LLC Copyright 2009 Milwaukee, WI Used with permission
Slide 12
Job Aid Page 2
Situation 1: Request-based Training Needs Assessment
Expected Performance – Actual Performance = Performance Discrepancy
• What is the discrepancy?
• What is/are the cause(s)?
• How can we fix it?
Attribution: The Performance Discrepancy: Allison Rosette, 1987
The Job Performance Puzzle, The Performance Maker Group LLC Copyright 2009 Milwaukee, WI Used with permission.
Slide 13
Job Aid Page 3
Situation 1: Request-based Training Needs Assessment
Expected Performance – Actual Performance = Performance Discrepancy
The only time you should
offer training as a solution to
a job performance
discrepancy is when you
have confirmed that poor
performance is caused by a
lack of knowledge and skill.
The Job Performance Puzzle, The Performance Maker Group LLC Copyright 2009 Milwaukee, WI Used with permission.
Slide 14
Job Aid Page 3
Situation 1: Request-based Training Needs Assessment
The Four Phases of a Request-based TNA:
Phase 1: Gather Job Performance Data
Phase 2: Conduct a Performance Analysis
Phase 3: Conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis
Phase 4: Make Decision
Slide 15
Job Aid Page 4
Situation 1: Request-based Training Needs Assessment
The Four Phases of a Request-based TNA:
Phase 1: Gather Job Performance Data
Phase 2: Conduct a Performance Analysis
Phase 3: Conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis
Phase 4: Make Decision
Slide 16
Job Aid Page 4
Situation 1: Request-based Training Needs Assessment
The Four Phases of a Request-based TNA:
Phase 1: Gather Job Performance Data
Phase 2: Conduct a Performance Analysis
Phase 3: Conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis
Phase 4: Make Decision
Slide 17
Job Aid Page 4
Situation 1: Request-based Training Needs Assessment
The Four Phases of a Request-based TNA:
Phase 1: Gather Job Performance Data
Phase 2: Conduct a Performance Analysis
Phase 3: Conduct a Cost-Benefit Analysis
Phase 4: Make Decision
Slide 18
Job Aid Page 4
Three Occasions to Determine Training Needs
Determine if Training is a solution for a performance
1 Requests for Training discrepancy when it is identified that employees lack
knowledge and skill to perform as expected.
Determine the knowledge and skills that will be needed
2 Determining Future Needs in the future and how training can help equip employees
with these skills.
Determine if training solutions in your current curriculum
3 Evaluating Existing Curriculum portfolio are still necessary, relevant, and effective.
Attribution: The Performance Maker Group LLC Copyright 2009 Milwaukee, WI Used with permission
Slide 19
Job Aid Page 5
Situation 2: Determining Future Training Needs
Phase 1: Gather Information
Phase 2: Interview Stakeholders
Phase 3: Analyze Information
Phase 4: Write Proposal
Slide 20
Job Aid Page 5
Situation 2: Determining Future Training Needs
Phase 1: Gather Information
Phase 2: Interview Stakeholders
Phase 3: Analyze Information
Phase 4: Write Proposal
Slide 21
Job Aid Page 5
Situation 2: Determining Future Training Needs
Phase 1: Gather Information
Phase 2: Interview Stakeholders
Phase 3: Analyze Information
Phase 4: Write Proposal
Slide 22
Job Aid Page 6
Situation 2: Determining Future Training Needs
Phase 1: Gather Information
Phase 2: Interview Stakeholders
Phase 3: Analyze Information
Phase 4: Write Proposal
Slide 23
Job Aid Page 6
Three Occasions to Determine Training Needs
Determine if Training is a solution for a performance
1 Requests for Training discrepancy when it is identified that employees lack
knowledge and skill to perform as expected.
Determine the knowledge and skills that will be needed
2 Determining Future Needs in the future and how training can help equip employees
with these skills.
Determine if training solutions in your current curriculum
3 Evaluating Existing Curriculum portfolio are still necessary, relevant, and effective.
Attribution: The Performance Maker Group LLC Copyright 2009 Milwaukee, WI Used with permission
Slide 24
Job Aid Page 7
Situation 3: Evaluating Existing Curriculum
Phase 1: List all Training Courses
Phase 2: Analyze Each Training Course
Phase 3: Determine to Continue or Discontinue
Slide 25
Job Aid Page 7
Situation 3: Evaluating Existing Curriculum
Phase 1: List all Training Courses
Phase 2: Analyze Each Training Course
Phase 3: Determine to Continue or Discontinue
Slide 26
Job Aid Page 7
Situation 3: Evaluating Existing Curriculum
Phase 1: List all Training Courses
Phase 2: Analyze Each Training Course
Phase 3: Determine to Continue or Discontinue
Slide 27
Job Aid Page 8
Use the Request-based Needs Assessment Planner
1. The Requested Program
2. The Target Audience
3. The Expected Outcomes
Slide 28
Job Aid Page 9
Use the Request-based Needs Assessment Planner
1. The Requested Program
2. The Target Audience
3. The Expected Outcomes
Slide 29
Job Aid Page 9
Use the Request-based Needs Assessment Planner
1. The Requested Program
2. The Target Audience
3. The Expected Outcomes
Slide 30
Job Aid Page 10
Three Occasions to Determine Training Needs
Determine if Training is a solution for a performance
1 Requests for Training discrepancy if it is identified that employees lack
knowledge and skill to perform as expected.
Determine the knowledge and skills that will be needed
2 Determining Future Needs in the future and how training can help equip employees
with these skills.
Determine if training solutions in your current curriculum
3 Evaluating Existing Curriculum portfolio are still necessary, relevant, and effective.
Attribution: The Performance Maker Group LLC Copyright 2009 Milwaukee, WI Used with permission
Slide 31
Connecting the front-end assessment with the back-end evaluation
Level 4: Results
Has Training Changed Things?
Level 3: Behavior
Are you doing it?
Level 2: Learning
Did you learn it?
Level 1: Reaction
Did you like it?
Attribution: Kirkpatrick, Donald and James D. Kirkpatrick, Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels (3rd Edition)Barrett-Koehler, San Francisco, CA, 2006
”The Job Performance Puzzle”, Copyright 2009 The Performance Maker Group LLC. Milwaukee, WI Used with permission.
Slide 32
Connecting the front-end assessment with the back-end evaluation
Level 4: Results
Has Training Changed Things?
Level 3: Behavior
Are you doing it?
Level 2: Learning
Did you learn it?
Level 1: Reaction
Did you like it?
What tools do you use to gather data on each
of these four levels of evaluation?
Attribution: Kirkpatrick, Donald and James D. Kirkpatrick, Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels (3rd Edition)Barrett-Koehler, San Francisco, CA, 2006
”The Job Performance Puzzle”, Copyright 2009 The Performance Maker Group LLC. Milwaukee, WI Used with permission.
Slide 33
The Missing Link in Evaluating Training
Expected Performance – Actual Performance = Performance Discrepancy
Measuring the front-end Measuring the back-end
(Training Needs Assessment) (Kirkpatrick 4 Levels)
Surveys Surveys
Interviews Interviews
Observations Observations
Tests Tests
Work Samples Work Samples
Job Performance Records Job Performance Records
Slide 34
Questions
Comments
Slide 35
Thank you!
Slide 36
SU1000
Taking the Complexity Out of Training Needs Assessment:
A Practical and Proven Approach
M212
Successful Leadership Transitions: How a Global Company Equips Its Leaders for New Roles
Terrence Donahue, Corporate Director of Learning, Emerson
&
Michael Watkins, President, Genesis Advisers, former faculty member at Harvard Business
School and author of the international bestseller The First 90 Days
