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Training Needs Assessment Survey

Needs Assessment: the process to identify "gaps" between current performance and department/organizational objectives.

What are the Steps in a Training Needs Assessment

  1. Needs Assessment (collecting and analyzing data)
  2. Design (program objectives, plan, measures of success)
  3. Testing (prototype the instrument and process)
  4. Implementation (collection measures and update as needed)
  5. Analysis & Evaluation (review feedback and data collected)

Steps in a Training Needs Assessment

Assessment Methods: Advantages and Disadvantages

Survey Questionnaires

Web based or printed questionnaires distributed to employees for completion. Construction of surveys to include multiple/fixed choice questions and free/open-ended questions for text responses.

Advantages
  • Survey a large number of employees at the same time.
  • Do not require a lot of time.
  • Enable honest and open feedback.
  • Gathers quantitative and qualitative data easily.
Disadvantages
  • May be difficult to design questionnaires to allow for follow-up or more elaborate responses.
  • Might not identify the specific causes behind employee actions/behaviors.

Personal Interviews

Conducted by a trained "interviewer" who follows an interview outline (or set of questions) to be asked during the interview.

Advantages
  • More flexible in the ability to ask various questions.
  • Able to immediately follow-up on items mentioned in the interview.
  • Is not limited in scope or limited to only a certain set of questions.
Disadvantages
  • Time consuming. Especially if only one individual is interviewed at a time.
  • Requires the interviewer to document conversations in detail. Any details not documented are lost or need to be gathered through subsequent interviews.

Personal Observations

An observation of the employee at work. May be structured (i.e., the employee performs specific tasks) or unstructured (i.e., the observer tries to document the employees work without influencing what the employee does).

Advantages
  • May reduce the amount of interruption of the employee's work.
  • May be more realistic--observations are made of the employee actually at work.
Disadvantages
  • Requires a trained observer.
  • Requires the observer to document the work in detail. Any details not documented are lost or need to be gathered through subsequent observations.