7 Ways to Start Your Training Programs
If you sometimes find yourself using educated guesses to determine
training focus, here's an easy way to get the information you
need. On programs and priorities on every level ø from individuals
to departments to divisions to the entire organization.
You can have real data to back up your decisions when you approach
those decisions armed with a Training Needs Assessment.
It's one of the more valuable tools ever for taking the guesswork
out of your training or corporate university curriculum.
In no time you'll be able, with confidence, to:
- Establish a skills inventory of the workforce
- Determine training needs and plans
- Get "buy-in" from the target groups
- Identify unknown training needs
- Identify organizational issues that can be addressed through
training and development
- Establish consensus on the topics and reasons for training
- Ensure that any training effort is geared to meet
strategic needs and future business goals.
It all starts with a survey
The assessment process begins with a carefully crafted survey.
It can be targeted to find out individual strengths and weaknesses
... or get a true picture of the skills and needs of a department
or division. We've also seen it taken to a company-wide level.
Especially beneficial when a company is considering the establishment
of a corporate university.
The first step is to design a survey to elicit responses that
are measurable and useful. Facts and figures that will mean something.
Knowledge that will benefit the development of new programs.
Use Online Needs Assessment
for Speed and Precision
Step two is distribution. Once you are satisfied the questions
will give you the input to meet your needs, your survey must
be circulated to the target groups.
Here's where you can take real advantage of today's technology.
Distributing your needs assessment survey online makes it easy
to access and monitor. Especially beneficial when you have geographically
disbursed locations.
Collection of the data is step three. If the survey is a written
one, this process involves keying the answers into a computer
for sorting and tabulation. Obviously, you'll have an advantage
if your survey is online, as the data will already be deposited
in the program for the analysis step.
Planning Ahead Make Analysis Easy
Step four is the analysis of the data. If step one has been
done correctly, the answers you are looking for will be there.
Your analysis will be easier because you've planned the
parameters in which all information will fall.
Another useful step ø number five ø is a series of focus groups
to verify the information you've collected. Effective training
is not an inexpensive proposition, so taking the time for this
step will almost always yield a payoff in new or confirmed conclusions.
Translating Knowledge into Action
Step six may be the most time consuming. Nothing can happen
until you formulate training plans and outcomes based on what
you've learned. And tie them to your organization's strategic
goals.
Seven, the final step, is the report. Presenting your findings
and recommendation to management. Because you've gained the knowledge
of the company's strengths and needs through this step-by-step
approach, your presentation will have impact. And your HR development
programs will be backed by reliable data.
The HR professionals at Quest can do all of the above steps,
or we can partner with you and do some of them. You can benefit
from our experience working with many organizations in determining
training needs. We can advise you on the best questions to ask
to get all the information you want. Answers you can truly put
to use to make your job easier and more successful.
For more information on Training Needs Assessment, click
here. |
