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 PlanHome / 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 employeeTo 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 opportunitiesThere 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. TrainingTraining 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 CoachingEmployees 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 ChangesHere, 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 DepartmentHave 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 ProjectsMake 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 BossAssign 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 ProgressObserve 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 ConfidenceLet 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