Needs Assessment Process

Let’s take a look at the needs assessment process. This section examines the three elements of needs assessment: organizational analysis, person analysis, and task analysis.

This figure illustrates the needs assessment process. In practice, organizational analysis, person analysis, and task analysis are not conducted in any order. Organizational analysis involves identifying whether training supports the company’s strategic direction; whether managers, peers, and employees support training activity; and what training resources are available.

Person analysis helps identify employees who need training; lack of training or poor training is one possible explanation. This is often referred to as a gap analysis.

A gap analysis includes determining what is responsible for the difference between employees' current and expected performance. The need for training may result from the pressure, including performance problems, changes in the job, or use of new technology. Person analysis also helps determining employees’ readiness for training.

Readiness for training refers to whether (1) employees have the personal characteristics (ability, attitudes, beliefs, and motivation) necessary to learn program content and apply it on the job, and (2) the work environment will facilitate learning and not interfere with performance. This process includes evaluating person characteristics, input, output, consequences, and feedback.

Task analysis results in a description of work activities, including tasks performed by the employee and the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to complete the tasks. A job is a specific position requiring the completion of certain tasks. A task is the employee’s work activity in a specific job.

Task analysis should be undertaken only after the organizational analysis has determined that the company wants to devote time and money for training. Why? Task analysis is a time-consuming, tedious process that involves a large time commitment to gather and summarize data from many different persons in the company, including managers, job incumbents, and trainers.