Assessing HRD

Chapter 4

Werner & DeSimone (2006)

Why Do Needs
Assessment?
Question:
Why is needs assessment
information critical to the
development and delivery of an
effective HRD program?

Werner & DeSimone (2006)

What is a Need?
A discrepancy between
expectations and performance
Not only performance needs
involved

Werner & DeSimone (2006)

Need of HRD
Ultimately the goal of HRD is to
improve an organizations
effectiveness

Solving Current Problems

Increase in customer complaints

Preventing anticipated problems

Such as shortage of skilled technicians

Including as participants those

individual that can benefit most.
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

Needs Assessment
Figuring out what is really needed
Not always an easy task
Needs lots of input
Takes a lot of work
Do it now or do lots more later
First step in both the ISD and HRD
process models
Werner & DeSimone (2006)

Product Development Model

(PDM)/Imdtructional System Design
Analyze

Design

Develop

Produce Pilot

Evaluate

Deliver

Improve

By permission: Doty, W.B. (1997) Product Development

Werner & DeSimone (2006)

The HRD Process: A DImE

Werner & DeSimone (2006)

Process Model to the

PDM/ISD Model
HRD Process Model
Assess
Design

Implement
Evaluate

PDM/ISD Model
Analyze need
Design training
Develop
Produce pilot
Evaluate pilot
Deliver training
Improve

Werner & DeSimone (2006)

Various Types of Needs

Performance
Diagnostic

Factors that can prevent problems

from occurring (see p. 130)

Analytic

Identify new or better ways to do

things

Compliance

Mandated by law or regulation

Werner & DeSimone (2006)

Traps in Needs
Assessment
Focusing only on individual
performance deficiencies

Doesnt fix group of systemic

problems

Starting with a Training Needs

Assessment

If you know training is needed, why

waste everyones time?
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Traps in Needs Assessment

2
Using Questionnaires
Hard to control input, often high
developmental costs, hard to write
properly
Using soft data (opinions) only
Need performance and consequence
data
Using hard data only
Easily measured data is provided, but
critical,
hard-to-measure
data
Werner
& DeSimone (2006)
11 is

Levels of Assessment
Organization

Where is training needed and under

what conditions?

Task

What must be done to perform the job

effectively?

Person

Who should be trained and how?

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Strategic/Organizational
Analysis
A broad, systems view is needed
Need to identify:

Organizational goals

Organizational resources

Organizational climate

Environmental constraints
SWOT Analysis

13

Why Strategic Assessment

is Needed
Ties HRD programs to corporate or
organizational goals
Strengthens the link between profit
and HRD actions
Strengthens corporate support for
HRD
Makes HRD more of a revenue
generator

Not a profit waster

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Sources of Strategic
Information
Mission statement
HRM inventory
Skills inventory
Quality of Working Life indicators
Efficiency indexes
System changes
Exit interviews
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Task Analysis / Operation

Analysis
The collection of data about a
specific job or group of jobs
What employee needs to know to
perform a job or jobs to meet these
standards & the KSAOs.

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How to Collect Information

For a Task Analysis
Job descriptions
Task analysis
Performance standards
Perform job
Observe job
Ask questions
Analysis of problems
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A Sample Task Analysis

Process
Develop job description
Identify job tasks

What should be done

What is actually done

Describe KSAOs needed

Identify potential training areas
Prioritize potential training areas
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Task Analysis Process

Overall Job Description

Conditions under which activities are

performed.
Job Analysis / Job Specification
judgment.

Task Identification

Behaviors performed within a Job.

Major Tasks within the Job
How each task should be performed
The Variability of Performance.
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Task Analysis Process

(Contd)
Identify What it takes to do the Job

KSAOs needed to perform the job

Identify the Areas that Can Most

Benefit from Training or HRD
Prioritize Training Needs.

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A Task Analysis Application

Question:
You have been asked to perform a
task analysis for the job of
dispatcher in a city police
department. Which method(s) of
task analysis do you think are most
appropriate for analyzing this job?
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Person Analysis
Determines training needs for
specific individuals
Based on many sources of data
Summary Analysis

Determine overall success of the

individual

Diagnostic Analysis

Discover reasons for performance

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Performance Appraisal
Relied on heavily in person
analysis
Hard to do
Vital to company and individual
Should be VERY confidential
Based too often on personal
opinion
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The Employee Appraisal

Process

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Performance Appraisal
Process
Determine basis for appraisal

Job description, MBO objectives, job

standards, etc.

Conduct the appraisal

Determine discrepancies between
the standard and performance
Identify source(s) of discrepancies
Select ways to resolve
discrepancies
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Prioritizing HRD Needs

There are never enough resources
available
Must prioritize efforts
Need full organizational
involvement in this process
Involve an HRD Advisory
Committee.
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Warning!!
HRD cannot become a slow-acting
bureaucracy!!

The Attack on ISD article (Text p.

133)

HRD must respond to corporate

needs
HRD should be focused on
performance improvement, and
not just training
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