The Importance of Needs Analysis

The Importance of Needs Analysis:

          There are three good reasons why organizations should take a proactive stance in the diagnosis of training needs: to establish a performance base line, to meet legal obligations, and to help employees remain employable.

Establishing Base-Line Performance:

          The first reason to conduct needs analysis is to establish a base line of performance against which improvements can be measured. This base-line information allows trainers to

·       Determine what the trainee already knows

·       Estimate the cost of the present performance

·       Identify what the employee needs to know

·       Design a program to train the employee in deficient areas only

·       Prepare measurable learning objectives

·       Test for increases in knowledge and skills

·       Conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the program

Legal Considerations:

Some employers have a legal responsibility to assess worker knowledge and skills in areas regulated by the government. Government agencies have responsibility for either the industry or for issues across industries.

Moral Obligation:

Some argue that employers have a moral obligation to assess the needs of employees to reduce the impact of skill obsolescence. A recent trend in employee relations suggests that large companies have a responsibility to their employees, even to the point of assisting them to find jobs in the event of layoffs and providing them with training, to ensure their employability. Unions are demanding that workers have the right to be part of a needs-identification program to determine if the skills being taught are really necessary to do the job. These factors provide strong arguments for conducting regular and objective assessments of training needs.

          Some other cited benefits of needs analysis include generating consensus on the need for training so that it is supported: developing the case that training is needed, and raising the profile and credibility of the training department. Managers need objective data when diagnosing problems and needs analysis allows them to gather insights and feedback about the nature of the problem.