Identifying training needs the most right? Method and When to be done?

In strategic hr, business can't just stop at hiring the right people, but also to train the right way – at the right time. However, practice shows that many organizations still deploy the training program a stereotype, run trends or according to the sense of management. The result is wasted budget, take time and more importantly does not generate significant changes in work performance of the team.

Therefore, “determining training needs” should become the first step required before any training program would be implemented. This is not is the form that is the foundation to ensure effective training and development of manpower comprehensive. The same Lac Viet SureHCS find out details in this article.

1. Overview of identified training needs

1.1 Identify training needs is to do what?

Identify training needs is the process of business assess the gap between current capability of staff and capacity necessary to meet the job requirements or strategic goals. In other words, this is the way to business answer the question: “Employees are missing what should be fostering more what to work better?”

For example: A manufacturing enterprise are transforming from manager manual to software production management. In the process of commissioning a new organization department noticed many chief hasn't yet mastered the process for updating data. Then, identify training needs will help the business understand the problem in order to design appropriate programs, instead held a key Excel skills not related.

Training is investment, but investment is only effective when placed in the right spot. Determining training needs accurate not only help construction business plan training practical but also ensure resources are optimally used. Thanks to that, businesses can:

• Significantly save the cost of training is not necessary.The needs analysis training helps to remove the content not necessary to focus on those skills really need supplements.
• Capacity right location, the right audience, as the basis for the evaluation capacity development internal
• Increased satisfaction of employee engagement as perceived to be personal investment goods from the business. Employees will feel the interest from organizations as training programs reflect the needs of their development.

In summary, the identification of training needs is not simply to find out the course institutions need which is a core part of strategic human resource management modern. Business as taken this step and have the database delete then the effect of the whole training process is raised markedly.

1.2. The levels determine the training needs in the organization

To the process of analyzing training needs, achieve high efficiency and can be deployed according to the route clearly, businesses need to reach the three levels: organizational, work and personal. Each level provides different perspective from which to help create a training program comprehensive fit.

• The organizational level (Organization-level): driven from strategic business development

At this level, the business identify training needs based on the strategic direction, long-term: market expansion, conversion of, enhance customer experience,... For example, if the business aim to become a pioneer in technology in the industry, then training needs will revolve around the capacity of skills to use new software, thinking, innovation, etc.

Approach at the organizational level helps to ensure that training is not only resolve the issue at the cabinet before the eyes, but also serves for the vision of sustainable development.

• Level work (Task-level): analysis from the requirement of practical tasks

Here the business focuses on analyzing the requirements of each specific location. For example, a staff of customer care need the skills on how to handle situations, communicate effectively, or use the CRM system competently.

By comparison between the “standard capacity” of each location with the existing capacity of people assume that position, the business will detect the distance to the given plan training accordingly.

• Individual level (Individual-level): developed in association with personal goals

This is the deepest level, go into each specific employee. Based on the capacity assessment, career goals personal or survey results, internal business will design the training program in accordance with demand-oriented development of each person.

For example, a potential employee wants to develop the team will need training on leadership skills, decision-making, team-building... Not only help employees feel are of interest but also create team inherited the ability, stick with the organization.

2. When businesses should set out the need for training?

Determining training needs are not activities that take place at random, which should be done in the moment bring the strategy to ensure consistent performance. Here are the common situations that businesses often start the review needs analysis training:

• After the performance evaluation work

Each performance reviews is the opportunity to look back at the actual capacity of the team, compared with expectations laid out. If there is a difference markedly between current capability and target work, this is the basis to proceed to determine training needs. For example, if the employee is constantly not complete KPI about time management, business need content deployment training about management of personal work.

• When the business development process or strategy new

Every change in the business model, operational processes or orientation development are requesting team must adapt in a timely manner. Determining staffing needs, the need training in this stage helps to ensure the entire organization to “sync” the ability to operate smoothly.

• When there is a change in technology, law or organizational structure

The change from the outside as new software updates, changes to laws and regulations industry or internal restructuring are the training needs. For example, when The Law on protection of personal data in force, the hr department and IT needs to be updated knowledge related to compliance with regulations.

• When a business has the goal of developing a team of inheritance or advanced capacity management

Training is not just to fill in the “hole” current skills but also is an important tool to prepare for the future. Team building inheritance or upgrade leadership requires clearly define the competencies required refresher for each specific object.

At each time, different training needs arising from these issues, strategic objectives separately. Therefore, businesses need to maintain proactive thinking in the discovery, updates on training needs instead of just react when problems arise.

3. The method of determining the training needs popular

The correct identification of training needs is the first important step to program design, effective training. Here are the common methods to help business analysis to clarify the gap capacity should improve from that given on the plans tailored to each hr team, each position or strategic goals.

3.1. Interview the manager/staff

This is a qualitative method has high practical value, especially suitable for enterprises, small and medium scale or are implementing internal training for the first time. Through live interviews, training department can collect the insight from all levels of management and staff:

• The manager helps to identify the weaknesses common, the capacity needed to achieve the goal of departments.
• Employees can share the difficulties they encountered in work, as well as the desire to be supported, developed in the particular skill.

For example: A business noticed employees lack skills consultancy products for business customers. This is a clear hint to take into plan training.

3.2. Survey – questionnaire

This method is suitable to apply on a large scale, when businesses need to take the comments from many of personnel in a short time. Questionnaire is built can assess the proficiency level of current skills, confidence level, or expectations about the training program in the future.

The main benefit of the survey is to create quantitative data to help businesses easily aggregate, analyze, make decisions. However, in order to ensure the effectiveness, the survey should be scientifically designed to avoid long lines or too general.

3.3. Reviews work performance (KPI)

Results KPI is an “indicator” to determine the problem. If a department often does not reach the target, for example, our customer care team continuously recorded the level of satisfaction is low, then that is the signal for a need to improve soft skills, skills to handle the situation or product knowledge.

KPI analysis not only helps business identify training needs for exercise but also personalized training program for each employee clearly has database support.

3.4. Analysis GAP capacity (current capability vs. capacity desired)

This method is considered the foundation in management, personnel training. The process consists of three steps:

• Define the competency standards for each job position.
• Rated current capacity of staff through measurement tools (tests, reviews superior, self-evaluation,...).
• Compare to find out gaps (GAP) training required.

For example, If the standard of place project management requires understanding management software schedule, but 70% of employees never use tools such as Trello, Asana or MS Project, then it is CAUGHT, specific training required.

3.5. Direct observation or assessment of the local

This method is particularly useful in the industry requires manipulation practices such as production, logistics, operating systems, technical customer care at point of sale... Who's in charge of training or management level will directly observe the way employees perform work to uncover:

• The point is not properly process.
• How to handle the situation was unprofessional.
• The manipulation is not effective, causing a waste of time.

For example, In industry, restaurant service, observe how the table staff react to the customer may indicate the shortage of communication skills or handle complain – from which to build content training personnel observe more realistic.

4. The steps identified training needs effectively

To build a training program that actually bring value, businesses can't skip steps, platform: identify training needs correctly, have the system. Here are six important steps to help the organization implement this operation efficiency at the same time solve the “training the right people the right content the right time”.

Step 1. Identify training objectives consistent with organizational strategy

Before a training needs analysis to create detailed business need to clarify: this training program is intended to serve the goal what? Can be enhanced human capacity to meet expansion plans branch, improve performance sales team, or prepare resources for placement adjacent.

Identifying the right target help “orientation” the whole process of training, to avoid organize the classroom, spreading, lack of focus and not attached to the business results.

For example, If the business is implementing conversion of the training skills of using software admin work is a priority before you think about soft skills.

Step 2. Collect data from multiple sources

To understand the personnel are what businesses need to aggregate data from multiple channels:

• Report performance indicators (KPIs): indicates the position has not yet reached the goal, which groups are in need of support.
• Reviews from manager level: Provides real insight about capacity, behavior, work of each individual.
• Employee survey: Help to understand the expectations of learning and the points still vague in the work.
• Feedback customer or partner: Hint skills need improving in order to improve the quality of service.

Data as multi-dimensional, then the analysis of training needs as closely as practical to be the leader board support.

Step 3. Analysis for screening capacity gaps (GAP)

This is the critical stages in the process of needs analysis training. Businesses need to compare between:

• Capacity requirements for job positions (according to the description of functions or standard capacity)
• The existing capacity of staff.

The distance between two elements is the GAP – gaps that training should fill.

For example: care Staff, customers need to have the skills to handle situations with demanding guests, but untrained. At this time, the program training focused on skills feedback professional will bring efficiency markedly.

Step 4. Identify team personnel should be trained

Not everyone needs to learn everything. Identifying specific target group will help optimize budget to ensure proper focus. Businesses can be categorized by:

• Functional groups list (staff, team, management),
• Group low performance
• New staff joined,
• Personnel potential need to develop.

Also, to note: there are content training in accordance with the entire company (for example, training on corporate culture or compliance with labor laws), while having the content back to design specialized for each department.

Step 5. Proposed training solution suitable

After clearly identifying needs, businesses need to choose the form most optimal training just fits with content just to fit with the budget, learning habits of personnel:

• E-learning: Flexible, save time cost, easy-to-follow learning outcomes.
• Mentoring (coaching/on-the-job training): in accordance with the practical skills, communication experience.
• Class focus: high efficiency in creating interactive dig deep problems.
• Internal training: Take advantage of the resources in the organization, especially with content expertise peculiarities.

Business should incorporate flexibility many forms to increase the level of memorization and application after training.

Step 6. Presentation plan with the competent management

Finally, the training should present the overall plan with the management or board of directors to be approved. The plan should clearly:

• Specific goals.
• Target group training.
• The cost estimate.
• Benefits expected after training.
• How to measure effectiveness (through evaluation results, KPIs and feedback after training...).

When there is consensus from the leadership, process implementation plan, training will be much more favorably, at the same time help other parts actively collaborate to achieve common goals.

Determining training needs is not just the job of the hr department, which need coordination from the relevant departments to ensure accuracy and keep abreast of the development strategy. Fully apply the steps mentioned above will help businesses not only determine the right staffing needs to be developed, but also effective investment and have basis for assessing the results of training are clear – from that optimize resources and increase competitive advantage sustainable.

5. Application of technology in identifying training needs

The application of modern technology is in the process of needs analysis training no longer is the trend that has become standard to ensure accurate, fast and objective. Instead of relying on perceived subjective or report, the organization, the business can take advantage of the system learning management (LMS), software training to collect, handle data analysis in a comprehensive way.

Specifically, LMS systems help businesses track the learning process, test scores, completion time content training of each employee. From there, easily detect what skills are weak or areas that need to be retrained. For example, if a group of employees constantly reached a low point in the module on communication skills customer, this reflection needs training clearly, content orientation, training more suitable.

In particular, E-learning software of Vietnam was integrated evaluation function power input, survey online, group classification capacity and export reports automatically for each department, work location. Thanks to that, the hr department not only save time, data processing, but also solid base for presentation to the board of directors of plans, training staff effectively, the right people the right content at right time.

In addition, the technology also supports the business in determining staffing needs long-term as forecast the location will be shortage of skills in the future, proactive plan training from an early age. This is a key factor that helps organizations optimize resources to keep sustainable competitive advantage in the market.

Determining training needs is no longer just an initial step in the process of internal training that is leverage strategies to help businesses effectively use resources, shorten the duration of training, cost savings, improve the quality of our team. When properly identify the needs, business avoid training rampant lack of focus capital is the main cause leading to wasted budget low efficiency.

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