Training needs analysis - Essay Example

?INTRODUCTION Training needs analysis is important in every organisation. Taking an examination of the skills of an organisation is instrumental in determining its status and capacity for improvement. Therefore, the organisations will know if they are nearly meeting their objectives or not. The analysis can also show the organisations’ weaknesses. Moreover, through the analysis, the organisations will know the areas that need development. Training needs analysis involves assessing the needs of the Hospital Services Advisors, through a training programmme and evaluating the training needs analysis. The organisation which will be the focus of such a process is Ramsay Health Care UK. RAMSAY HEALTH CARE UK The founding of Ramsay Health Care (RHC) was back in 1964. The company has developed, and has over 117 hospitals. Furthermore, it has day surgery amenities in France, Australia, Indonesia, and United Kingdom. This made the organisation assume the status of a global private healthcare operator. In England, the company obtained Capio UK and its group of hospitals in 2007. By September 2010, RHC had employed more than 3500 employees, making it the top health care providers in the UK. This achievement provided a solid foundation for expansion. The company benefits from its established trade name because of its wide spread network. It competes effectively with regional players. Currently the RHC is in a lasting affiliation with the National Health Services (NHS), where it provides surgical and diagnostics services to both private and self-sponsored patients. In the year 2010, RHC had a 10% augmentation of revenue after getting revenue of 350.2 million in the 2009 financial year. During the Medibank Private Menders’ Survey, RHC was ranked among those who had the top honors. Moreover, RHC was also among the five finalists of the best Health and Wellbeing Strategy in the Australian Human Resource Award. Furthermore, it has an excellent ability to satisfy its customers’ needs. For this reason, it has constantly emerged the top three after rating the two hundred service companies in the private and public sectors. There has been an escalation of birth rates, growth of outpatients’ treatment and the increase of the ageing people. Consequently, the economic environment and the demand for private health care are steadily escalating. This forces the RHC to expand its hospitals in the UK so as to succeed in catering the needs of the public. Additionally, RHC has successfully maintained satisfaction for its staff by ensuring that the proper work place health and protection risks are on check. Consequently, RHC has had a reduction of the time wasted because of injuries. The aim of RHC is to be at the top in offering the highest quality clinical services among the private healthcare hospitals. Furthermore, the organisation responds to the requirements of its patients by providing the best customer services. For them to meet their objectives, the RHC conducts an operation measure every year toward improving the patients’ experiences, and clinical effectiveness. Additionally it acknowledges the importance of investing in human capital. Therefore, this has been the reason for its current achievements and developments. Moreover, the RHC offers scholarships to its staff who wishes to further their studies. For example, the company recently offered sixty thousand dollars for the staff to pursue postgraduate at its will. The strengths of the organization incorporate its wide network since it has several outlets that offer the necessary services to the clientele base. This enhances its ability to compete within the health industry. Furthermore, its personnel are well versed with operational processes making it simple to embrace emerging technologies that enhance their skills. An additional strength pertains to the organization’s ability to attain increased revenues as illustrated in the financial outcomes. The most significant weakness arises from the inability to determine the patient’s needs. Apparently, the cost of care has been escalating with the economic crunch regardless of the minimal effect on the institution’s budget. The opportunity evident is training the personnel with the intention of improving the provision of care. As such, it is necessary to combine the quality and cost process. Concurrently, the most significant threat pertains to the presence of similar institutions with increased vigour and capacity such as Sloane Hospital. TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT A training need is the scarcity of expertise or capability. Reduction of this scarcity is tenable through training. For organisations to achieve their objectives, employees have to meet their job expectations. Training needs analysis has to focus on the elimination of training needs. The cause of training needs is shortage of skills, knowledge, or alterations at the work place (Potter, 2006). Analysis and Assessing is vital because such a stage requires the collection of information. This information collected shows the gap between the current state of the organisation and the preferred end condition. By doing this, organisations’ can know the employees who need training. In analysing training needs, four levels of needs have to be analysed. They include assessing the employees’ skills, attitudes, knowledge, and their responsibilities, needs of the organisation, and the needs of departments (Harrison, 2000). In contrast, Kerr and McDougall (1999) argued that most organisations do not analyse all the four level but rather emphases on individual employees needs. In identifying the needs of an organisation, there are methods which are always used. The methods include interviews, the use of questionnaires, observations, and focus groups. These methods are the preferable because they are the simpler methods used for assembling information for organisation needs (Wilson, 1999; McConnell, 2003). According to Gilley, et. al.., (2002) the critical and root cause analysis are more analytical methods used for the collection of information. However (Schwab 2005) argue that the methods of identification depend on the actual purpose of the study. It is vital to use the organisations’ strategic plan when analyzing the company needs. (Heraty & Morley, 2000; Babuska, 2010) argues that methods such as performance assessment, information feedback from individual employees such as line managers are more preferred by organisations. All these techniques of analysis are effective in given situations. Therefore, one has to use the best method. Apart from training, the organisations should consider things like a good working environment, checking job fit, and good communication for them to achieve the goals (Rothwell & Kazanas 2011). There are many training methods and data gathering techniques that can be used to conduct a training needs analysis. In my 2-day training, I have chosen training needs analysis for the Hospital Services Advisor role of RHC. The method that will come in handy during training is the use Questionnaires throughout the training programme and focus groups. The use of Questionnaires recognizes the organisations’ training needs making it a simple method. Furthermore, questionnaires are instrumental when there are many trainees. Questionnaire can still be used with other ways of collecting data. This is done to involve many people in the information gathering process. Questionnaires qualify to be the best in discovering organisational training needs. This is because in identifying the training needs, every individual is required to give their opinion in the personal training needs. Questionnaires are useful when an organisation is revising the existing training theme. Moreover, they add credibility to the process and give feelings of involvement. For example, if one is investigating the training needs for a large population of employees at several locations, and in several departments and have attend meetings. Random sampling maybe effective, but the remaining persons may feel left out of the process or ignored. If this happens, negative responses can occur to the result. To avoid such negative reactions, an organisation should send questionnaires to everyone including those who did not get invitations to the training. Therefore, the use of questionnaires enables everyone to contribute in the procedure and allows everyone to communicate their views. This will make all people to feel that, they took part in the study (McConnell 2003). According to (Potter 2006, p 31) observation is equally an instrumental process that entails developing a checklist and assuming a position that is strategic from where an individual can view all occurrences. It is clear that from observation the likelihood of drawing conclusions that are unaffected by environmental processes is high. Furthermore, it is a flexible process is less interactive thus giving rise to accurate data. However, the chances of bias are equally high since the observer may actually view aspects that he or she wants to note. Potter 2006, (p 33) insinuates that mystery shopping is equally an important technique that entails obtaining a person familiar with the dynamics of the institution. He or she surveys the facility basing on the criteria proposed by the administrative entities. Indeed, they may utilize the resources and services thus determining their usefulness in enhancing the services. Furthermore, they may ask questions just like other patients. Indeed, the mystery shopper entails using real clients to advance the organizational mission. Some organisations still do poorly, and they are very aware of the need for analysis. This happens because these organisations do not conduct the needs assessment. It is claimed that performing such a task is time consuming and difficult (Heraty & Morley, 2000). Additionally, some organisations do not conduct needs assessment because they assume it is not necessary since the available information already shows the organisations’ needs (Desimone, et al., 2002) A TWO-DAY TRAINING PROGRAMME Ramsay Health Care Advisors are the intended group of people used for the training programme. RHC has a team of hospital advisors, which promote the services of the hospital to paying patients. Moreover, the team is also accountable for converting enquiries to appointments. For one to be a service provider at RHC, the individual needs to have a sales background and offer first class service to patients, consultants and colleagues. The advisors at the RHC are highly experienced in administration and customer handling service. Moreover, service advisors need good communication skills at all levels and should be able to work autonomously within the team. However, they are losing sales in terms of not been able to book appointments for customers immediately and they do not follow up on the calls. Furthermore, they are less aggressive in retention of consumers as evident in their attitude. There are steps which are followed whilst designing a training programme. The first is step should be needs for assessment, which is followed by stipulating the learning objectives. Thirdly, one has to design the implementation criteria and conduct evaluation. It is vital to make sure that the training assessments are proper and correct. If the training assessment is not correct, it can cause the whole organisation to fail (Erasmus & Schenk, 2009). Prior to the training, all the participants were asked to read the service advisors manual for the training. This will enable the advisors to know the purpose of the training. The training guide should show the tasks procedures and techniques that are conducted together with the standard performance required of the role. Course Title: Hospital Services Advisor (HSA) Training Duration: 2 day Breaks: Purpose: To refocus the Hospital Services Advisor role To ensure that Hospital Services Advisor have the necessary commercial and communication skills to perform their role Learning Objectives: At the end of this workshop Participants will : To identify the commercial nature of their role To identify good practice in answering enquiries To solve difficult questions from customers To explain the key benefits of product and services offered by the organisation to customers so as to increase sale To identify the importance of data collection and reports To describe the importance of working towards offering appointments at a time of call Target Participants: Hospital Services Advisor Key Learning/Development Points: How important their role is to the success of the Hospital The importance of complying with company policy and standard processes Difficult Enquiry handling What are sales skills? Explanation of Data collection The importance of working towards offering appointments, at time of call. Max Group = 37 DAY 1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES TRAINING METHOD EVALUATION 10am-11am To identify the commercial nature of their sale role Video slide: Show hospital organisation and where this role fits Group activity (Listening and Questioning exercise): Definition of sales? What are sales skills? Review definitions then ask why it is important to Ramsay to have sales people. I will gauge how much the trainees have learned from the training program through tests. 11am-12noon To identify good practice in answering enquiries Video clips on one answering a phone. A discussion follows afterwards such as what they thought could have been improved or could it have been handled differently. From this discussion brings about Group Exercise. The use of questionnaire to evaluate what the trainees thought could be done differently. Break 12-2pm 2PM- 4PM To solve difficult questions from customers Video clips on one answering questions about on one of the service provided e.g. breast augmentation. Then ask questions such what did you think? How could he do it better? Group Exercise Skill Practice by role play A test and role play was given to trainees to evaluate the advisors knowledge about new techniques and abilities to answer difficult questions. DAY 2 LEARNING OBJECTIVES TRAINING METHOD EVALUATION 10AM- 11AM To explain the key benefits of product and services offered by the organization to increase sale Video slides: Show all the products the organisation is offering while showing their benefits A test is given to trainees to evaluate their knowledge about new sales techniques and abilities 11AM- 12NOON Be able to identify the importance of data collection and reports Presentation slide: the process of enquiry through to appointment and the follow up Copy of the HSA policy was given out. The information required for the database is: Name, Tel no, Email address, and best time to phone back Group Exercise such as to look through the policy and pull out the important bits and they would you go about recording information? The use of questionnaire to evaluate the trainees knowledge about data collection and reports Break 12- 2PM 2PM- 3PM To describe the importance of working towards offering appointments at a time of call Presentation slides: to show the importance of giving appointments at a time of call. Written tests to gauge how much the trainees have learned from the training program. 3PM- 4PM To know the attitudes of trainees towards the training programme. The use of questionnaires to get the answers on how they felt about the training programme. Carry out a reactive evaluation with the use of ‘Happy Sheet’. Conducting this after the training program, would enable me to know the attitudes of the trainees towards the training program EVALUATING A TRAINING PROGRAMME Techniques as cost effectiveness and cost benefit analysis indicate that the program was highly successful. This is because the expected learning, which was determined before conducting the training programme, occurred after the completion of the training. Evaluation of a training programme is the most challenging part of any training. In evaluation, the first step is to state the intend results of the training program. It is important to carry out a reactive evaluation with the use of ‘Happy Sheet’. Conducting this after the training programme, would be instrumental in acknowledging the thoughts of the trainees about the training. If they react negatively to the training, the chances of them to apply what they have learned at the training programme would be low. Another method of evaluation which would be instrumental is learning evaluation. This method of evaluation gauges what the trainees learned during the training programme with tests. Learning helps to measure the amount of learning after training. This will show the future benefits of the training programme (Phillips, Phillips & Hodges, 2004). In the analysis of the Hospital Service Advisors, the questionnaire is instrumental in evaluating the training analysis. It is important to frame the questionnaires carefully so that the variables can be easily measured (Astd, 2008). Framing questionnaires is vital because it will ensure that the measurements of the variables can meet the intended purpose (Deb, 2006). After doing the framing, I would conduct tests to ensure the questions set have equivalent implication to the trainer and the trainee. These tests will help the trainers to evaluate the advisors knowledge about new sales techniques and abilities after training. After the test, if the questions proved to be inappropriate, one should restructure the questionnaire. If the questionnaire is appropriate, a pilot survey should be conducted. If after conducting a full survey and still the questionnaire are inappropriate, the questionnaire should be reframed again (Kirkpatrick, 2009). The results of using the mystery shopper are equally fundamental in determining the success of the entire process. This is because the information provided is authentic and unadulterated. After training, I would also evaluate the trainees by contacting customers. Contacting of established customers would enable me know the change of behaviour of the hospital advisors after the training. By doing this, I will also know if the trainees are using new skills in the sales field. Another way of evaluation would entail carrying out an observation of the hospital advisors at work. Observation at work enables the organisation to know if the performance level has increased. An increase of performance level shows the success of the training program. For better observation at work, sales executives should be used. This is because the sales executives work closely with the sales persons and are in better positions to gauge the performance of the Hospital Service Advisors (Trehan & Trehan, 2011). The evaluation of any training plan should focus on attaining certain goals. This entails influencing the organisational performance and the desirable changes in the organisational makeup. Therefore, evaluation of training has to show whether the training was successful in delivering the objectives in relation to the expenses incurred and the benefits of the training programme. In this case, comparing the Result with the Objectives is instrumental (Trehan &, Trehan, 2011). After the training, all participants should be asked about the impacts of concerned programme (Kirkpatrick, 2009). Another method of evaluation that I would find appropriate would be the Sales Comparison Method. In this method, comparison is made between the achievements made by the sale persons before the training program and after the training program. One should conduct this evaluation after a specific period. After doing this evaluation and the results of sales level has risen then the training programme is successful (Trehan & Trehan, 2011). One ought to consider three things in an evaluation. First, there should be the inner constancy of an evaluation study. This tells how well the study reflects on the desirable outcomes. This involves the accuracy of the instruments used to collect data. The terms in the questionnaire, must connect with the objectives of the training programme. Secondly, the evaluation study is the external validity. This can show how other groups apart from those who were trained can apply the findings. The third aspect is concerned with dependability. The reliability of an evaluation study is the extent to which the outcome can be repeated. This means that, for an evaluation to be reliable it should be in such a way that, if one repeats the study, the result will be the same. The fourth factor to consider when evaluating the training program is to show the feedback levels of trainees according to the training program. The feedback standards are evident after an open dialogue among trainers, trainees and the management. By doing this, the management will know if the training programme is achieving the objectives for which it was organised. To determine and assemble this kind of information, the trainees have to fill a questionnaire. The questionnaire gathers information despite the fact that the objectives of the training plan are realized and the degree of the achievement. This type of evaluation is known as mid evaluation (Bohlander & Snell, 2009). The mid evaluation is important in providing trustworthy and suitable information. Performing this assessment can be very expensive but it helps the trainees to reorganize programme accordingly. Mid evaluation allows trainers to compare different training programme that the trainer has conducted. However, this evaluation does not produce a huge information analysis. It is the kind of management, which determines the amount of information, which is used by the trainer for restructuring training programme. Scott, (2009) suggests the conduction of one or two evaluations is necessary before the final evaluation. However, conducting many evaluations during the period of training can cause interruptions of the training program. This can make the training session time consuming. Furthermore, it can make trainees doubt the effectiveness of the training programme. The only purpose of the evaluation of the training programme is to get feedback and to restructure the programme for fulfilment of objectives of the training (Scott 2009). In addition, the main reason for training is to advance the performance of the organisation. This is tenable by assessing if the training programme has succeeded in achieving desired changes after the training. At the last stage of evaluation, the trainer should recognize the factors that affected the results. Evaluation of performance of an organisation must involve the whole of it and not parts of it (Barasab et. al, 2001). It is important to note that, not all training programme assessments can result in perfectly achieved goals. Therefore, the trainer should identify the main factors that can affect the results of the training programme. The analysis of needs of the concerned organisation will be instrumental during the assessment of these factors. Therefore, a study comes in handy whilst comparing the information before the beginning of the training programme with the information obtained after the training. After that, the trainers have to identify and assess the changes. Moreover, it is preferable to carry out a study to compare similar training programmes that were conducted in other organisations, and make an analysis in the final programme. When collecting the final information, one should ensure proper monitoring. Furthermore, after all these there should be a collection of all necessary date for elaboration of analysis. Finally, it is important to note that evaluation is vital in a training programme in order to determine the effectiveness of the training (Aswathapa 2008). Carrying out this assessment will show the effect of the training programme. To show whether the organisation has achieved its ambitions, there should the comparison between the outcomes after the training programme and before it (Bramley 2003). CONCLUSION Evaluation of training programme focuses on accomplishing certain goals. These aims are concerned with the determination of change in the organisation behaviour and the changes needed in the organisational structure. Therefore, evaluation of training needs programme must show if the training programme delivered the required outcomes in terms of cost incurred and benefits achieved (World Bank. IEG, 2008).The examination of the information is the final part of any evaluation programme. The analysis of information should be reviewed, and then make comparisons with the data, of other similar training programme. Based on these similarities, constraints and strength should be recognized. This will be helpful to the organisation in its future training programme. REFERENCES American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) (2008). Train the Trainer: Instructional design & Implementation: the tools for creating training program curricum, American Society for Training and Development, New York. Aswathapa, Ahuja (2008). Human Resource and Personnel Management, Tata McGraw-Hill Education, New York. Babuska, Robert (2010). 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Using training to build capacity fordevelopment: an evaluation of the World Bank's project-based and WBI training, Volume 768, World Bank Publications, Washington. APPENDIX QUESTIONNAIRE 1. State the commercial nature of your roles as an service advisor - - - 2. How do you solve difficult questions that the customers ask you? 3. How do you explain the importance of the organisation products to the customers? 4. State the importance of data collection - - - 5. State the appropriate ways of recording information - - 6. What are the important sales skills a hospital service advisor should have? Read More