Development Methods for Analyzing and Learning Needs - Assignment Example

Learning Needs Analysis BY YOU INFO HERE HERE Learning Needs Analysis Activity A Why learning needs arise Conducting a learning needs analysis is performed in order to identify specific training needs that are required for individuals or groups. The LNA is conducted to further assess current or future training needs in order to maximize performance to meet individual or group needs. Learning and development needs arise within the organisation for several reasons. First, the organisation may be undergoing significant change management procedures due to a merger, acquisition, or any other situation where different cultures are blended together. In this case, a learning needs analysis needs to be conducted to determine what type of training would best build human capital and also to teach groups how to work effectively with diverse employees and managers. Upon such a merging of diverse groups, one culture might be collectivist with group-minded values whilst the other population consists of individualistic workers that value autonomy and self-expression. The learning needs analysis would identify the training packages currently available in regards to diversity training and assess how best to develop training so that a more unified organisational culture can be developed. For the individual, development needs might arise in terms of maintaining professional communications within the workplace, such as effective use of inter-office email systems or memorandum production for individual managers or using non-discriminatory communications. Learning needs for the individual also arise for individual managers related to creating effective disciplinary methods. Training supervisors on how and when to apply discipline to under-performing or change-resisting employees can create a more effective supervision team. Some individuals maintain the attitudes and leadership skills required for a management role that are inherent and this should be identified in learning needs analyses. Other individuals require more development and education regarding management theory and establishing leadership capabilities and the learning needs analysis provides this insight. For groups, job-sharing development needs can arise in the face of job role consolidation to assist in creating training that builds cross-development as part of job rotation. In order to handle a job transfer after another employee has vacated the role (such as through receipt of promotion), it must be identified as to whether or not an employee can multi-task or successfully handle the duties and obligations of a new job role. Only the learning needs analysis can provide this information. Group learning needs also arise when the organisation has implemented a new software system that changes the scope and nature of how a job is conducted. It would be necessary to review training and development needs related to new procedures and electronic systems usage for the end user groups. For the individual, the organisation may have need for internally-promoted individuals to fill management roles, therefore reviewing and developing training on management theory and leadership can arise to create more effective managers without necessarily having to recruit from outside the organisation. Description of development methods The interview is a quality tool to measure development and learning needs. It can provide unique insights into manager or employee attitudes and job role function that are not easily observed by the HR manager. The interview provides flexibility to discuss issues and probe deep into employee or manager consciousness. Another method to utilise is the questionnaire format, using multi-tick questions to uncover specific attitudes or beliefs about processes, policies, or organisational structure (among others) to gain insight into what groups or individuals perceive or value. Additionally, individual performance appraisals, such as the 360-degree feedback mechanism, can be utilised to uncover strengths or weaknesses about employees and their performance. A performance appraisal maintains specific criteria related to organisational goal achievement and whether or not the employee is meeting these requirements to help in creating better training packages. Example of learning needs analyses Psychological tests occur in real-world organisational environments in order to measure learning needs. These include intelligence tests, verbal tests, mathematical reasoning, or even personality tests as part of an entire assessment centre programme. Psychological tests measure issues such as motivation, skills and knowledge abilities, leadership style, or job preferences for best fit purposes. Learning needs are identified through the results of these tests and can be analysed against pre-established testing score charts from reputable psychological or learning inventory centres. Usually, these tests have considerable validity and reliability and can be used as testing instruments over and over and still achieve the same results outcomes. Using a set of criteria, such as gaining knowledge of the ability to work under pressure, ability to work autonomously, or be able to solve problems quickly can be prioritized criteria on these tests and thus used as comparison against individual test results. Learning solutions can be proposed using succession planning efforts, a means of identifying long-term plans for replacement of important employees who have been promoted from within. Using psychological tests will determine which employees have the best qualifications for taking over a job role that was once held by those who have been promoted, thus developing training that can provide better job transfer efficiency. Analysis of these testing tools, especially when combined with performance appraisals, can determine which employees require coaching or mentoring if they do not meet the score results required to accept the job transfer. Mentoring sets agendas, creates relationships between managers and employees, and improves an employee’s level of self-awareness about their capabilities and how their actions impact others and the organisational environment. If the organisation has developed a new mission, priority is established based on performance targets required to meet the mission goals and learning solutions proposed according to whether or not specific groups or individuals meet these performance requirements. Skills, knowledge and attitude are important priorities for learning needs analysis and can be measured against pre-set templates for testing and assessment in areas of management, interpersonal communications, or ability to work autonomously without constant supervision presence. Whether it is technical, administrative, or personality-based needs that have been identified as requiring development, the learning needs analysis provides the feedback necessary to develop appropriate training in these domains. Activity B Understanding of theory Conducting learning needs analyses is a method of building better human capital for the purpose of competitive advantage or to create a skilled organisational culture. Learning needs analyses provide insights into what policies or procedures within the organisation are not meeting the motivational needs of employees so that better practices can be developed to gain commitment and reduce employee turnover due to dissatisfaction. It is about illustrating to employee groups or individuals that the organisation takes their development seriously and is willing to expend the resources and time required to help employees achieve their greatest potential for lifelong career learning. This analysis sets agendas and priorities so that employees understand their obligations under performance management systems and identifies challenges to meeting these obligations so that they can be better managed. In highly competitive environments, sometimes human capital development is the only quality method to gain competitive advantage against rival organisations in similar markets and thus training is required to ensure that employees can work together effectively. From the organisational angle, it provides opportunities for human resources to build cultural relationships with employees and managers so that a more harmonious and unified organisational culture can result. The learning needs analysis serves as a research template regarding performance, learning styles, or leadership capabilities so that training can be developed or altered to ensure that employees maintain these core competencies. It can also determine how to structure the organisation, either vertical or horizontal, to provide autonomy to employees or establish a better set of controls. The knowledge gained from these assessments, such as interviews or questionnaires, show all weaknesses so they can be turned into strengths and ensure that individuals or groups are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to handle complex job roles. Equality of opportunity Equality of opportunity is ensuring that all employees or groups have access to training required for career development. It is about removing bias from testing procedures and ensuring a balanced and fair system of training that provides opportunities to everyone based on their current skill-set or goal-attainment needs related to career. By identifying weaknesses through learning needs analyses, assigning high-performing managers to conduct mentoring is one method of ensuring equitable access to all employees to help them achieve their career development goals. It is about creating an inclusive environment where everyone, regardless of their current level of development, is given opportunities to learn further in equal and fair measure. Since there will be employees who have different skill levels and talents, equality of opportunity is non-discriminatory in training provision without judgment. Reflection on suitability of learning solutions The tools used for learning needs analyses have advantages and disadvantages. For example, the interview can be time and labour intensive and make some employees too nervous to speak candidly about their attitudes and beliefs. The interview is also difficult to control. The questionnaire can have bias associated with how it is constructed if it is not measured against some pre-existing template for what constitutes a suitable set of questions. Employees may also give responses that they think will satisfy the human resources researcher. Certain tests can also be subject to interpretation problems, requiring an expert in psychology to undertake the final analysis of results. It must be certain that the scoring instrument and the person assessing the results maintains the credentials to do an effective job in identifying results. The performance appraisal also maintains opportunities for bias depending on the relationship between assessor and the employee that could make final judgments inaccurate or prejudiced. However, the appraisal, when conducted as a 360-degree system with peer influence in ratings, can remove some of these biases and give a well-rounded picture of employee behaviour and competency. Read More