Unit 2: Training and the
Organization’s Strategic Plan
©SHRM
2009
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Unit 2, Class 1:
Training and the Organization’s Strategic Plan
Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit, students will:
> Define training and strategic training.
> Explain various elements of a strategic plan.
> Describe how the organization’s strategic plan should
influence training.
> Understand and conduct a SWOT analysis.
> Explain the training needs created by business
strategies.
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What Is Training?
• What is training?
• What is the goal of training?
• How is training strategic?
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Strategic Planning
• A strategic plan:
> Is a visionary, conceptual and directional outline of
the organization.
> Integrates the organization’s goals, policies and
actions.
> Helps direct the organization’s activities to reach
specific goals.
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Strategic Planning
• Phase 1: Identify the organization’s business
strategy:
> Mission: Describes the organization’s
reason for existence.
> Vision: States the organization’s picture of
the future.
> Values: What the organization stands for.
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Strategic Planning
• Phase 2: Develop action plans:
> How should the organization attain its vision
of the future?
•
•
•
•
Goals.
Objectives.
Strategies.
Programs.
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Strategic Planning
• Phase 3: Evaluate accomplishments:
> How will the organization know how it is
performing?
• Measure results.
• Performance measures.
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The Strategic Training and Development Process
Business Strategy

Mission.

Values.

Goals.
Strategic Training
and Development
Initiatives




Diversify
learning
portfolio.
Training and
Development
Activities


Improve
customer
service.
Accelerate
pace of
employee
learning.

Capture and
share
knowledge.

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2009
Use web-based
training.
Make
development
planning
mandatory.
Develop web
sites for
knowledge
sharing.
Increase
customer service
training.
Metrics that Show
Value of Training





Learning.
Performance
improvement.
Reduced
customer
complaints.
Reduced
turnover.
Employee
satisfaction.
Noe, 2008
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Training as a Competitive Advantage
• Competitiveness:
> An organization’s ability to maintain and gain market
share in a specific industry.
• Competitive advantage:
> A competitive advantage exists when an organization
is able to provide the customer a better value than
the competition. For example, the ability to produce
products at a lower price or of better quality can
create a competitive advantage.
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2009
Training as a Competitive Advantage
• Training becomes a competitive advantage
when:
> It is linked to business strategy and organization
goals.
> It focuses on the organization’s future.
> Employees are trained in the knowledge, skills and
abilities required to achieve that future.
> It moves from basic skills to learning, creating and
sharing knowledge.
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Strategic Training
• Improves performance toward goals.
• Focuses on what is needed and when it is
needed.
• Formal training enhanced by informal learning.
• Learning supported by the organization.
• Knowledge transfer:
> Explicit knowledge.
> Tacit knowledge.
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Understanding the Organization
• SWOT – A strategic planning tool used to evaluate
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
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Team Project
• Identify the name of your organization.
• Write your organization’s:
> Mission statement.
> Vision.
> Values.
• Conduct a SWOT analysis for your
organization.
• Describe your organization’s business strategy.
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©SHRM
2009
Unit 2, Class 2:
Needs Assessment and Analysis
• Learning Objectives:
> By the end of today’s class, students will be
able to:
• Define needs assessment and analysis.
• Identify the purpose of needs assessment and
analysis.
• Describe the process to conduct an assessment and
analysis.
• Describe data collection methods.
• Determine from assessment whether training is the
best solution to the problem.
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Instructional Design
• The ADDIE model of instructional design:
> Assessment.
> Design.
> Development.
> Implementation.
> Evaluation.
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Needs Assessment
• Needs assessment:
> The process used to determine if training is
necessary. This is the first step in the instructional
design model.
• Needs analysis:
> Analysis of the data collected during the needs
assessment.
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Overview of Needs Assessment
1. Gather data to identify needs.
2. Determine needs that can be
met by training intervention.
3. Propose solutions.
4. Calculate potential cost of
training interventions.
5. Choose the training.
6. Implement the training.
Pre-Assessment Activities
• Do we need a needs assessment?
> Training may be the wrong solution.
> We may conduct the wrong training.
> Unnecessary money may be spent on training.
• If so, what’s the triggering event?
> Lack of basic skills.
> Poor performance.
> New legislation.
> New technology.
> New products.
> New jobs.
> Change in performance standards.
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Causes and Outcomes of Needs Assessment
Triggers
•Legislation
•Lack of basic skills
Context
Organization
Analysis
•Poor performance
Person
Analysis
•New technology
Outcomes
Task
Analysis
•Customer requests
•New products
•Higher performance
standards
•New jobs
What training do
they need?
The results of
training.
Determines context
of training
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Needs Assessment
• Goals of needs assessment:
> Determine whether a training need exists.
> Identify who it exists for.
> Identify what tasks need to be taught.
• Who should participate in needs assessment:
> Managers (both upper and mid-level managers).
> Subject matter experts (SMEs).
> Job incumbents.
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Needs Assessment Tools
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Performance tests.
Questionnaires and surveys.
Observations.
Focus groups.
Interviews.
Work samples.
Industry standards.
Work records.
Key employee consultation.
Company reports and print media analysis.
Checklists.
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2009
Needs Assessment Process
• Organizational analysis:
> Is training appropriate?
> Does training support the organization’s strategic
direction?
• Person analysis:
> Does employee performance indicate a need for
training?
> Which employees need training?
• Task analysis or competency model:
> What work activities are required to complete a task?
> What knowledge, skills and abilities are necessary to
successfully perform the task?
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Needs Analysis
• Also referred to as a gap analysis:
> Expected performance – What is the ideal? What
should be happening?
> Actual performance – What is actually happening
now?
• A needs analysis focuses on the differences
between the way work should be done and the
way work is actually done.
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Problem Analysis Flow Chart:
Determining If There Is a Need for Training
Describe the
Performance
No Performance
Discrepancy
Is there a
deficiency in
knowledge, skill
or attitude?
Employee
does know
how to
accomplish the
task
Employee does not know how
to accomplish the task
Yes
Has the
employee
performed
the task
before?
Yes
No
Cont…
Yes
Is the task
accomplished
often?
No
Training Options
1. Conduct formal training
2. Conduct practice
3. Provide feedback
Non-Training Options
Do obstacles to
appropriate
behavior exist?
Does appropriate
behavior matter?
Cont…
No
Yes
Remove
obstacles
Arrange positive and
negative
consequences
Is inappropriate
behavior
rewarded?
Yes
Arrange negative
consequences
Is appropriate
behavior
punished?
Yes
Remove
punishment and
arrange positive
consequences
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Team Project: Needs Assessment
• Design a needs assessment instrument for
your organization.
• What information do you need?
• What methods will you use to do a needs
assessment?
• Discuss your business strategy as identified in
the SWOT analysis and explain how training
aligns with that strategy.
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©SHRM
2009