Needs Case

The purpose of a needs assessment is it aids an organization in evaluating its employees to determine if further training is necessary in order to identify and close gaps between an organization's present condition and its desired condition. A needs assessment will evaluate the employees, however, to be through a company must also perform a task analysis and an organizational analysis.

Some reasons a company may choose to perform a needs assessment are to determine which employees need more training and to determine what type of training is best. Some of the topics covered in a needs assessment include but are not limited to: which tasks require more training, what type of skills and knowledge are required to complete the task in question, behavioral analysis, and other skills required for the task or job in question. Another goal of the needs assessment is that is helps an organization conclude if the additional training should be outsourced or provided in house. In order for a company to perform a through needs assessment the managers, trainers, and employees must be analyzed.

Although in the past only trainers needed to be concerned with a needs assessment, over the years that has changed ;because training is now used to help an organization reach its strategic goals, it is imperative that both upper-level and top -level mangers participate in the needs assessment. Some common questions for a company after a needs analysis are how the training will be performed, and who is the best person is to provide the training. These questions are common concerns because decisions need to be made to determine if the training should be internal or outsourced. It is also necessary to decide what the goals of the training are and what methods will be used to ensure the quality of the training, such as measuring its effectiveness. It is important that training is as effective as possible in order to ensure the tasks are performed efficiently and talent is created or improved.