Week 2 Discussion

Answer

Training Needs Assessment

Introduction

Training and development are very instrumental, especially in the current operational context of most organizations that are endeavoring to enhance optimal throughput from the entire resourceful areas of the organization. Training improves employees’ expertise; it gives room and space for ascertaining key crucial extents of employees’ development (Towler, et al. 2014). In order to establish whether employees have the reading level necessary to succeed in a training program, I would employ various techniques as discussed in the following section.

First, I will conduct formal interviews and tests that call for reading abilities, experience, and skills. In specific, I would carry out written interviews and tests for the employees at the workplace that would incorporate excerpts that best suits the employees’ reading level for them to read and respond to its related questions. This excerpt, for example, will be based on the objectives of the training, the content, and prior practice settings. This training need evaluation would help to identify employees’ reading behavior and the gaps to be addressed in the training program, which in return would benefit the organization and employees from new training prospects (Gupta, 2011). This will enable me to identify what employees need to know in so far as technical or communication knowledge is concerned, and what they are capable to do in terms of mental or manual skills to realize the intended results and the disposition to execute their roles (attitude). However, it should be noted that, the ability of employees to understand what they read does not resonate with their reading level (Cain, 2011).

Furthermore, I would employ an employee performance appraisal interview to identify previous and contemporary performance to find out an area that needs action (Franco-Santos, Lucianetti, & Bourne, 2012). All these are written documents or material that need to be read and interpreted, hence will help in assessing the reading level essential to thrive in a training program.

On the other hand, I would use self-assessments, surveys (Garvin, Edmondson, Gino, 2008), and questionnaires. These are all techniques with a regular written format that call for reading. They can be structured based on the attitude of employees, employees’ job content, the standards of employee performance in line with efficiency and outcome, or on the expertise required to execute the roles of the job proficiently (Verrell, McCabe, 2015). In this analysis, I would be able to establish the reading level based on how they respond to the questionnaires and the way and the degree they use to evaluate themselves.

Lastly, I would employ focus group discussions which provide an open atmosphere for employees to engage in open written questions on various training requirements as I listen to the way they read and articulate their points out. I would ensure that the topics for discussion are all written, and they should be read within a given period of time before being discussed. This helps in knowing the reading level. Additionally, I would employ desk studies for employees on the organizational documents and the analysis of the records which uses secondary information to help in the identification of training needs (Garvin, Edmondson, Gino, 2008). Employees would be required to give their report which will help me establish their reading level essential to thrive in a training program.  

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