Often, the question, “Who needs development activity?” is easily answered due to substandard performance, internal or external customer complaints, poor performance ratings, etc. On the other hand, development activity may be necessary due to a promotion that involves gaining additional skills, adhering to new laws, transitioning from peer to leader, etc. Regardless, ongoing employee analysis enhances an employer’s ability to move an organization’s business strategy forward while ensuring the right people get the right development activity at the right time.

Most organizations employ a diverse workforce comprised of employees with various degrees of knowledge, skills, and competencies. These employees are an organization’s human capital, and its greatest asset. Employee analysis helps identify who in the organization needs training and development. Employee analysis involves determining the root cause of performance deficiencies and answers questions including but not limited to:

· Do employees lack knowledge, skills, or abilities?

· Who needs development activity?

· Are employees exhibiting motivational or attitudinal behaviors that are incongruent with the organization’s business strategy?

· Is the organization’s work design flawed?

· Do our developmental processes align with our mission, vision, and strategic goals and objectives?

· Do our developmental processes align with our performance review process?

· To what degree are employees pursuing individual learning and self-development?

· Are our employees ready for development and if not, what do we need to do to get them ready?

· Do our developmental initiatives balance short- and long-term employee needs including development, learning, and career progression?

· Are we addressing key developmental needs including our identified core competencies, management and leadership development, new employee development, safety awareness, etc., as appropriate?

· Are we reinforcing competencies on the job?

Employee analysis equips organizations for effective human capital management. Additionally, employee analysis identifies employees who are candidates for potential increased job responsibilities and potential promotions. This means employee analysis is simultaneously present and future oriented.

As such it answers the questions: “What do our employees need, and what will our employees need?” Employee analysis prepares organizations for future change before change happen. For example, if an organization budgets for a new piece of equipment, employee analysis also plans for training on the new piece of equipment. Training not only teaches users how to operate the piece of equipment, it purposefully includes application to an organization’s business strategy.

In subsequent posts, we will outline a five-step process for employee analysis.

Until then – Happy Training!

Written by:
Greg Anderson
Chief Learning Officer, Strategic Government Resources
governmentresource.com
@SGRGreg