1. Topic 1: The importance of staff development to human relations: Module 1: Identifying training needs or gaps in work performance:

2. Concepts of training: Organizations: Need to grow. General development needs Internal needs (staff training) Can be identified by looking at outputs, others not so obvious. Organizations biggest assets: Employees/staff. Staff need to know: new production methods, changing customer patterns, customer values, labour market needs, advances in technology.

3. Steps in planning a training program:

4. Identify gaps in work performance: Manager must: Know what the prescribed standard of performance for a particular task is. The manager then have some criteria against which the current performance of the staff can be compared. Do a training needs analysis. This will determine what the actual performance of the individual is and if they meet the standard and if not, how far they deviate from it. Know what staff should be doing instead of what they are doing. Determine what the gap is between these. Plan training to fill the gap. Lookout for gaps between actual and desired performance results. Be ready to address discrepancies.

5. Two types of training and development needs: Micro: (small): For one individual only. More specific . Determined by comparing individual’s performance with required standard of competence for a particular task. Identified by: Analysing the individual’s: background, education, training, aptitude, experience, knowledge, skills. Macro: (BIG) Specific organisational requirements. Company as a whole. Includes aspects: Training on: Vision Mission New policies Changes Regulations Merger Reconstructing process Improve productivity Macro: (BIG) Micro: (small):

6. Factors that have an influence on the individual’s performance: Health Personal problems Motivation Cultural background Job satisfaction Relationships with fellow workers Relationship with supervisor or manager.

7. Ways to identify training needs: Company’s bottom line/profit is low. Lack of knowledge. Ask about employee morale. Customer feedback: Employee feedback: A skilled manager listens to requests and feedback from staff. Compile a training needs analysis.

8. Identifying key strengths and weaknesses of the individual: Management should do this before doing any kind of training. Management should: build on strengths Bring weaknesses up to level Difference in: What we are able to do Skills we have What we are good at We enjoy doing something that we can accomplish competently and confidently. There are ways and means to improve our areas of weakness: Training Learning new skills

9. Identifying key strengths and weaknesses of the individual continued: Department Manager or supervisor’s responsibility because: Person closest to the employees Manager will be able to build up a clear picture of strengths and weaknesses and will be able to correctly place and utilize staff. People want to have choices. They want to experience different jobs. Employees who are not given an opportunity to prove their worth , will start feeling unmotivated and the organisation will suffer in the long run.

11. Training needs analysis planning: Gap between actual and desired performance? Technical skills lack? Employee’s attitudes? Supervisory attention needed? Special training needed? Which employees need training? Internal capacity to provide training? Who will facilitate training and when? What external training sources are available? Expected performance results? Cost of training? Financial benefits?

12. Training needs analysis: Mostly in Micro-level. Purpose: To improve performance To fix a problem Should be long-term approach to ensure it ties in with organisation’s vision, mission and values. Manager to analyze specific job performance of individual : Identifiyng present level of performance and compares it with actual performance. Manager now has a good idea of training and development needs.

13. Organisational analysis: Macro-level problems: Senior management should do an organisational analysis. This will determine whether all the employees have similar training needs. Can you identify macro-level and micro-level problems?