Essay: Training Need Assessment and Evaluation of Company Executives at Accenture

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The enterprise training function operates at an especially important leverage point in the entire learning and development cycle. In an ever-changing world, enterprise learning can develop workforces with the capabilities and skills necessary to propel their organizations toward distinctive competitive advantage and high performance. In industries where rapid introduction of new products and services has made the work and information environment excessively complex, learning methods and tools can be the difference between holding onto customers through excellent service or losing them forever. Where competition for top talent is especially fierce, learning opportunities can be the deciding factor in an employee’s decision to sign on, and then stay, with a company.
From a global perspective, training and development are now critical elements in driving the competitiveness of companies, and even of entire nations and regions of the world. Natural resources, communications and technology infrastructure, access to health care’all these are critical enablers to achieving economic power. But in the long run (and maybe even in the short run) companies, nations and regions with better skilled and educated people have a distinct edge.
Training is a procedure through which a man upgrades & adds to his effectiveness, limit & adequacy at work by enhancing and redesigning his knowledge, skills and attitude & understanding the skills required for performing his or her job in a better way. It additionally serves to develop fitting and desired behavior and attitude towards the work. Unless training is given, the employments and lives of workers in associations are in question, it gives individuals a consciousness of tenets and methodology to guide their practices. It is a use of training to enhance the execution on the present place of employment or to prepare one for a proposed occupation.
The project started as an interaction with Mr. Deepak Khyadi and Mr. Irvin Kirubharufus, who helped us in the need assessment. We interacted with People working on technology projects and also analyzed their jobs to know the important parameters.
In the next phase we considered their working ecosystem and based on that a survey was formulated to find those parameters which should be taken on priority to do the training. After this an interview was done with AM and TL to find the Gap between the required knowledge of the parameter and the actual knowledge of the staff.
In the next phase we suggested a training plan to Accenture to fill this gap.
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COMPANY OVERVIEW: ACCENTURE
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 249,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments.
‘ Accenture is well-known global firm that became a public company with a successful initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange in July 2001. It made great revenue increment in 2001, 2004marking a two digit increment on its charts.
‘ It embarked upon a new strategy – ‘High Performance Delivered’, substantially increasing company’s focus on outsourcing. It changed its orientation to improve shareholder value for its clients and emphasized on the creation and application of intellectual and technological assets to apply in work with clients.
‘ In 90s
– Adopted a knowledge-oriented strategy and built a knowledge management organization under the chief information officer.
– By the mid-1990s, the firm built thousands of knowledge repositories on the Lotus Notes platform for the exchange of knowledge without any formal training.
‘ From 2000 to 2002
– Responsibility for Training and Development, now known as Learning and Knowledge Management, was shifted from CIO to the training and learning organization at Accenture.
– Learning & Knowledge Management were combined into a single new group called Capability Development in 2001
– In 2002, the toughening fiscal conditions, training budgets had been cut substantially for Accenture employees. Substantial budget pressures on both the training and knowledge management groups forced several of the most senior knowledge managers to leave Accenture, 30% of all the knowledge managers left or were laid off.
– Cost reduction was done by moving knowledge management functions ‘offshore’. Capability Development organization had developed a KM staffing model in which decentralized groups would employ a few ‘onshore’ knowledge managers with high domain expertise and a high need for contact with their internal client; the rest would move offshore.
– Although the learning and KM activities remained largely separate and decentralized within Accenture’s business units, there were some joint initiatives
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Accenture finally developed a model to evaluate the Return on Learning and developed a personalized learning management system called ‘myLearning’
The model is founded on three solid insights-
‘ First, a company with better training opportunities can hire better employees. (The surveys found this to be true: recruits were willing to accept a slightly lower starting salary in return for the opportunities afforded by better training.)
‘ Second, employees at a company that provides better training opportunities will stay with the company longer.
‘ Third, employees at a company that provides better training opportunities will achieve competent levels of performance faster.
ACCENTURE’S CURRENT TRAINING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Accenture’s single and unified global Learning Management System, myLearning, because of which, today any of Accenture’s employees ‘ more than 249,000 people in 59 countries ‘ can go to single internet site for their learning and development needs. The new system created a single shared infrastructure for all virtual learning, one survey system to measure learning effectiveness, and one central data warehouse and decision support system for tracking and reporting.
‘ Training Approach
Developing effective training and performance support, and investing in training up front, is critical to building employee capabilities, confidence, and reducing errors on the job, thus providing long-term cost savings to an organization. Success is dependent on developing employee competency in a timely manner to perform their job.
The Training Approach consists of seven major elements:
1. Training Process ‘ Identify the tasks for training in the Talent Life Cycle
2. Training Maturity Model ‘ Determine the maturity of the organization’s training function
3. Training Needs Assessment ‘ Understand training audience needs and required learning outcomes and then match them to the curriculum
4. Training Curriculum ‘ Determine the most effective training delivery methods and develop an effective role-centered curriculum
5. Learning Paths ‘ Provide the appropriate training for employee roles
6. Training Administration ‘ Administer, plan, manage and track courses
7. Training Assessment ‘ Leverage Kirkpatrick Evaluation model for assessing training effectiveness and evaluating trainee knowledge and preparedness upon completion of courses
The Training approach includes leading practices and innovative ideas to assist organizations in developing and maintaining a strong training program for under-privileged employees in the Impact Sourcing sector. The process consists of determining the current state and needs of the trainee, defining the end goal of instruction, and providing support to assist in the transition to their new job.
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Process Tasks Definition
Learning Planning Business Alignment Create a learning governance structure to set strategic priorities and drive decision making to bring alignment between the learning function and organization
Learning Planning Establish Business Measurement/Analytics Use a data-driven approach to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of learning. Develop measurement and analytic tools and templates
Learning Design & Development Learning Design, Development and Management Tools Develop a standard suite of templates, process and tools to design, develop, maintain, deliver and evaluate training materials
Learning Design & Development Content Strategy, Content Development and Maintenance Develop curriculum by determining the appropriate training courses, including objectives and topics. Develop appropriate modularized training content using technology as appropriate to develop
Learning Delivery Delivery Planning and Execution Use a standardized, blended training delivery approach that integrates formal training (classroom, eLearning, mobile learning, virtual Instructor-Led Training (ILT)) and informal training (on-the-job coaching, knowledge sharing, collaboration) to enable employees to acquire the necessary skills to perform their job functions
Learning Administration Administer and Track Learning Use a centralized Learning Management System to manage the administration, documentation, completion tracking, and reporting on progress and performance on all training programs including online, classroom, and virtual ILT courses
Learning Administration Measure Effectiveness of Training Use a standardized process to administer evaluations to measure the extent of learning objectives back on the job and the business impacts/effects of training
‘ Training Delivery Methods
Training Delivery Methods
‘ Training Tools
‘ Training Need Assessment
A key requirement in the development of an effective Impact Sourcing training program is the assessment of employee training needs. A high level needs analysis was conducted of various Impact Sourcing organizations. The findings of this analysis produced a preliminary list of roles and guided the development of the training curriculum.
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TRAINING NEED ASSESSMENT
Introduction
The purpose of training need assessment is to identify performance requirements and the gaps in the KSA’s that is the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by a company’s workforce to achieve the required performance standards. An effective training need assessment will help direct resources to the areas which need high levels of improvement. The assessment should be able to identify weaker areas such that it leads to fulfillment of organizational mission, improvement in productivity, and provide quality products and services. A need assessment is therefore, the process of identifying the “gap” between performance required and current performance. When a difference exists, it explores the causes and reasons for the gap and methods for closing or eliminating the gap.
Levels of training need assessment
‘ Organizational assessment identifies what skills, knowledge, and abilities an organization needs and based on that it determines what is required to alleviate the problems and weaknesses of the organization as well as how to enhance the strengths and competencies which are already present. On the whole it tries to improve organizational performance. It takes into consideration additional factors such as changing technology, business trends, demographics, political trends, and the economy.
‘ Individual assessment analyzes the gaps in the KSA’s of an individual employee. It tries to identify how well an individual employee is doing a job and his/her capacity to do new or a different work. It provides information on which employees need training to increase proficiency and also what kind of training.
Training Need Assessment Process
1. Determine Benefits of Need Assessment- This step will help the decision makers and stakeholders understand the concept of the need assessment. It is important to the organisation because of reasons such as- a) eliminate redundant training efforts, b) substantially reduce the unnecessary expenditure on futile training , and c) assist managers in identifying performance requirements that can best be satisfied by training and other developmental strategies..
2. Planning- The need assessment is going to be successful only if it is planned systematically.
‘ Set goals/objectives for the need assessment
‘ Evaluate prior/other need assessments
‘ Prepare project plan
‘ Evaluate the capacity of staff and technology to conduct a meaningful training skill assessment and analysis
‘ Clarify success measures and program milestones
3. Conduct Need Assessment
‘ Obtain needs assessment data (through surveys, questionnaires, interviews, discussions)
‘ Analyze data
‘ Define performance problems/issues for group/individuals
‘ Describe critical behaviors needed to affect problems/issues
‘ Determine and clarify why critical behaviors do not currently exist
‘ Research integrated performance solutions
‘ If training is the best solution, determine best training and development approach
‘ Assess cost/benefit of training and development approach (build a business case)
‘ Describe how the critical behaviors will be monitored and assessed after implementation of the improvement plan
The results of the needs assessment allows the training manager to set the training objectives by answering two very basic questions: what needs to be done, and why is it not being done now? Then, it is more likely that an accurate identification of whom, if anyone, needs training and what training is needed. Sometimes training is not the best solution, and it is virtually never the only solution. Some performance gaps can be reduced or eliminated through other management solutions, such as communicating expectations, providing a supportive work environment, and checking job fit. These interventions also are needed if training is to result in sustained new behaviors needed to achieve new performance levels, for an individual, an occupation, or an entire organization.
SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO TRAINING
1. Organizational Analysis Identification of organizational objectives/needs/growth potential and resources
2. Task Role Analysis Identification of knowledge, skills and attitudes required
3. Manpower Analysis Identification /definition of target population and performance analysis
4. Statement of training need Identification of gap between existing and required level of knowledge skills and attitude
5. Setting training objectives In terms of behavioral charges and in terms of output/results
6. Develop measures for job proficiency Design interventions to increase proficiency
7. Develop training policy and design training programme Course construction and arrangement of resources
8. Conduct training program Individual or Group or On-the job
9. Follow up and evaluation Carry out evaluation at various phases against the training objectives set and develop follow-up measures for monitoring
10. Validate Against measures of job proficiency
11. Ensure feedback of results Feedback from superiors to assess effectiveness of training
Management can determine the training needs by answering the following questions:
‘ What are the organization’s goals’? What are the tasks that must be completed to achieve these goals’? What behaviors are necessary for each job incumbent to complete his/her assigned jobs’? What deficiencies, if any, do incumbents have in skills, knowledge or attitudes required to perform the necessary behaviors?
Based on determination of the organization’s needs, the type of work that is to be done, and the type of skills necessary to complete this work, the training should be decided and designed.
TYPES OF TRAINING METHOD
The training methods which are generally used in an organization are classified as:
a) On the job: The most important type of training is on the job training. The experience of actually doing something makes a lasting impression and has a reality that other types of training cannot provide. There are several types of training programmes which make use of on-the-job training concept which are as follows:
‘ Job Rotation
‘ Internship training
‘ Apprenticeship
b) Off the job: This is a type of training which is imparted to the employees through education programmes, simulators and training aids etc. The off the job training includes the following:
‘ Case study method
‘ Incident method
‘ Management Games
‘ Role playing
‘ Seminars
Training, as a process of long term learning is essentially a developmental tool. Through, effectively utilizing this tool, the organization expects to achieve career objectives. Sensitize employees towards their role in achieving the organizational vision of ‘Leadership through Differentiation’ contribute towards the career progressions of the employees by importing knowledge of an additional or reinforcing nature, developing skills and bringing about desired attitudinal changes among them.
Accenture is changing and dynamic organizations which have to pay considerable emphasis on training and retraining its employees to enable them to be competent committed and have the capacity to change according to the external and internal demands and pressures. Training of employees is not merely the responsibility of the management or the training cell alone, but the responsibility of department managers as well. Accordingly, the human resource department must enable their involvement in the process of employee training and development.
TRAINING STEPS
There are four basic steps in carrying out the training function:
1. Needs Assessment (collecting and analyzing data)
2. Design (program objectives, plan, measures of success)
3. Testing (prototype the instrument and process)
4. Implementation (collection measures and update as needed)
5. Analysis & Evaluation (review feedback and data collected)
METHODOLOGY
DATA ANALYSIS & FINDINGS
‘ Most important skill in your job-
‘ The most important job skills for SSE’s, who were the respondents was Technical skills followed by managerial skills and leadership skills for future roles. Other skills were not considered primarily important for their job by the respondents.
‘ Objectives in attending a training program-
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‘ Which area among the following do you think you need to improve upon’? What are the Key areas in which training should be imparted’? According to the respondents, the key area for training is the functional or domain area of their work. They want to undertake training in order to gain expertise in these functional areas which are specific technological and software skills for SSE’s. This was followed by technical skills and behavior skills respectively.
‘ What are the various training methods employed’? A number of methods like lectures, simulation, discussions etc are employed for training where lectures and discussions are the primary method of imparting training. Workshops and simulations are also conducted with employees preferring E-learning and virtual training due to its flexibility and ease. 88% of the respondents felt that the methods used for training are effective while 12% felt that the methods are not effective.
‘ Leadership Skills Responses (5-Very Good 4-Good 3-satisfactory 4-not satisfactory 1-Poor)
‘ Leading people and allocating tasks to achieve goals
‘ Influencing other’s behavior in a way that increases performance
‘ Empowering other’s to achieve results
‘ Recognizing people for their contributions
‘ Giving and taking constructive feedback
‘ It can be seen that responses of the respondents i.e SSE’s on different parameters of leadership skills were on the lower side that is they were rated between1-3. Therefore, leadership skills were lacking and the employees need to be trained on it because the next level for them would be leading teams of people and hence it is an important aspect of their job.
‘ Communication Skills
Responses (5-Very Good 4-Good 3-satisfactory 4-not satisfactory 1-Poor)
‘ Verbal Communication to Junior/Senior staff
‘ Written communication to Junior/Senior staff
‘ Conducting effective meetings &presentations
‘ Effective listening & comprehending
‘ Most of the respondents rated the parameters for communication skills between 3-5 which is from satisfactory to very good. However, some of them rated unsatisfactory for effective presentation and verbal communication skills. Therefore, communication skills need to be included as a voluntary component probably in company’s soft skills development programme.
Technical Skills Responses (5-Very Good 4-Good 3-satisfactory 2 -not satisfactory 1-Poor)
‘ Domain knowledge & expertise
‘ Knowledge of new technologies & upgradations
‘ Most of the respondents rated themselves ‘Good’ in technical skills, with some rating ‘not satisfactory’ and ‘satisfactory’ as well. Technical skills being the most important for SSE’s are a must for training to further enhance domain knowledge & expertise as well as knowledge of new technologies & upgradations. Accenture’s ‘My Learning’ portal already takes care of the training needs in technical areas and has proved to be effective in imparting training to the employees.
‘ Methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of training programme
‘ The methods used to evaluate effectiveness of training programme include feedbacks after training from superiors through discussions, performance check & improvement and proficiency tests in some cases.
‘ Does management consider your opinions on the training programme?
YES 75% NO 25%
‘ Preferred duration of training
‘ The preferred duration of training by employees is between 3 days to 1 week with average being 3-4 days depending on the domain and the frequency of training. Also each employee has its own training hours allocated which needs to be followed.
‘ Evaluation of Training
Item
Level of Agreement
Scale Distribution
Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly
Agree
1. The training was appropriate to my needs 76%
2. Length of the training was sufficient 72%
3. Hands on and practical sessions were helpful 80%
4. The Trainer was effective 88%
5. The material provided is useful 80%
‘ According to a majority of respondents, the training imparted to them is effective in terms of its length, material and necessity. This is evident from the level of agreement shown by the respondents. The area for improvement is more customization of training since each employee despite of same designation may have different needs for different skills. So, customized training solutions should be provided.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
In order to make a training successful, there is a need to evaluate the training in order to gauge whether the training has been effective or not. This evaluation is a combined effort of the superiors as well as of the employees. Training programs also need to be continuously improved because training is one motivational tool in the hands of the employer which can lead to improved organisational performance and hence economic performance on the whole.
Based on the training need assessment done at Accenture, the recommendations for improvement and carrying out an effective training program are as follows-
‘ As inferred from the need assessment, training in technical skills is felt to be most important area for our sample space that is the Senior System’s Engineer, with a few responses for training in managerial skills.
– We suggest that a training module should be designed such that the people are continuously updated and acquainted with the latest technological advancement where they can carry on hands on experience and improve their technical skills and functional expertise. This is already being done with the Accenture’s online learning portal which tracks every employees training needs and requirements. Virtual learning is an integral part of this process and can be improved further by inculcating lectures from renowned international experts and universities.
– One of the drawbacks of the present system is that it is highly automated and lacks human intervention. A computer system cannot always identify and track individual employees needs and performance correctly. Also the suggestions made through the automated system may lack customization for individual employee. Therefore, this calls for a human intervention in the training & development process where HR plays an important role. Superiors should be mentors to employees in order to guide them about their customized needs for training. This could involve mentoring, discussions, open houses etc.
‘ The next role for the senior systems engineers would be that of Team Lead. So, we suggest on conduction of training for developing managerial and workforce handling skills in order to make the employees ready for future responsibilities.
– Training program involving role plays, simulation games and interactive sessions can be conducted
– Management workshops and MDP’s by experts is another intervention which can be done
– These trainings are futuristic and are meant for developing future skills so they can be carried out independently apart from regular technical skills training
‘ Training sessions should be short & self-directed learning should be encouraged
‘ Real-time case studies and scenarios should be included to explain the practical implications of concepts better.
‘ Gamification is an important technique that is being used today to improve the impact of training modules. Some of the concepts should be explained through a fun-filled exercise to help in better understanding and retention
REFERENCES
‘ http://www.accenture.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/ROL8.pdf
‘ http://www.accenture.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/257Accenture_Learning_BPO_Services_brochure.pdf
‘ http://assetsproduction.govstore.service.gov.uk/Giii%20Attachments/ACCENTURE%20(U%20K)%20LTD/Bids/Accenture%20LMS%20Cloud%20Services%20%20-%20Service%20Definition%20Document.pdf
‘ https://www.accentureacademy.com/p/#difference
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‘ http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/uploads/files/aafaca34-0502-4635-9491-e608fff1d9df.pdf