Linking Training Needs to the requirements of the business

‘Requirements of the business’ in large organisations is often referred to as Organisational Development or the short form used by HR professionals as ‘OD’. In small to medium enterprises, ‘Requirements of the business’ is often referred to as Requirements of the business

For the moment let’s use the short form OD.

Now for the other bit of this equation Training & Development, yep you’ve guessed it TD.

… and you can’t have one without the other.

There has to be an absolute connection between OD & TD and the flow of information and analysis needs to be a two way street.

Note that the TD bit is about Training & DEVELOPMENT – and development is where our coaching plays such a critical role – it doesn’t always have to be training.

Identifying Training Needs

Training needs emerge generally out of three circumstances:

• Someone new to a job or task
• Effective management coaching
• The organisational needs change

The first two are about individual training needs and the last about team, department or entire organisation training initiatives. Lets focus on individual training needs.

The use of psychometric assessment has an increasing role in identifying appropriate candidates to recruit – good recruitment agencies will do this for you – too many don’t have a clue or are frightened of psychometric profiling. An effective behavioural profiling system will not only give you a profile of the applicant but how they may need to be managed and what might be their development needs for the job they are being recruited for.

The better ones will also give you a job profile that completes a comprehensive analysis of candidate to job. So identifying training needs for a new joiner is relatively straightforward. Doing the same for those already in the business can be just as simple, if we are bothered to look.

And that looking is: Coaching and coaching backed up with the same psychometric system that you use for recruitment, but used by the employee for assessing their own self development needs – yes that’s right, let them get on with it and identify it for themselves.

If a coaching culture is taking root, then they will share the output with their manager – Oh! what an ideal world is being painted here!

Well alright then, it might need a bit of management nudging along, but the outcome is the same, they and you as their manager end up with a clear way forward of the individual’s development needs – it might even be ‘ Leave me alone I’m doing okay as it is’ – and most sensible managers take the hint if their perspective lines up with that of the individual.

And what has this to do with IiP?

Having followed the above approach and a clear training need identified it only remains to procure that training. This might be done in house or by an external supplier.

The internet now gives excellent access to information on training courses and the suppliers offering them. One way of taking a first measure of a potential supplier is to review how they go about structuring their offering.

Robert F Mager in his excellent book ‘Preparing Instructional Objectives’ outlines how course design is expressed in highly defined Measurable Training Objectives to ensure clarity of purpose and that participant activity can be tracked back to the original objectives set down for the training course or programme.

• PERFORMANCE: What is required of their performance
• STANDARD: To what standard of performance, judged by the tutor, should the participant achieve
• CONDITION: In what circumstances is the performance to be achieved i.e. Role play, syndicate participation, discussion groups etc.

It is highly unlikely that any training brochure will be expressed in such terms, but using Mager’s model will be a good guide to determine if the training offered comes any where near the coherent offering that you are looking for – if not, steer clear.

One word of warning: Be wary of those suppliers who state that they can prove a clear connection between ‘how much business bang you get for your training $buck’ – they rarely can. But as a business professional and having followed the above you will know what good looks like and whether it has a ‘fit’ for the individual and for the business.

Find out how this fits into a thorough IiP focused business strategy where Balanced Business Scorecards, European Quality Award Models and downright commonsense is employed, in my next blog.

The notoriously secretive agency recruits the brightest and best from top universities. But instead of the traditional tap on the shoulder from their Oxbridge tutor, MI6’s new spooks go through a disappointingly mundane recruitment process.

Roles are advertised in the paper, candidates are invited to attend an interview and, just like thousands of companies across the country it protects, MI6 asks potential spooks to complete a psychometric test.

So why does MI6 use psychometric testing? To reduce the risk of recruiting the wrong person for the role. Sound familiar? It should if your organisation uses psychometric assessment tools. Whether you are organising a sales call, engineering a new product or integrating yourself into a foreign society, natural temperament, character and ability will be the key to your success.

As we’re now into spook speak and the world of James Bond, what would you say his profile would look like? I’ve taken a guess below:

Generalist Persuader



Sound right? What temperament traits would you say James Bond displays? Leave a comment below…

This has recently been discussed in an in-depth article in The Guardian which highlighted the struggles of students graduating from university in 2009.  Six students from University of Leeds and Leeds Metropolitan University discussed how they had gone about finding employment over a twelve month period.

Each and every student started off with slightly unrealistic expectations but with aspirations of the sort of roles they wanted to gain from journalism through to online research development and sound design.  They were all prepared to be flexible in the roles they gained which helped.

There was one quote towards the end of the story which really made us think: “The only career guidance we got was to write a CV each year for their records,” says Page. “I was taught nothing about how to succeed in interviews.”

At the end of the twelve months none of the students were quite where they had hoped they would be. One was contemplating travelling around South Asia before returning to the UK; another was hoping to start work shortly at a headhunting agency; the remainder in employment were in receptionist work and working in a theatre.

The question is, could psychometric testing and support have benefited such graduates?  The answer (predictably some may say) from us would be a resounding “yes” – with one caveat in that aptitude testing, when used in conjunction with career guidance and advice and how to find the hidden jobs in the marketplace would have assisted.

Targeted hidden jobs is a discipline in its own right and one that companies such as Holst Group strategic Partner, The Connor Consultancy, will be discussing in a future article on www.psychometricblog.co.uk. In today’s crowded job market the number of people going for each role is incredibly high and will remain at this level for the foreseeable future.

But back to how a psychometric test such as McQuaig could have supported students graduating from specific courses.  Those studying in industry specific degrees such as media and science could utilise the results of an aptitude test to identify the right sort of role for them. This will give them the opportunity to hone their efforts towards the jobs that they can get.

One interesting point made from an employer within the article was that such is the competition for each role by the graduate population that they are often ill prepared for the interview. In one instance, an interviewee could not spell the name of the company in spite of the fact that the organisation’s name was clearly visible in the application form.

Psychometric testing should be offered to graduates where aptitude testing could add real value, enabling people to get into a role far quicker.

… they are of course the same thing – BUT in that order.

“What have the Romans ever done for us?”

A belligerent question put in  the film ‘The Life of Brian’

… and of course the answer was ‘A lot’!

When it comes to starting off from first base in developing our strategy for IiP, asking people ‘What has my manager ever done for me?’ – often reveals: ‘very little’.  Too often that question does not reflect on the moments of guidance their manager has given:

• at the coffee machine.
• at the water dispenser.
• on the way out of the office…

… none of this is seen as coaching, mentoring or manager led personal development !

… that sort of thing is done in a focused 1:1 meeting with notes being taken, isn’t it ?

The first step in IIP is the development of a coaching culture, in the workplace, in the team, but more importantly in the psyche of the people who work with us. People should know that coaching will happen, how it happens, when it is not happening and when it is being done badly !

Easy to do? – The easiest thing in the world – but so many managers don’t see it that way, mainly because they don’t know how to do it and as a result think it would take too much time any way.

Or worse, ‘just throw training at it’

The development of an organisation’s people has to be approached holistically. Although training is a component, it is only one key component to a practical and commonsense way of ensuring that people effectively contribute to the bottom line.

The three core IiP principles:

1. PLAN
2. DO
3. REVIEW

… perfectly summaries this approach.

If we apply these principles purely to the training of an individual it translates:

COACH in identifying where the person is as far as their
skill and behaviour relates to the job to be done.

TRAIN to meet the identified need.

COACH to support the transfer of learning to the
workplace and review progress on the job.

Once we start to follow a framework, in this case that of IiP, it start to become clear which  are the steps to be taken to ensure any expenditure on training is done effectively. In many cases, it may well be discerned that training isn’t the answer at all, but good management and coaching will serve the need far better.

The first step…and the last – Coaching

Sports coaches use something called Evidential Feedback – they observe and like a video camera, feedback to the athlete what they observed and ask the athlete to respond. The Evidential Feedback process easily translates into the business world and is used extensively.

For evidential feedback to work, the manager has to get up and go out and get the evidence – but surely any manager closely involved with their team, will be observing people’s performance and capabilities. However, in many cases a manager is not co-located with their team members and gaining ‘evidence’ can prove to be a real time consuming task.

To complement the amount of evidence a manager is able to gain a development focused profiling system should be used. Often used for assessing the behavioural profiles of recruitment candidates, it can also be used for the development of existing staff.

A simple 20 minute on line survey questionnaire completed by the member of staff produces a report for the manager and the staff member to review performance against the job in hand. The report is the evidence on which the 1:1 is based, where an effective Evidential Feedback approach provides the catalyst for the member of staff to talk their way through their review and not the manager – easy !

IiP is a good thing to strive for, even if you don’t go for the recognition assessment and that triangular plaque on the wall. By just using the IIP structure as a guide you have a ready made plan of what and how to develop your most expensive resource – your people.

The Private Sector has already weathered the worst of the recession across a significant number of sectors whilst the Public Sector is now in the grips of job losses that could result in over 600,000 jobs being lost.  There is no getting away from the fact that this is a large number of people who will be at risk.

Those who remain in roles will need career counselors to make sure they remain focused on their roles to develop their own careers through such a period.  This all sounds a lot easier on paper when you are not involved emotionally in the situation.

Support and development of those who continue within their roles become critical at such times.  Self-achievement as we discussed in our blog in May can really help an individual, particularly elements such as taking control of their life and being able to manage themselves in order to achieve their goals and objectives.

The green shoots of recovery are apparent in our economy and it is a shame more is not being made of these “good news stories”; those in the SME sector have realigned their business models to operate within the current economic climate and are now moving towards growth and expansion.

B2B bodies such as the CBI can play a significant role in helping to improve the UK job market by attracting businesses to set up bases in the UK.  However, it is also important that the SME industry is supported whilst it continues to recover.

An organisation can only be successful with an engaged workforce who is keen to develop their careers and expertise. This will ultimately lead to a successful business able to retain its workforce whilst creating jobs.

Reports from a psychometric assessment tool like The McQuaig System give tips on how individuals prefer to work based on their naturals strengths. Nurturing natural strengths (rather than ‘improving’ weaknesses) generates a far higher return on your investment.

HR can support line managers throughout the organisation by highlighting areas specific to line managers needs. Here are a few examples:

• an interview guide gives structure to interviews and provides questions to ask
• a management overview give shortcuts to understanding a new starter
• a self-development report will save a line manager hours of work putting together development plans for staff – and give a better outcome

All the reports above are available as part of The McQuaig System and available to unlimited licence clients at no extra cost. If you already use McQuaig ask your consultant how you can help your line managers discover what’s in it for them.

The point of contention appears to be the widespread reaction to being ‘subjected’ to what they are calling “psychobabble”, claiming that psychometric tests offer no help in making good television.

However – we would clearly disagree. Whilst psychometric testing can confirm certain aptitudes it can also identify as yet undiscovered aptitudes.

An existing client recently gave the McQuaig System test to its employees including sales support staff and the marketing staff. The results produced some surprising results in that the existing Marketing Manager was in fact better suited to a sales function. This was due to her communications skills and aptitude towards taking risks and striving to be a leader.

Moreover, by giving this member of staff greater responsibility, she will thrive within the organisation. This would not have been identified by the company had she not undergone an aptitude test. She can now utilize this throughout her career to aid her self-development and help her employers benefit from her development.

For many, the thought of being tested in this way can be daunting. Certain questions are apparently being asked such as how sociable managers are at parties and how they analyse conversations; the former is surely part of the anti Mr Crozier media hype, whilst the latter could play an important part in the development of the managers team’s.

Amongst the column inches is the fact that the psychometric tests are being used to help shape the structure of the company. This can be read in many ways, however, it is important to note that psychometric tests are there to aid and develop organisations by supporting the development of their staff.

This can only be seen as a positive step for employees and managers who are keen to develop their careers and make the most of opportunities that may arise.

The media say people are ‘subjected to’ testing, even though the business case for testing is clear. Thousands of organisations in UK use psychometric testing and their candidates are actually better off.

A CV is the ‘edited highlights of a persons career to-date’ and most interviews are un-structured. This leads to an organisation’s single biggest investment (it’s people) left to chance.

Organisations use psychometric testing to bolster their interview process, create better teams and develop based on strengths, not weaknesses.

Candidates shouldn’t be afraid of assessment. The goal from both sides is natural fit to the role. If an individual is able to utilise what comes naturally to them, they will be happier in the role and the employer will generate better performance.

Far from using assessment to rule candidates out, thriving organisations use psychometric assessment to find the perfect candidate and increase the chances of success in the role.

When the media start to look at how employers and candidates benefit from assessment they may just find the right story…

Performance and executive coaching are high on the list of priorities for small to medium sized companies who are focusing on growing their business by developing their teams to fulfil the growing needs of their organisation.

Others have been heard to say that they are still happy to spend money, but only where there is a clear Return on Investment.  Budgets such as sales and marketing are recognised as being a necessary investment in order for an organisation to grow.

Investing in staff is also a critical factor in the long term success of any company;including annual training as part of any self-development programme.  In a continuing and uncertain commercial climate far too many companies are still cutting critical spend such as staff development and marketing.

A critical part to any self-development programme is identifying key attributes that may have otherwise gone unnoticed in an employee.  If an employer was to discover that this Marketing Manager also had strong sales attributes that could be utilised by their organisation, surely it would be more cost effective to support an existing staff member as they grow and develop.

This will bring an existing employee into a role that will benefit the business commercially, rather than pay an agency to bring in a new member of staff who may unbalance a high-performing team.

Psychometric testing, particularly The McQuaig System gives managers and company owners the opportunity to develop personnel attributes and help to empower and refocus team members.

Non-financial benefits such as team away days, duvet days and also time off to watch the World Cup are all tactics being used by company owners to help keep teams motivated and focused.