All-Important Needs Analysis

When the men in my family have an important event, they go to Men’s Warehouse. It has been a fixture in their efforts to be well-dressed when the occasion calls for it. So, with that familiarity in mind, I have reviewed what a training needs analysis would look like for that company and, by extension, for the parent company of Tailored Brands.

I would want to confer with several stakeholders. Getting a clear picture of which individuals would be part of the training development and implementation process and getting an idea of the information they could provide and how to work with them is the first step in the ADDIE process (Noe, 2020). In this case, I would try to meet with sales staff, tailors, store management, and senior leadership. Not all of the EVPs would be on my invite list. However, Whit Alexander (Chief Customer Officer), Jamie Bragg (Chief Supply Chain Officer), Karla Gray (Chief Stores Officer), Shane Smith (Chief Human Resources Officer), and Steve Ricci (Brand President of Tailored Brands which encompasses Men’s Warehouse and Jos. A Bank and Moores, and K&G Fashion Superstore) would be important contacts depending on the initial training request or performance improvement goal.  

My questions to each group would be specific to their responsibilities and scope of influence within Men’s Warehouse. Some example questions would be:

• What would a perfect workday involve?

• What is missing in your current work days that would make them perfect?

• What would be a good second-best workday?

• how well do employees align with the company’s vision?

• How do you envision balancing “being the best customer-obsessed omnichannel retailer in North America” and maintaining your focus on social responsibility, especially in shifting political climates?

• How would you envision operations if the service mentality carried through to all aspects of your business model?

• How much time are you able and willing to invest in training to learn new skills or attitudes?

• What financial resources can you invest in workforce development and operational training?

• What training have you had to this point?

During this analysis, I would ask to see certain documents. Records of previous training that had been offered and completed by staff can provide evidence of prior knowledge (Stolovitch, 2011) and confirm whether the required prerequisites for new training have been met (Noe, 2020).

Part of my interactions with SMEs, from sales to tailoring to store management, would include reviewing existing procedures. Sometimes, performance gaps are not closed by training (Stolovitch & Keeps, 2004) but instead by reviewing and improving guidance and expectations. This documentation may be outdated and incompatible with current company systems, culture, or vision. Improvement here can save a firm from spending time, money, and effort on formal training.

In concert with document review to determine the current procedure, I would also employ observations, interviews, and focus groups. As Noe illustrates in Employee Training & Development (2020), observations can minimize workflow disruptions and provide real-time data regarding work tasks and procedures. Interviews can help thoroughly explore “unanticipated issues” (Noe, 2020, p. 119) and allow for the modification of questions based on the flow of discussion and the role of the interviewee. Focus groups allow participants safety in numbers and provide a group voice to lend more weight to opinions presented to senior leadership.

Without a thoughtful and thorough needs assessment, an instructional designer is shooting in the dark. There is no way to be sure if the training will solve the performance gap or if it is even required. Without conferring with stakeholders and senior leadership, there is the risk that the training will only meet the needs of a small part of the population. It could not be aligned with the company’s vision, mission, or values. For example, an effort to train Men’s Warehouse to cater to the needs of customers at the expense of Tailored Brand’s service mentality may help the bottom line in the short term but will harm the overall brand image in the long run. Instructional designers must be change agents and, at the same time, must operate within the needs identified by the analysis.

References:

Noe, R. A. (2020). Employee training and development (8th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

Stolovitch, H. D. (2011). Telling ain’t training: updated, expanded, and enhanced, 2nd edition. American Society for Training and Development.

Stolovitch, H. D., & Keeps, E. J. (2004). Training ain’t performance. Alexandria, VA. ASTD Press