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Abstract
The paper provides a discussion of four parts of the training needs assessment plan for Anthem Inc. that includes the macro-level and micro-level needs assessments. The paper describes the insurance industry in the United States with the focus on the aspect of competition, the companys mission and vision, and the specific organizational structure and leadership. The analysis of current training programs adopted in Anthem Inc. is also provided in the plan. Four stages that are determined as basic for the proposed training needs assessment plan are the business needs assessment, performance needs assessment, learning needs assessment, and learners needs assessment. The plan presents questions that should be answered in the context of each assessment. Appropriate data sources and data collection methods are also described in detail. In addition, the plan is focused on the predicted findings and gaps, as well as recommendations to address the identified needs. The final section of the plan is the evaluation based on identifying strengths, weaknesses, barriers, and ethical issues related to this assessment.
Introduction
The assessment of needs that employees have in relation to their training is important to improve the workforces performance (Jen-Chia, Tseng-Chang, & Chen, 2012). In order to organize a data collection process associated with the needs assessment in the most efficient manner, it is appropriate to use Data Collection Plan proposed by Tobey (2005). At the first stage, it is important to focus on collecting data related to the area of business needs. This field is discussed as related to macro-level needs (Brown, 2002; Ferreira & Abbad, 2013). In addition to analyzing business needs, the data collection process includes such steps as the assessment of performance needs, learning needs, and learners needs. Performance and learning needs related to the organization, as well as learners needs, are discussed as associated with the micro-level (Ferreira & Abbad, 2013).
Anthem Inc. is a large insurance company located in the United States, and it is important to concentrate on training initiatives implemented in this organization (About Anthem, Inc., 2016). In order to create a needs assessment plan for Anthem Inc., it is necessary to refer to the recommendations provided by Tobey (2005) regarding the information that should be collected at different levels, as well as methods to use. The purpose of this paper is to describe Anthems mission and current training, demonstrate the reason for conducting the training needs assessment, discuss questions to be answered and methods to apply at each stage, and provide the evaluation of the proposed plan.
Purpose
Industry, Anthems Mission, Leadership, and Training
Health insurance companies represent a large sector of the healthcare industry of the United States because they provide individuals and organizations with required insurance plans and premiums to guarantee that they receive the medical care. Anthem is one of the leading companies in the industry, and its mission is presented in the purpose statement: Together, we are transforming health care with trusted and caring solutions, as well as in the vision: To be Americas valued health partner (About Anthem, Inc., 2016).
The organization was formed as a result of the merger of WellPoint Health Networks and Anthem in 2004, and it became known as Anthem Inc. in 2014. Currently, Anthem performs as a participant of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. The company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it has its subsidiaries and offices in different states of the country, including California, Virginia, New York, and Nevada among others. The company is led by executives, the board of directors, and board committees. Joseph R. Swedish is Chairman of the board of directors, as well as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). John E. Gallina is the companys Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Craig Samitt is Chief Clinical Officer (CCO) (About Anthem, Inc., 2016).
The current training proposed to employees in the company is organized with the focus on needs of Anthem subsidiaries. Thus, each company belonging to Anthem Group implements specific training programs oriented to the needs of employees in the concrete subsidiary and state (About Anthem, Inc., 2016). The company pays much attention to developing and supporting training programs because of the necessity to provide high-quality services. Therefore, training programs include education and sessions for top managers, administrators, practitioners, and clinicians.
The Reason for Conducting Training Needs Assessment
In spite of the fact that managers in Anthem Inc. are focused on providing the required training for employees in different subsidiaries, it is important to conduct a needs assessment and conclude regarding the necessity of a systematic approach to educating employees. Furthermore, the needs assessment is necessary in order to decide on areas in which all employees working in Anthem companies require improvement. Currently, Anthem subsidiaries and offices in different states recruit trainers who develop separate programs for each facility (About Anthem, Inc., 2016). However, it is important to assess the training needs in relation to the entire company.
Issues to Explore with the Help of the Needs Assessment
Specific issues associated with Anthems business and training activities can be identified with the help of the questions proposed by Tobey (2005). The author provides a set of questions to determine business, performance, learning, and learners needs. Anthems business needs are associated with the tendency of downsizing observed in the companys offices. Depending on negative changes in sales and the increased costs, managers choose to decrease the number of customer service representatives and insurance sales agents. As a result, the number of customer complaints increases, as well as turnover rates among the mentioned groups of employees. Moreover, the competition in the industry intensifies because many companies provide similar services and insurance plans at lower costs. Therefore, more attention should be paid to increasing the number of customers and improving the quality of services.
Performance needs include the necessity of improving the productivity of the decreased number of insurance sales agents and customer service representatives. It is important to provide training for these groups of employees in order to contribute to their competence and ability to work with customers (Ferreira & Abbad, 2013). These actions are important to increase the customer loyalty. Learning needs can be identified for these two groups of employees. Customer service representatives need to pay more attention to the development of communication and negotiation skills in order to improve the approach to resolving disputes and addressing customers complaints. Insurance sales agents should develop their skills in cooperation, team-building, and leadership because, currently, the teamwork of insurance agents is not developed effectively.
Learners needs are associated with the necessity of addressing the diverse workforce. Employees belonging to different generations and cultures are often hired as insurance sales agents and customer service representatives. They have different learning styles and various cultural, social, and educational backgrounds. As a result, it is a challenging task for managers to coordinate their work and achieve the goals regarding increases in productivity. Furthermore, insurance sales agents are inclined to discuss the working environment as routine, and customer service representatives describe it as stressful (About Anthem, Inc., 2016). In addition, employees point at the lack of transfer opportunities for them. To address the listed issues, it is necessary to propose training programs for these two groups of employees in order to improve their work experiences. In the following sections, it is important to provide questions that should be answered at each stage of the assessment and discuss methods required to collect the important data.
Business Needs Assessment
Questions to Be Answered
Anthem Inc. is one of the leading insurance companies in the United States, but changes in the insurance industry stimulate executives to revise their approaches to formulating the business strategy. In this context, it is important to explore how the capacities of employees working in Anthem address the leaders expectations and strategic goals. Therefore, the first question to answer is the following one: What problems related to the companys strategic development should be addressed? The second question aims to focus on the information regarding the companys strategies and employees contribution: How can the companys strategies be supported with reference to training employees? Table 1 presents the first stage of Data Collection Plan.
Table 1. Stage 1 of Data Collection Plan.
Data Sources
In order to find answers to the first proposed question, it is necessary to refer to such data sources as annual reports and clients reviews and complaints. The reason to use annual reports is in the fact that the information regarding strategies and experienced difficulties is usually included in these documents (Jen-Chia, Tseng-Chang, & Chen, 2012). However, to identify more problems, it is also important to analyze reviews provided by clients and former or current employees. There are many web platforms where clients and employees write reviews and posts describing the companys weaknesses and strategic problems. In order to collect data regarding the employees training in the context of the companys strategies, it is necessary to use human resources (HR) data located online.
Potential Data Collection Methods
The information related to the first question can be collected using either qualitative or quantitative data collection methods. While referring to quantitative methods, it is important to focus on the analysis of extant data, such as reports and financial statements (Tobey, 2005). Qualitative methods include interviews and reviews of sources. Interviews make evaluators contact managers and employees in order to collect the data when reviews require the access to databases (Ferreira & Abbad, 2013). In order to answer the second question, it is possible to use qualitative data collection tools, such as interviews, observation, and reviews. Interviews and observation are appropriate to be used in the companys settings, and the review of literature allows for saving resources.
Data Collection Methods
For the first question, the analysis of such extant data as the companys reports is the most appropriate data collection method because it allows for gathering objective quantitative data minimizing the spent time and resources. There is no need to develop data collection tools or compose a survey (Brown, 2002). In addition, the review of the qualitative information is another effective data collection method that is important to find answers to the first question because it provides access to subjective data, but it is more cost-efficient than interviews. The literature review is also selected to answer the second question because an investigator needs to access HR data, but opportunities to organize the face-to-face communication with managers or plan observation sessions in the company are usually limited. From this point, the focus on the sources available online is an appropriate choice in this case.
Potential Findings
While searching the information to answer the first question, it is possible to find out that Anthem has problems with addressing trends in the insurance industry that are associated with the decreased sales and increased costs. Therefore, the company can focus on downsizing, and the proportion of customer service representatives and insurance sales agents in the company can change. The information gathered with the help of reviewing HR data can reveal the need for more training to be proposed to middle- and low-level employees in order to increase their productivity, improve their communication skills, and increase job satisfaction.
Recommendations
The recommendations to address the identified gaps can be related to the area of training. The first question can potentially reveal the gap in training programs for customer service representatives and insurance sales agents. Downsizing leads to intensifying the pressure on these employees; therefore, they need to be trained in relation to developing skills in time management, team-building, and communication. The direct response to the training needs that can be identified with the help of the second question is the implementation of more training programs oriented to needs of customer service representatives and insurance sales agents.
Performance Needs Assessment
Questions to Be Answered
The performance of employees is one of the key issues that influence the strategic development of the organization. Changes in the business environment have influenced the companys expectations regarding the staff performance. Therefore, the first question to focus on is the following one: What areas should be improved in employees performance? It is also important to propose the second question to answer: What are the executives expectations regarding the perfect performance? Table 2 presents the second stage of Data Collection Plan.
Table 2. Stage 2 of Data Collection Plan.
Data Sources
In order to find answers to the first question, it is necessary to refer to job descriptions, appraisals, and managers feedbacks regarding the current performance. The information collected from these sources is important to conclude about the gaps in the current performance of employees (Thomas & Panchal, 2010). To answer the second question, it is necessary to refer to opinions of managers and experts in the industry in order to state what expectations regarding performance are set by the executives in Anthem. As a result, it is possible to refer to both internal and external sources.
Potential Data Collection Methods
The information regarding the current performance of employees and possible gaps in the observed and desired performance results can be collected with the help of analyzing the extant data, conducting interviews and observations, and involving respondents to participate in a survey (Tobey, 2005). The second question can be answered after collecting and analyzing the data while using the same methods and excluding the work with extant data. These data collection methods are effective to provide both qualitative and quantitative information.
Data Collection Method
In spite of the fact that an interview can be discussed as an effective method to collect the data to answer the first question, the analysis of extant data is the more efficient approach at this stage because of limited opportunities to contact the managers who work in the organization (Ferreira & Abbad, 2013). As a result, the proper analysis of available job descriptions and performance appraisals can provide all the necessary information to conclude about performance needs. To answer the second question, the selection of observations and interviews is also associated with using many resources. Still, the selection of an online survey is more appropriate because it is possible to provide managers and industry experts with the required time to complete a survey. If respondents do not agree to participate in a survey, it is possible to refer to their feedbacks, comments, and opinions published online.
Potential Findings
While analyzing the data collected with the help of proposed methods, it is possible to find out that downsizing observed in the company is associated with negative changes in the employees performance. The level of their productivity can be low to address all clients and provide them with high-quality services. Therefore, the executives expectations regarding the desired performance can include increases in productivity, improvements in provided services, and increases in the number of satisfied clients.
Recommendations
In order to monitor negative changes in performance of the staff, it is necessary to improve the appraisal strategy. Furthermore, to increase productivity, it is important to train employees regarding time management and the organization of a working process (Tobey, 2005). To achieve positive results associated with the second question, it is necessary to provide training that includes techniques to increase the quality of services and customer loyalty.
Learning Needs Assessment
Questions to Be Answered
The solution to the problem of performance is associated with identifying learning needs of employees. Therefore, the first question to answer is aimed at determining the current skills and abilities of the staff: What skills and capacities can employees demonstrate? However, it is also important to determine gaps in the employees knowledge and skills: What knowledge, skills, and capacities should be acquired, developed, and improved by employees to perform better? Table 3 presents the third stage of Data Collection Plan.
Table 3. Stage 3 of Data Collection Plan.
Data Sources
The first question can be answered while communicating with learners, managers, and trainers and while accessing the information regarding the previous training sessions and their results (Ferreira & Abbad, 2013). The second question also requires the involvement of trainers and managers to identify areas for the further improvement and analysis of the Anthem training data available online. Furthermore, it is also possible to review the criteria for skills in the professional literature (Anitha, 2011). These sources of information are important to provide a researcher with all required materials.
Potential Data Collection Methods
The identified sources of information can be used while applying the following data collection methods: interviews, surveys, and analysis of training evaluation results. These methods are appropriate for the first question. The second question can also be addressed while using interviews, surveys, and analysis of previous training results, but a review of professional literature in the field is also important to determine specific skills and capacities, the development of which can lead to higher results.
Data Collection Method
The best data collection methods that can be used in order to find the answer to the first question are surveys and analysis of the previous training results. The reason is that it is important to contact learners or former and current employees in order to determine skills and capacities that are required to work as insurance sales agents and customer service representatives (Anitha, 2011). Furthermore, it is necessary to analyze the data regarding the provided training in order to conclude about skills and knowledge that are prioritized in the company (Thomas & Panchal, 2010). To answer the second question, it is necessary to analyze the training evaluation results and determine what can be done differently in order to achieve positive outcomes. In addition, a review of professional literature is also important to state what skills and capacities are significant for the industry and compare the data with training results.
Potential Findings
After conducting the assessment, it is possible to find out that customer service representatives can lack the developed skills in communication and negotiation with clients. Furthermore, they can use ineffective strategies to address customers complaints and conflicting situations. Insurance sales agents can demonstrate that they need to develop skills in communication, decision-making, cooperation, partnership, and leadership. Therefore, employees need to develop skills regarding the mentioned areas.
Recommendations
To address the gap regarding the work of customer service representatives, it is important to propose the professional training developed for this group of employees because they often need additional skills to negotiate with clients and resolve problematic situations. Much pressure is also experienced by insurance sales agents. Therefore, the training for them should be focused on developing their skills in cooperating in order to reduce stress and improve decision-making.
Learners Needs Assessment
Questions to Be Answered
Prior to planning the training program and activities for employees, it is necessary to assess learners needs with the focus on their backgrounds, learning styles, and expectations (Anitha, 2011). Therefore, the first question to ask in order to identify learners needs is the following one: What are the learners backgrounds, cultures, and experiences? The answer to this question is important to describe the profiles of learners with the focus on their specific needs and interests (Tobey, 2005). The second question can be formulated the following way: What training programs or sessions do learners usually have in the current work environment? This question is important to be asked in order to assess how the current approach to training is correlated with the learners needs and visions. Table 4 presents the fourth stage of Data Collection Plan.
Table 4. Stage 4 of Data Collection Plan.
Data Sources
In order to answer the first question, it is necessary to refer to such sources of information as learners and managers. Personal narratives and feedbacks provided by former and current managers and employees usually include the detailed information regarding the learners backgrounds and experiences (Bertolino, Truxillo, & Fraccaroli, 2011). In addition, it is important to note that this information is also available online as human resource management (HRM) data located on the organizations website. The second question can also be answered with reference to the data provided online (Tobey, 2005). It is also possible to use the information provided by managers and trainers who develop education and training programs for Anthem Inc.
Potential Data Collection Methods
The first question can be answered with the help of using such data collection methods as interviews, surv
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