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 company’s 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 workforce’s 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 Anthem’s 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, Anthem’s 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 America’s 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 company’s 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 Anthem’s 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. Anthem’s business needs are associated with the tendency of downsizing observed in the company’s 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 company’s strategic development should be addressed? The second question aims to focus on the information regarding the company’s strategies and employees’ contribution: How can the company’s 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 company’s weaknesses and strategic problems. In order to collect data regarding the employees’ training in the context of the company’s 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 company’s 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 company’s 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 company’s 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 organization’s 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, surveys, and analysis of data. Still, in spite of the fact that these methods are appropriate to be used in order to gather the information related to employees and their backgrounds, not all of these approaches can be applied to this project. In order to conduct interviews and surveys, researchers require using additional sources (Bertolino et al., 2011). Similar approaches can be used in order to find answers to the second question, but it is also important to add the observation to the list as a method that is helpful to examine specific features of the organization’s training programs (Anitha, 2011; Tobey, 2005).
Data Collection Method
The best method to collect the data regarding employees’ backgrounds and cultures that can be used in this case is the analysis of available HRM and personal data. The reason is that it is rather problematic to contact former and current employees and managers in order to conduct interviews and surveys (Anitha, 2011; Tobey, 2005). Therefore, it is possible to use the information about human resources in Anthem Inc. that is available online. The data regarding the implemented training programs can also be retrieved from the corporate website and different databases (Bertolino et al., 2011). The analysis of this information is important to provide the evaluator with details about strengths and weaknesses of the used training and education programs from the point of learners’ needs and expectations.
Potential Findings
While analyzing the information related to learners’ backgrounds and cultures, it is possible to find out that employees belong to different generations and have various learning styles that influence their successes in training and further performance (Tobey, 2005). Insurance sales agents and customer service representatives as the target audience of the assessment are expected to apply their specific cultural experiences, developed skills, and knowledge to communication with clients. Training programs for employees in Anthem Inc. should include sessions that help learners improve their skills in working with customers and cooperating with each other. Therefore, potential findings related to the second question can include the information about appropriate and non-appropriate practices that are effective to train employees and contribute to improving their performance and productivity. The collected data can demonstrate that current employees do not receive training that is appropriate to address their learning styles and backgrounds.
Recommendations
In order to address learners’ differences and learning styles, it is important to improve the training program and propose more activities that are effective to be used with diverse employees. One more important recommendation is the development of a training program that is successful and efficient to help employees coordinate their work and encourage cooperative relationships. These training programs should include practices, simulations, and activities that are appropriate for insurance sales agents and customer service representatives because their working environments are different in terms of the experienced level of pressure and the nature of communication with clients.
Evaluation of Plan
In addition to providing the discussion of steps and actions that should be taken in order to conduct the training needs assessment in Anthem Inc., it is necessary to evaluate the proposed plan in terms of its strengths and weaknesses, as well as possible barriers and ethical issues. The focus on the evaluation is important to analyze the assessment plan critically and pay attention to areas that need improvements and changes to guarantee the effective use of the plan in practice. Therefore, controversial aspects of the plan and associated ethical issues should be discussed in detail.
Strengths and Weaknesses of Training Needs Assessment Plan
The proposed training needs assessment plan has some strong features that can be identified while analyzing the relevance of the plan to be used in Anthem Inc. The preliminary analysis of the situation in the company has demonstrated that there are problems in managing customer service representatives and insurance sales agents, as well as in organizing their working schedule and determining responsibilities. Therefore, the main strength of the proposed plan is the focus on addressing the needs related to training these specific groups of employees. From this point, the plan developed for assessing training needs of the staff in Anthem Inc. is created to address the identified issues in the business process and performance directly.
The questions formulated for the assessment are appropriate to analyze the situation and identify possible gaps in training customer service representatives and insurance sales agents. Furthermore, the methods for the data collection are selected with the focus on resources that are available to the evaluator in order to gather the most relevant information using the minimum of resources. However, the lack of resources to access the required data also creates the background for identifying weaknesses of the plan. Thus, in spite of the fact that the data collection methods are selected appropriately, more sources are necessary to collect the detailed information and draw necessary conclusions regarding the gaps in the training that is proposed in Anthem Inc.
Issues Associated with Implementing and Using the Assessment
In order to implement the training needs assessment plan correctly, it is important to gain the support of the managers working in Anthem Inc. However, the main issue can be in the fact that managers require the plan focused on other issues, not only on the work of customer service representatives and insurance sales agents. In this case, the development and implementation of the plan require more resources and cooperation with the company’s management. Still, risks associated with the situation when managers do not accept the plan are high. Therefore, while developing this assessment plan, much attention should be paid to sharing the ideas regarding the training needs assessment with managers in order to edit the plan while working on it (Wooten & Prien, 2007). In addition, one more possible barrier is the involvement of employees in the assessment process. At this stage, it is also important to contact managers and organize the assessment for customer service representatives and insurance sales agents.
The next important issue to discuss is the collection of the required information. The organization of the face-to-face communication with managers and employees is one of the main barriers to developing and implementing the plan. Therefore, in order to collect a lot of relevant and credible data without meeting with managers and employees, it is important to prepare high-quality surveys and organize the communication online in order to access the personal and corporate data that are available in internal sources. The limited number of resources to collect the data can lead to gathering little information about employees’ training needs. Therefore, much attention should be paid to creating effective surveys and analyzing reports, feedbacks, and secondary sources.
Ethical Issues
While implementing the plan and collecting the data regarding employees’ training needs, it is important to address the following ethical issues: communication with former and current employees, the proper use of personal and corporate data, confidentiality, the presentation of actual results, and subjectivity related to drawing conclusions (Gupta, Sleezer, Gupta, & Russ-Eft, 2014). First, it is important to address the issue associated with using the information received from online sources and former and current employees because of its subjectivity. It is necessary to evaluate these data thoroughly in order to receive the relevant results.
Therefore, this issue is connected with the proper use of personal and corporate data. All the information collected with the help of surveys or the web search should be used only for the purpose of the training needs assessment, and it should be documented appropriately (Hatcher, 2002). As a result, much attention is paid to addressing the norms of confidentiality while presenting the assessment results. Furthermore, the presentation of actual results is associated with such issue as deception. The evaluator should present only those findings that are directly related to the collected data without reference to the planned training programs and other external factors. Moreover, it is important to avoid presenting subjective judgments while presenting the needs analysis results. The focus should be on actual needs that employees of Anthem Inc. have and hope to address with the help of the appropriate training program.
Knowledge Gained from Using the Plan
It is possible to predict that the implementation of the proposed assessment plan will lead to identifying business and employees’ needs that were not discussed previously. Therefore, managers can receive an opportunity to focus on employee training from the perspective of their performance and specific learning needs. Currently, the company provides different groups of employees with regular training courses, but little attention is paid to analyzing how these training programs are effective to improve the performance of customer service representatives and insurance sales agents in the context of downsizing. The implementation of the developed plan guarantees that managers focus on exploring needs and interests of these groups of employees in order to overcome consequences of downsizing and attract more clients.
Conclusion
Anthem Inc. is one of the leading insurance companies in the United States, and much attention should be paid to analyzing its training initiatives in order to conclude regarding training needs of the company’s employees. The paper describes the insurance industry in which Anthem operates, the company’s mission, details of the organizational structure, the company’s leadership, and current training initiatives adopted in the organization. It is found with reference to the preliminary assessment of the training needs that much attention should be paid to educating insurance agents and customer service representatives in Anthem Inc. in order to improve their performance, as well as the company’s position in the market.
It is also important to note that the organization of the training needs assessment is a complex task that is based on the completion of several stages. Stage 1 is associated with assessing business needs; Stage 2 is related to assessing performance needs; Stage 3 is connected with evaluating learning needs; and learners’ needs are assessed at Stage 4 of the process. In order to prepare the assessment at these stages, it is necessary to formulate specific questions, analyze available sources of data, determine the relevance of different data collection methods to provide answers to the set questions, and select the most appropriate data collection tools and approaches. It is also possible to predict potential findings and propose certain recommendations in order to address the determined gaps, as well as provide the evaluation of the proposed plan.
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