Training and Development: Training Needs Analysis

A targeted Training Needs Analysis is effective is started with proper planning and first steps are always crucial.

Training needs assessment is all about: -

• Plan your planning for TNA (Training Needs Assessment/ Training Needs Analysis)
• Be decisive on training needs of your staff members
• Keep in mind the organization goals
• Gather data for the team members
• Conduct a survey to gather information and individual needs and prepare action sheet

How an effective but standard Training Needs Analysis should be like?

Following are the five steps of Training Needs Analysis Process: -

TRAINING REQUEST

Training request either can be initiated from the staff members or it can also be assessed by the HR/ Training and Development Manager. The first thing needed is the gathering of basic information, this information is mainly pointing out the audience, their career background and current skill set.

The next thing to decide whether the training can be arranged/ developed internally or there will be a need of external vendor.

TNA (Training Needs analysis) PLANNING

In planning phase you will be required to gather content and organize it according to the needs of the organization. You’ll also need a plan for refining your instructional goal to make sure it aligns with business objectives. Have all the pieces of information on one paper like the training vendor (is it in-house or public), how to find training vendor and how to conduct the training of the staff.

DATA GATHERING

Data collection is vital its where the Training Manager/ Learning and Development Manager collect data and refines the plan based upon the data. Data can be collected by various sources like interviews, group discussion, performance analysis, surveys.

DATA ANALYSIS

Once the essential data is in one place now is the time to start analysis and bring things in order. In this process the training goals may change in presence of data analysis.

At this level you should know about When, Where and How? Will it be done internally or there might been need from outside vendor.

FINAL TOUCH to PLAN NEXT STEPS

A detailed report will do the trick on your way to final step in the Training Needs Analysis serving as the road map for your training solution and needs. The contents of this detailed report will mainly be:

• Organization development goal
• Profile of the target audience
• Learning objectives
• Summary of course outline, case studies, methodologies
• With all five steps of the Needs Analysis process completed, you should be well on your way to developing an effective learning solution.

DOWNLOAD TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS WORKSHEET

To ease the pain of training needs assessment I have created a simple worksheet to help you Kickstart your Training Needs Analysis.

Use this template and make a sound plan for identifying the right training solution for you and your team members.