7/11/2019 How to Conduct a Training Needs Assessment
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How to Conduct a Training Needs
Assessment
A training needs assessment identi¹es individuals’ current level of competency, skill or knowledge in one or more areas and compares that
competency level to the required competency standard established for their positions or other positions within the organization. The di·erence
between the current and required competencies can help determine training needs. Rather than assume that all employees need training or even the
same training, management can make informed decisions about the best ways to address competency gaps among individual employees, speci¹c job
categories or groups/teams.
Assessments can be conducted at any time but are often done after hiring, during performance reviews, when performance improvement is needed,
for career development plans, for succession planning, or when changes in an organization also involve making necessary changes to employees’
jobs. It is bene¹cial to perform these assessments periodically to determine the training needs of an organization, employees’ knowledge and skills,
and also training program e·ectiveness.
Step 1: Identify the Business Need
A training assessment is the ¹rst step to any successful training program and is also a critical aspect of succession planning. Conducting this analysis
allows an organization to focus its e·orts on areas of training that are necessary for employees to successfully carry out the organization’s goals, make
optimum use of the company’s training dollars and motivate employees by contributing to their career development. The person conducting the
training needs assessment must clearly understand the overall organization and department goals and priorities, so he or she can properly assess the
training options and identify which training opportunities will contribute most to the overall success of employees, the business units and the
organization as a whole.
Essentially, why is the organization conducting a training needs assessment? What is the end result that the employee, manager or executive team is
trying to accomplish? Will training contribute to this accomplishment? Sometimes training is not the answer. There may be other organizational issues
that would be best addressed through another means—for example, through job analysis, goal clari¹cation, reorganizing or realigning a department, or
employee engagement.
Step 2: Perform a Gap Analysis
Performing a gap analysis involves assessing the current state of a department’s or employee’s performance or skills and comparing this to the desired
level. The di·erence between the existing state and the desired state is the gap. There are many di·erent methods for conducting a gap analysis. The
method for identifying the gap will depend on the organization and the situation. Depending on the situation, it may be helpful to use one or more gap
analysis methods. Some gap analysis assessment tools are the following:
HR records. HR records can include accident and safety reports, job descriptions, job competencies, exit interviews, performance evaluations
and other company records such as production, sales and cost records. For example, if a department has a dramatic increase in workplace
accidents, then it would be important to review accident reports as part of the gap analysis prior to conducting safety training.
Individual interviews. Individual interviews may be conducted with employees, supervisors, senior managers and even sometimes
clients/customers or outside vendors. If an organization is providing safety training, talking with the employees who not only had the accidents
but also witnessed the accidents would be advisable. In addition, talking to employees who have never had accidents could be useful in
creating a training program that includes a standard of safe practices. If the accidents involved equipment, it may be bene¹cial to talk to the
vendor that manufactured or serviced the equipment. The information gathered can identify the gaps that an organization needs to address. A
company and its employees can bene¹t from new training opportunities as a result of the training needs assessment.
Focus groups. Unlike individual interviews, using focus groups involves simultaneously questioning a number of individuals about training
needs. Best results occur with a department or group of employees who have similar training needs. The participants brainstorm about all the
training needs they can think of and write them on a ¼ip chart. Then each person is provided perhaps ¹ve dots or sticky notes (employers
should provide the number of dots or sticky notes that will work best for the organization). Each individual places his or her dots or sticky notes
on the training ideas he or she believes are the most important. An individual could choose to place one dot on ¹ve di·erent items, or all ¹ve
on one training item.
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Surveys, questionnaires and self-assessments. Surveys generally use a standardized format and can be done in writing, electronically or by
phone. Depending on the situation, it may be helpful to conduct surveys with employees as well as with customers. When conducting a
customer service training needs assessment, employers should ask employees what would help them provide better customer service.
Employers should also obtain opinions from customers about their experiences with employees.
Observations. Sources for observation include a supervisor’s direct observation and input, on-the-job simulations of work settings, and written
work samples.
Step 3: Assess Training Options
The gap analysis generates a list of training options and needs. Now the list can be assessed based on the goals and priorities of the organization,
both currently and in the future.
A scale of 1 to 3 could be used with number 1 being critical, 2 being important and 3 being not important at all. Here are factors to consider when
determining if training is a viable option.
Solution to a problem. For example, an employee has a performance problem that has clearly been identi¹ed as a training issue. The
employee is provided with additional on-the-job training in which he or she successfully acquires the needed skills. As a result, the company
would have a fully competent employee who is also meeting the required performance standards.
Cost. Cost of training is a signi¹cant factor that needs to be weighed in terms of importance. Depending on the situation, the organization may
be willing to invest a signi¹cant amount in one training but not in the others listed due to organizational priorities and ¹nances. Here is the
formula to calculate the total cost of training:
Number of Employees Trained x Cost of Training = Total Cost of Training
Return on investment. Return on investment (ROI) is a calculation showing the value of expenditures related to training and development. It
can also be used to show how long it will take for these activities to pay for themselves and to provide a return on investment to the
organization.
Legal compliance. If any of the training needs from the gap analysis are required legally (i.e., by federal, state or industry laws) or to maintain
employees’ licenses or certi¹cations, then these trainings would be a high priority.
Time. Sometimes the amount of time involved to build the capacity within the organization will a·ect its operational needs as it can interfere
with the employees’ ability to complete other job duties. In this case, it may be more bene¹cial to hire the talent from outside the organization
or outsource the task to ¹ll in the skills gaps. In other cases, like succession planning, the organization can a·ord a long-term commitment to
building the capacity from within.
Remaining competitive. Perhaps there exists minimal knowledge/competencies in a new product or service that is negatively a·ecting
company revenue. The employer can provide the needed training to its employees so that the new product or service generates or exceeds
the desired revenue. In this situation, the company bene¹ts from the increase in revenue, therefore outweighing the cost of training.
After all the training needs/options have been assessed, the HR professional will have a list of training priorities for individual employees, departments
or the organization as a whole.
Step 4: Report Training Needs and Recommend Training Plans
The next step is to report the ¹ndings from the training needs assessment, and make recommendations for short- and long-term training plans and
budgets, starting with the most critical priorities from the training option list. If there is a timeline for any of the trainings, such as a deadline to satisfy
training obligations for legal compliance purposes, then they should be budgeted and scheduled accordingly. The report should include a summary of
why and how the assessment was completed, the methods used and people involved, and the training recommendations with a general timeline.
Considerations for the report and recommended training plans include:
What training is already being o·ered, and should it continue to be o·ered?
Will the training be conducted in-house or externally?
Does it make sense to bring in a trainer to train several employees on the same subject matter, rather than send everyone to an o·-site
training?
Does the company have the subject matter expertise within HR, the training department or another department to conduct the training?
Can and should the training be conducted online?
What is the learning style of the participants?
Are all participants at one location or multiple locations, or are they decentralized?
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