Conducting a Training Needs Analysis (TNA)
Many HR managers, especially those who are working in smaller and independent companies often find it hard to stream line the TNA process. Author Carl I. Greenberg shares 9 steps to conducting a Training Needs Analysis:
Step 1 – Determine the desired business outcome
Even before beginning the Training Needs Analysis, employers need to define the expected business outcome of the training.
Step 2 – Link desired business outcomes with employee behaviour
Identify the critical competencies that are associated with the desired business outcome.
Step 3 – Identify trainable competencies
Not every competency can be improved by training. Employers should evaluate each critical competency from Step 2 and determine if each one is something they expect the employee to possess before being hired.
Step 4 – Evaluate competencies
Performance evaluation surveys are best used to evaluate desirable behaviour.
Step 5 – Determine Performance Gaps
Employers first need to establish what constitutes a performance gap to determine how many employees fall above or below that standard.
Step 6 – Prioritise training needs
Determine the percentage of the workforce that needs training and the importance of the competency to determine the priority list.
Step 7 – Determine how to train
Consult an adult learning professional to determine how best to train the workforce for the competencies they require.
Step 8 – Conduct a Cost Benefit Analysis
Consider costs associated with a particular training method and the extent to which performance gaps can be combined into the same training experience.
Step 9 – Planning for training evaluation
Employers need to determine how they will know the effectiveness of the training and whether it worked.
While knowing the process certainly helps when you are planning to do your TNA, what would be more useful would be getting focused and experiential learning exercises on how to do it in a workshop with a qualified facilitator.
To develop your expertise on identifying the right competencies to develop, the right people to train using the right learning methods, join our two-day TNA: Identifying and Evaluating Your Training Programs workshop in Brunei. We still have limited spaces available.
