What is training and learning needs analysis?

Training and learning needs analysis can be seen as a health check on the skills, talent and capabilities of your organisation.  It is the systematic gathering of information to find out where there are gaps in the existing skills, knowledge and attitudes of employees. It involves collecting data about existing employees’ capabilities and the organisational demands for skills, and the analysis of the implications for changes in capability of new and changed roles. It should always flow from the business strategy and its aim is the production of a plan allowing the organisation to ensure there is sufficient capability to sustain and increase business performance.

Why is needs analysis important?

Careful analysis of needs is important because:

• Organisational performance depends on having the right quality and quantity of human capital. If this is not present, your organisation may struggle to implement strategies and achieve targets. Analysing the areas where capability needs to be enhanced allows your organisation to create a human capital investment strategy to support your business objectives.

• It provides learning opportunities enabling staff to achieve personal and career goals and increases employee engagement. This in turn can drive business benefits, particularly in the shape of increased productivity and retention.

• Well-planned training is an effective retention strategy, particularly for those identified as talented.  However the costs of employee turnover are significant and good training and development helps to ensure that the right people with the right skills and capabilities are retained.

• If an initial assessment is made based on your organisational needs and strategy, then it is more likely that cost-effective learning provision will result.

• Having a clear idea of what needs to be learned and of the outcomes expected provides a foundation enabling training and learning professionals to evaluate the effectiveness of training and development provision, and to demonstrate to your organisation the effectiveness and impact on your business.

When to undertake needs analysis

Training and Learning Needs Analysis can be undertaken at a number of levels.

• For your organisation as a whole. The aim here is to understand the amount and types of learning needed to ensure that all employees have the right capabilities to deliver the organisation’s strategy. This will focus on both the availability of skills in the short-term (within a year) and the longer term. The latter aspect is hugely important. It can take several years to recruit people with the right skills or to develop existing employees’ skills and knowledge to the level required in the future. A needs analysis can also support decisions about whether to buy in talent (if it is available) or to ‘make’ it in-house by growing the capabilities of those currently employed.

• For a specific department, project or area of work. New projects and opportunities require new ways of working or reorganisation. Restructuring also necessitates changes in roles.

• For individuals. Linking their own personal learning and development needs to those of your business.

See how your organisation could benefit from training and learning needs analysis.

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