The first training needs analysis I conducted didn’t turn out very well. Our training department had no pending requests, so we decided to add something new and useful to our list of offerings. We prepared a training needs survey for everyone in the organization. The top response was a need for a course on Microsoft Excel. But the course we created didn’t get the turnout we thought it would, and many of the people who did attend said, “I already know how to input formulas. I thought we were going to learn things like macros and templates.”
We had asked people to self-diagnose their own training needs. That’s like a doctor showing you a list of possible prescriptions and asking which would help address your chronic back pain. The trick is to focus on specific areas of work and identify existing gaps with concrete detail. Here are three questions you can ask that will accomplish just that.
Which job tasks seem to be an area of concern?
This question allows you to focus on the tangible parts of a person’s job. A task is a complete, repeatable process that results in a product or service that has value. By focusing on tasks, you can avoid vague topics like “Microsoft Excel” or “Documentation.” Instead, you can get specific, actionable processes like “format spreadsheets” or “input formulas.”
How should each task be performed?
Asking this question allows you to determine expected performance. The more specific the standards for expected performance are stated or expressed, the easier it becomes to identify gaps in performance. The standards that apply can be expressed as time, quantity, quality, cost, safety, or accuracy. Keep in mind that many standards may apply to one task. For example, making a soft-boiled egg has a time standard, but it also has a safety standard.
How is each task actually being performed?
This question allows you to quantify real performance gaps. You shouldn’t have to rely on people’s anecdotal evidence, or their “gut feeling.” Identifying actual numbers that relate to the expected performance can help you find the gaps that really matter in the organization.
There’s more to training needs analysis than these three questions. But starting here allows you to base your findings on real data about real work. All too often, a needs analysis ends up being vague and fuzzy. One outcome is certain—when your needs analysis is vague and fuzzy, the results of your training will also be vague and fuzzy.
For a systematic process, guidelines for observing and measuring employee performance, tools for isolating the cause of a performance gap, and more, have a look at the Training Needs Analysis workshop.
