What is Training needs analysis?
Also called: TNA · Training needs assessment · Learning needs analysisDefinition
Training needs analysis (TNA) is a structured process for identifying the gap between the performance an organisation needs and the performance it currently gets, and for deciding whether training is the right way to close it. It is usually carried out at three levels: organisational (which business goals need new capability), task or role (what each role must be able to do) and individual (who has which gaps). The output is a prioritised list of training needs, target groups and measures of success.
A TNA gathers evidence from business plans, performance data, competency frameworks, assessments, manager interviews, surveys and observation. It separates skill gaps, which training can fix, from problems caused by unclear processes, missing tools, poor incentives or wrong hires, which training cannot. For each real skill gap it defines who needs what, to what level, by when, and how success will be measured.
For corporate L&D, TNA is where training budget is won or wasted. Without it, programmes are chosen from requests and trends; with it, they target measurable gaps tied to business goals, and the same measures can later prove impact. Diagnostic assessments against a competency framework make the individual level of a TNA faster and more objective than self-report surveys.
Common mistakes: running a TNA as a survey asking people what courses they want; assuming every performance problem is a training problem; collecting gaps without prioritising them; and not setting baseline measures, which makes evaluation impossible later.
Key points
- Three levels: organisational, task or role, and individual.
- Separates skill gaps from process, tool and incentive problems.
- Uses data, assessments, interviews and observation, not just surveys.
- Output: prioritised needs, target groups and success measures.
- Sets the baseline for later evaluation.
An example at work
A Kolkata FMCG company sees slow sales growth in tier-2 towns. Its TNA finds that distributor salespeople know the products but struggle to negotiate shelf space and that incentives reward volume, not shelf share. L&D runs negotiation training for 80 salespeople, and sales leadership separately changes the incentive plan.
Where this is used at Bodhih
Related terms
Diagnostic assessment
A diagnostic assessment is a test taken before training to measure a learner’s current level and identify specific gaps, so training can target them.
Competency framework
A competency framework is a structured set of the skills, knowledge and behaviours an organisation needs, each defined with observable levels of proficiency.
ADDIE model
The ADDIE model is a five-phase instructional design process: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation.
Competency assessment
Competency assessment is the process of measuring a person’s proficiency against defined competencies, using evidence from tests, tasks, observation or work samples.
Kirkpatrick model
The Kirkpatrick model is a four-level framework for evaluating training: reaction, learning, behaviour and results.
Training ROI
Training ROI is the net monetary benefit of a training programme divided by its total cost, expressed as a percentage.
More about Training needs analysis
What are the steps in a training needs analysis?
Clarify the business goal; define the performance required; measure current performance through data, assessments and interviews; identify gaps and their causes; decide which gaps training can close; prioritise them; and set target groups, objectives and success measures. Then design or buy the training.
What are the methods of training needs analysis?
Common methods include reviewing business and performance data, competency assessments and diagnostics, interviews and focus groups with managers and staff, job observation, surveys, customer feedback, and analysis of errors, complaints or audit findings. Objective assessments are more reliable than asking people what training they want.