Best Practices & Tips about conducting training needs assessment? Holistic Framework

I reflected my knowledge, best practices and experience of 13 years in multinational organizations ,supported by dozens of global certifications to precisely compile this article around the vital topic for every learning and organization development managers.

As you know Training need assessment is the identification, collection and analysis of data to understand the need of training to resolve the business challenges.

Most of the time, I noted that trainings are done in cases where training actually is not a right solution, but certain other modalities are more worthy and aligned with learning objectives so training need assessment also ensures us whether training is most suitable option to address business challenges and what type of training will deliver the best impact.

Let's start first the roadmap to follow while conducting Training need assessment.

How do we complete a training need assessment?

Image below is the holistic roadmap of training need identification.

Let's look at each step precisely.

What is the Business Goal that we are addressing?

I believe that evaluating the training need identification requires the strategic data driven decision making, not impulsive and reactive decision making but under influence of different conflicting priorities, overwhelming tasks and timelines pressures, learning managers often don't involve in deep process.

To start the strategic process, as you know purpose of all training is to support business in achieving goals that you must have clarity that what goals your business, organization expect you to achieve. To gain Buy In and endorsement for any proposed training intervention, you will need to be able to demonstrate how this support the organization in achieving its goals. You may further explore:

• Which capabilities are required for each goal?
• Which roles are involved in achieving goals?

What challenges or issues do we need to overcome to achieve business goals?

I would humbly suggest here to involve intuition and validate them with data and involve other perspectives to overcome biasness because it demands us to identification of current root causes of problems.

• The crucial part here to find what is currently happening and Why?
• What changes are required to make to achieve the desired goals ?
• What challenges / barriers we can face to achieve our desired goals?

Can the challenge or Issue be resolved or partly resolved by training?

I know you know training is not solution for all problems and many challenges cannot be resolved with training and can involve any other modalities of employee development, for example:

• Employee may require additional resources.
• Brand may require new data.
• Systems including rewards and incentives may need to readjust.
• Organization structure may require some changes.
• Coaching, mentoring, peer learning, assignments, on job projects may be right approach in certain conditions.

What Type of Training Is Required?

Once you have got the understanding of current capability level and gap analysis and reaching to conclusion that training can help the employees to develop their knowledge, skills and abilities. Then your next important step is to evaluate what type of training intervention is required according to the audience needs like it can be

• Self-Directed Learning Design.
• Instructor led face to face training.
• Instructor led virtual training.
• Hybrid, face to face, followed by virtual training.
• Or any other form of training that best justify the audience need.

Can we identify the specific behavior change or knowledge gain to be achieved?

Data driven decision making needs specificity that what particular behavior you are going to change or any knowledge our employees must gain. It will help you to set the quantitative and qualitative objectives, followed by deciding pre, during and post training evaluation to see how much you have achieved your objectives.

This is also crucial to identify any follow up projects, assignments to connect learning into practical challenges.

What options are available in terms of solutions?

Looking into the following vital aspects about training need is important at this stage before making a final decision

• What is the urgency of achieving this goal or resolving the challenges?
• What is the scope of this training intervention?
• What is the timeline to prepare the training program and execution and follow up phase?
• Is there any conflicting priorities of organization can come in your way of execution?
• What is the budget allocation for this training need?

After thorough analysis, you can make the list of options of training solutions available for you and then make a final decision.

How do You Prioritize these to make the final recommendation?

I have experienced, observed there is difference in top management vs learning managers mind mapping and belief systems, until learning managers will not align their proposals with mental mappings of top management, their projects are more probable to be rejected.

So, I recommend you while looking for final recommendation and before presenting or proposing the training plan to top management, you need to make clear roadmaps, modules, objectives, K.P.I, s and how this intervention fits best to organization goals and challenges.

Further, you can design the short term and long-term K.P.I, s to track progress.

Clear and professional way of proposing your training need to top management will enhance the probability of approval of your training project.

I tried my best to be brief but cover the core vital elements of crucial function of training and development. I firmly believe it would have added value in your professional work and this will shine your work performance. If you are into the training need analysis or execution of any training for your organization, you are more welcome to contact and discuss with me in detail and I am available to facilitate you in your journey.