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This was originally posted on the iRikai Blog

Training Needs Assessment

As one of the top training companies in New Delhi, iRikai works with organizations to create

impactful training programs for their employees. iRikai specializes in using a

comprehensive, end to end approach in developing training programs which are geared

towards generating a positive ROI for our clients.

How to conduct a Training Needs Assessment

Training Needs Assessment (also Training Needs Analysis/Identification) is an important

task for L&D managers. Before deploying a comprehensive corporate training program, one

needs to be clear about the specific objectives and outcomes expected from conducting a

training program. A thorough TNA is the first step in creating an impactful training program,

and forms the basis for measuring results at a later date.

Here are a few sources L&D managers should leverage in order to conduct a thorough

TNA:

1. Manager feedback

As part of the mid-year or year-end reviews, did you get any recurring feedback

on employee training needs from line managers? For example, among a fresh set of

recruits, perhaps communication skills were an area of concern for managers which were

consistently highlighted?

2. Employee feedback

It helps to ask employees which areas would be most useful for them to receive training on.

At the end of the day, the training needs to be relevant for them and getting their input early

on encourages employee engagement in the training process.

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3. Business indicators

Are there more accidents on the manufacturing floor this year? Could insufficient training

on workplace safety be a cause? Has customer satisfaction gone down? Are employees

well versed in customer service etiquette? Are average sales per employee declining (with

no other factor explaining the decline satisfactorily)? Could a sales and client relationship

management training help? Other indicators include absenteeism, attrition, returns, leakage

etc.

4. Skill audits

In many cases, discrete KRAs can form the basis for conducting a skill audit (units

produced, errors made, complaints handled etc.). In other cases (e.g. service oriented

establishments), “softer” elements need to be overlaid to understand the employee’s true

contribution. For example, if it is a front facing role in a hospital, empathy, communication

skills, body language etc. are important factors on top of “customers handled”. Identifying

these helps to create targeted training programs, as well as measure the baseline from

which improvement can subsequently be compared. Common question: how do you

measure soft skills in an objective manner?

5. Mystery shopping

Experienced mystery shoppers can not only highlight areas of improvement for customer

service, but also bring in knowledge of external best practices which can be invaluable to

benchmark the organization’s standards vis a vis competition.

6. Trainer feedback

An oft-overlooked source of valuable information is the trainer’s own feedback. As part of

the training process, where an experienced trainer is able to facilitate a free flow of ideas

and information, he or she can garner valuable insight into employees’ future training

needs.

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The L&D function is under increasing pressure to show ROI, just like the rest of the

business. Being thorough at the TNA stage can assist in measuring the results of training at

a later stage. This isn’t an insular process though – it requires deep planning, and vertical

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and horizontal alignment in an organization to effectively measure training ROI. A thorough

TNA will always be a necessary starting step to a good learning outcome.

Find out more: www.irikai.com