Training need analysis

So many organizations go for training without analyzing the need for training. So, you might think why even conduct training need analysis if training can be provided without doing so. First and foremost, a TNA identifies if the organizations need the training or not. And if organizations will go for training when it doesn't need training, that training will simply be the waste of money and other resources. So, TNA firstly provides the answer to the need of training. 

Secondly, because TNA rightly identifies the cause of performance gap, the training for right KSAs can be provided to mitigate the performance gap. Also, TNA paves a path to go for organizational analysis which helps in correcting policies, work procedures, resource allocation, organizational design and structure that has been causing the performance gap.

A TNA is conducted mainly when a performance discrepancies is seen. A performance gap can be a present performance gap or a performance gap that is to happen in near future while implementing the new strategic plan.  However, there may be times when compulsory training would be needed for everyone in the organization. Such training includes topics like sexual harassment, team building etc. You won't have to conduct TNA for such training. But whenever a performance discrepancies is seen at present or about to be seen in near future during the implementation of new strategic plan, a TNA should be conducted.

A TNA is conducted when there is performance gap. So, you might ask how do I find the performance gap. Where to look for triggers? The simple answer to this would be to simply look for KPIs set for each employee and see if any one has not met the expected performance. However, sometimes you will find discrepancies beyond the KPIs thing as well. For example, you might see discrepancies in the profitability or employee turnover even if every employee has met their performance target as per their KPIS set for them. Such situation occurs now and again because the external environment is dynamic which demands change in the internal environment of organization as well. So, the current KPIs set for the employee wouldn't make sense any longer. So, apart from looking the KPIs to find out the triggers, following indicators also needs to be looked for to find the triggers related to performance gap.

• Organizational goals, objectives & budget

• Labor inventory (retirement turnover, age etc.)

• Organizational climate indicators (labor management data, strikes, lockout, grievances, absenteeism, productivity, accident)

• Analyses of efficiency indexes (costs of labor, quality of product, waste)

Once you see any performance discrepancies, you start the process of conducting TNA. And the first step after identifying the performance gap would be to analyze the cost/benefit of fixing the gap. If it is positive, the subsequent steps of TNA needs to be taken, else there would be no need of doing TNA. The following figure shows the complete process of conducting the TNA.

If the cost of fixing is positive, you should move forward to find out the cause of performance gap which starts with the organizational analysis. Many times, it's not the lack of KSAs that causes the performance gap, but the other organizational factors. So, organizational analysis must be done to figure out if any organizational factors has been acting as obstacles for performance. The organizational factors include lack of feedback to the employee on their performance, lack of alignment of performance with the rewards, and other environmental barriers. So, you should correct these factors before you move on for operational and personal analysis.

If there is no issue with the organizational factors, you should go for operational analysis (job analysis) to find the KSAs required to meet the expected performance. Sometimes, the right jobs doesn’t meet its target simply because the right set of competencies hasn’t been identified. After the job analysis, the person analysis should be done to find if the employees have the required set of KSAs. If not, training and non-training solutions should be analyzed to decide upon what to do to provide the employees with the required KSAs. Based on cost-benefit analysis, available resources, organizational need, you should choose either training or non-training solutions. And that sums up the whole TNA process.