Training needs analysis (TNA) is the process by which you analyze and evaluate employee skill gaps, performance gaps, and training gap analysis findings to decide what training is needed to improve workplace performance. It helps HR teams, L&D managers, and trainers prioritize the right training instead of wasting time and budget on low-impact courses.
If you are responsible for employee development, one of the biggest challenges is deciding what training will actually improve performance. Without a clear approach, time and budget can easily be wasted on the wrong priorities.
What Is Training Needs Analysis (TNA)?
- Identifies employee skill gaps and performance gaps
- Aligns training with business goals and competency needs
- Improves performance and productivity
- Helps plan targeted, cost-effective training with clear learning objectives
At a glance, training needs analysis focuses on three key elements:
| Element | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Skills Gap Analysis | Identify where employees lack the skills needed to meet business objectives |
| Training Plan | Design targeted training with clear learning objectives that address the most important gaps |
| Training Evaluation | Assess whether training produced the expected results using training evaluation metrics such as productivity, performance, and learner feedback |
These three elements are the key areas in the needs analysis process.
What Is Training Needs Analysis (TNA)?
Training needs analysis (TNA) is a process used to identify skill gaps and determine the most effective training required to improve employee performance and achieve business goals.
As highlighted by experts in the field:
Training needs analysis is the process of evaluating and deciding what training would be most beneficial for your employees to undertake, to fill in gaps in knowledge.
Dr Valeria Lo Iacono (Symonds)
This process is often referred to as skills gap analysis or training gap analysis within learning and development (L&D), as it focuses on identifying the difference between current capabilities, role expectations, and the skills required to achieve business objectives.
In practice, it helps you decide which training will be most useful for closing skill gaps and improving performance.
The benefits of training needs analysis for employee performance improvement and workforce development include:
- Help staff work better as teams
- Improve productivity in the workplace
- Provide staff with skills that support their career development and feed into a wider employee development plan
- Improve the overall work environment and employee experience for all staff, creating a better workplace
Having well-trained employees who feel motivated and have the chance to continue their professional development is a great way to move your company forward.
Interested also in more workplace training delivery guides?
Why Is Training Needs Analysis Important?
Training needs analysis is important because it ensures training is aligned with business goals, reduces wasted time and cost, and improves employee performance through targeted development.
Choosing the right training is essential for two key reasons:
1. Training has a cost, both in terms of time and finances. So, choosing the right training is vital for minimizing costs and maximizing efficiency.
2. Get the training right, and your workplace can flourish with happier and more skilled employees, and the costs of training will, in essence, pay for themselves.
Research shows that organizations that invest in structured training and workforce development can significantly improve employee performance and productivity.
Training Needs Analysis Models, Stages, and Process
Training needs analysis usually follows a clear, structured process that helps organizations identify business goals, assess current skills, and determine the training needed to close performance gaps.
A common question is how to conduct a training needs analysis effectively.
I suggest a five-step approach to identify the training that will be most useful for employees. These stages are as follows:
Stage 1 – Detailing the Organization’s Status and Future Goals
The first stage we recommend is to detail briefly, in the analysis report, the key goals of the business and where the business is right now.
In other words, we are looking here to identify any obvious training needs that will undoubtedly be needed to take the business in the direction that it aspires to go.
Stage 2 – Legislative Analysis
This stage involves considering any training that will clearly be required by law and needed within the business.
If staff must undertake certain training to do their jobs correctly, then this training is clearly going to have to be included and given very high priority in the training needs.
Stage 3 – Evaluating Existing Skills Gaps & Budgets
Understanding what skill sets already exist in the company, where the key gaps in knowledge are, and how these compare with your competency framework is an essential part of assessing training needs.
Many training planners will miss this stage, but it is essential if you want to optimize the money you spend on training.
This stage is a critical part of skills gap analysis and training gap analysis, ensuring training is targeted where it will have the greatest impact.
Stage 4 – Factoring in Responsible Management
As a responsible manager or business owner, there are some training titles that will not necessarily directly improve productivity, but they are areas of training that can be deemed ethical to provide to your staff.
Some training might not be considered essential in a productivity sense.
Nonetheless, in a responsible business, there can be a strong argument for providing training in areas such as mental health in the workplace and inclusive leadership, alongside topics like digital wellness and mindfulness.
Stage 5 – Detailing the Training Plan, Targets, and ROI
ROI (Return on Investment) will need to be considered in this stage, given that, as a training manager or decision-maker, you will often have to substantiate to higher management the need for certain training and how it adds value.
At this stage, training evaluation methods such as the Kirkpatrick Model can be used alongside training evaluation metrics to measure effectiveness, learner progress, behavior change, and return on investment.
What Are the Key Training Needs Analysis Models?
The key training needs analysis models focus on identifying training requirements across different employee groups, including new staff, existing employees, and managers.
How Do New Staff Fit Into a Training Needs Analysis?
Onboarding staff is an important process.
In a research study we recently did at Symonds Training & Research as part of an academic paper, we found a 45% greater staff retention rate of new hires, where onboarding is a key part of the strategy for welcoming new hires.
Training for new staff will inevitably make up a part of your final training strategy and plan.
The training needs analysis findings should, without question, include consideration for these new and future employees in addition to existing employees.
How Should Existing Staff Be Assessed in a TNA?
For existing staff, you will want to evaluate:
- What skills do they already have?
- What skills could benefit them in their specific role
- What training would they like for their own development, if it were available
This helps you connect each employee’s current skills, role requirements, learning objectives, and employee development plan.
How Do Managers and Team Leaders Fit Into a Training Needs Analysis?
Managers tend to get a certain job position for one of two reasons. They either:
- were brought into the role from another company
- or they were promoted from within the company
Both types of managers may need certain training.
In the case of someone coming into the company as a new hire, onboarding can be an essential need so that they learn the company culture, ethics, and have an opportunity to grow into their role in a productive and positive manner.
For managers who have risen through the ranks of a company, they normally have a good understanding of the company culture, but then oftentimes they lack key management skills and experience.
So, based on these differences, you can see that the training that managers need can vary according to how the role was acquired.
You can also explore key training topics for managers and supervisors to align development with real workplace needs.
This example above is exactly why it is essential to make sure that you provide the right kind of training for the right employee.
If you’re planning to deliver training based on your analysis, ready-to-use training course materials can help you save preparation time and deliver sessions professionally.
This is especially useful when you want to turn your analysis into a practical training plan quickly.
How Do You Gather Data for a Training Needs Analysis?
Data for a training needs analysis is gathered using methods such as observation, employee feedback, performance reviews, and analysis of business goals.
There is not one technique for gathering information to develop a TNA plan, but it can include the following:
How Can Observation Help Identify Training Needs?
Certain training needs can become very obvious through observation. Certain staff might struggle with certain activities, and including these observations is a simple step to creating a training needs plan.
How Can Staff Feedback Support a Training Needs Analysis?
Performance reviews are a valuable source of insight when identifying training needs. Using structured performance appraisal questions for managers can help you gather more consistent and actionable feedback.
Sending staff, including managers, an open-ended questionnaire about training needs, skills, performance gaps, and development ideas can also be an easy way to gather input.
How Do Company Goals Influence Training Needs?
By reading and analyzing company targets, the mission statement, and goals, you may or may not see a gap in what is currently being achieved and where you as a company want to be.
Use this research and factor this into the training needs plan.
Should You Use an External Assessor for a Training Needs Analysis?
Personally, I would be hesitant to use an external assessor, but many companies do find great value in this.
External business analysts can be expensive and often themselves fall short in terms of what they provide, given that it can take them time to really understand your own business.
Having said that, they do bring experience, an external set of eyes, and a thought process into the training needs analysis.
How Can a Skills Matrix Help Identify Training Gaps?
What I have found very useful in the past, and what I recommend, is to use a skills matrix to understand where your teams stand in terms of skills, knowledge, competency levels, and training gaps.
How Can Organizations Meet Training and Learning Needs?
Once training needs have been identified through skills gap analysis and training gap analysis, organizations can address them through a combination of in-house training, external courses, employee development plans, and structured learning and development (L&D) initiatives.
Once you’ve identified training needs, you can explore ready-to-use training materials to deliver effective sessions without starting from scratch.
How Can In-House Training Meet Identified Training Needs?
A simple enough way to provide training in-house and to all employees is to develop your own courses.
To do this, you can quite easily buy pre-designed and customizable training course materials that you can then use to shape your own training.
You may have your own trainers in-house who can provide the training, or you can hire an external trainer to provide the training.
Developing coaching skills is another key part of improving employee performance after identifying training needs.
This can be a cost-effective way to provide skills training to staff, given that it will reduce lost time if staff have to travel to attend external training.
As part of in-house training, you can also choose to use e-learning training as a part of this strategy.
When Is External Training the Right Option?
As touched on above, external training can be costly time-wise, and it also tends to be a more expensive solution than in-house training.
External training often means that you will need to help cover the costs of the training venue, including the cost of the external training.
You might, though, want to bring in an external and skilled trainer to provide your in-house training.
When Are Conferences and Events Useful for Closing Skill Gaps?
For filling gaps in knowledge and for making sure that staff are up to date on what’s going on in the industry, conferences, workshops, and other events can be an excellent option.
Frequently Asked Questions About Training Needs Analysis
What is the purpose of a training needs analysis?
Training needs analysis identifies skill gaps and determines the most effective training to improve employee performance and achieve business goals.
What are the 5 steps of training needs analysis?
The five steps include analyzing the business goals, identifying legal requirements, assessing the current skill sets, deciding what training is needed, planning the training, and then assessing the outcomes.
Who is responsible for training needs analysis?
Training needs analysis is usually conducted by HR professionals, L&D managers, or team leaders responsible for employee development.
