It is our experience, that trainers always discuss the requirement to perform a training needs analysis but few will show how you can do it easily.
In this section, we look at how to perform a training needs analysis in a practical way and show just how easy it actually is. To illustrate, there are four main steps to any successful analysis.
• Step 1
– SWOT Analysis of Business Performance Areas
• Step 2
– Organizational Performance-Gap Analysis
• Step 3
– Employee/Team Performance-Gap Analysis
• Step 4
– Prioritize Your Training Needs
The first step is to identify the business performance areas within the organization. As these can differ depending on the size and nature of the business that you operate within we have given some examples above. When you have these identified the next step is to perform a SWOT analysis on each of these areas – STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES & THREATS.
We have added some simple questions that will help guide your analysis. Remember it is important that you are as honest as possible with your responses.
Strengths
– What are the strengths available?
– Are they being utilized fully to deliver benefit to the business?
– Can the strengths be used as a resource bank to build further competencies upon?
Weaknesses
– Defining the weaknesses that are apparent in the organization.
– What will happen if the weaknesses are not addressed?
– What will happen if the weaknesses are addressed?
– Can the weaknesses be rectified through training?
Opportunities
– What new opportunities will be opened through the implementation of training?
– What current opportunities can be further exploited through the skills gained by training?
– Is training enough to take advantage of the opportunities?
Threats
– Defining the real threats
– Outlining how training will allow the threats to be minimized or eliminated
– Asking if training will, in fact, have any impact on the threats
EXERCISE: S.W.O.T. YOURSELF!
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Organizational Performance Gaps – Data
There is a well known saying in business that states ‘If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it’.
When we consider Organizational-Performance gaps we have to look at the sources of data that will help us identify our areas of measurement. These data sources include:
• Corporate Objectives
• Organizational Statistics
• Growth Strategies
• Manpower Requirements
• Skills Inventories
• Organizational Benchmarks
• Management Requests
EXERCISE: Ask yourself: How will not having Organizational Statistics be an Organizational Performance Gap?
You must also be conscious of internal organizational and external factors that can influence the accurateness of the data that you source and how they can impact your organizational performance gaps. These include:
Organizational Constraints
• Staffing
• Time
• Technology
• Business Strategies
• Communications
• Resources Requirements
Organizational Culture
• Attitudes
• Motivation
• Management Style
External Factors
• Economic Climate
• Legislation
• Availability of Qualified Staff
EXERCISE: Try to answer the above questions about your organization?
Until Next Time, Be Audit Secure!
Lisa Smith
