Assessing Training Needs: An HR Manager’s Checklist

Learning and development (L&D) is a decisive factor in a company’s success. It enables organizations to stay ahead of their competitors by providing employees with opportunities to learn and grow. However, implementing effective training in the workplace is not straightforward. HR managers must first understand the needs of both their organization and employees before assessing training needs and designing a comprehensive L&D initiative. 

According to Alison Wood Brooks and Leslie K. John, professors at Harvard Business School, asking questions is a valuable first step to assessing training needs.

By asking the right questions, a company can:   

• Promote learning and exchange   

• Increase innovation and performance   

• Create empathy and trust between teams   

• Reduce conflicts and misunderstandings   

Every part of a company benefits when managers take the time to ask questions about their employees and processes. This is especially important in areas such as training and personnel development. In workplace learning, employees’ wants, needs, and concerns are not always immediately apparent. Therefore, it is crucial to ask the right questions when assessing training needs to better understand how to promote learning and development initiatives and optimize training management effectively. 

We have divided the training needs assessment into four clear steps and provided accompanying checklists. Each checklist includes specific questions designed to help HR address all relevant aspects methodically and comprehensively. 

Training Needs Assessment (TNA) for better training management

Assessment play a crucial role in evaluating organizational performance and identifying areas for improvement. There are three types of needs assessments that can be used to achieve this: organizational assessment, occupational assessment, and individual assessment.

• Organizational assessment evaluates an agency’s skills, knowledge, and abilities, identifying what is needed to address problems and weaknesses while enhancing strengths and competencies, especially for Mission Critical Occupations (MCO). It also considers external factors such as changing demographics, political trends, technology, and the economy.
• Occupational assessment focuses on identifying gaps in the skills, knowledge, and abilities required for affected occupational groups. It looks for new ways to do work that can eliminate these discrepancies or gaps and support the agency’s new direction.
• Individual assessment analyzes how well individual employees are performing their jobs and determines their capacity to do new or different work. This type of assessment provides valuable insights into which employees need training and what kind of training would be most beneficial for them.

By utilizing these three types of assessments, organizations can gain a comprehensive understanding of their performance and develop meaningful solutions to improve their overall effectiveness. This is the first step when assessing training needs.

Assessing Training Needs: #1. Identify Skills and Knowledge Gaps

Before developing training plans and materials, it’s essential to assess the training needs of your employees by identifying existing skills and knowledge gaps. This includes determining the need for language training and business coaching. Take the time to delve into the specific requirements of your team to gain a thorough understanding. 

The more targeted the L&D initiatives are, the more effective they will be. By identifying missing skills, you can design more precise and impactful learning and development processes. 

Checklist 

• What knowledge is required to succeed in the current role?   

• What qualifications do employees already have? Which ones are they missing?   

• Is it a completely new skill, or can employees build on previous training and existing knowledge?   

• What obstacles might prevent employees from acquiring these skills?   

• What internal and external factors could influence your training program?   

By addressing these questions, you can identify not only the missing skills within your company but also the underlying reasons for these gaps. This is also an ideal opportunity to gain insights into the competencies of each team and evaluate how talent is distributed across the organization. 

Assessing Training Needs: #2.

Determine Why There Is a Need for Further Training

It is equally important to identify training needs at the company level. While some skills gaps may be obvious and require immediate attention, it’s crucial to have a strategic rationale for investing in employee development. For example, enhancing employer branding could be a key motivator for such investments. 

Checklist 

• How can new skills, such as those acquired through language training or business coaching, contribute to the company’s overall strategy and growth?   

• How are these skills applied in daily practice?   

• Why are these skills valuable to your organization?   

• To what extent do these skills align with the company’s objectives and vision? 

• How do they enhance workflows within teams and departments?   

• What would be the consequences for the company if employees did not develop these skills?   

By considering these questions, you can more effectively evaluate the costs and benefits of your training programs and determine their impact on your company’s KPIs and overall goals. 

Assessing Training Needs: #3. Evaluate Previous Training Measures

When identifying training needs, it is crucial for HR and training experts to learn from past experiences—a process that can be effectively supported by design thinking. The iterative cycle of prototyping and testing allows companies to continuously improve, especially as it emphasizes the needs of the users.   

Checklist   

• When was the last time employees were trained for this task (if at all)?   

• What was the success rate of previous training initiatives?   

• How was the training introduced and communicated?   

• Was the training accessible to all employees?   

• Was there anything about the training format or content that might have posed an obstacle for some employees? 

Assessing Training Needs: #4.

Recognize Who Needs Further Training

Once the general questions have been addressed, it’s time to evaluate your training programs based on user requirements, including language training and business coaching.   

Checklist  

• Who is the training designed for? Should it be implemented company-wide, or is it intended for a specific department, office, or individual employee?

• How quickly do employees need to acquire these skills?   

• What is a realistic timeframe for training, considering your team’s current workload?   

• How can you ensure the training is completed successfully without learners feeling bored or overwhelmed?   

By understanding what learners want from a training program, what they need, and how they learn, you can ensure the success of your training efforts. Knowing exactly who will participate and what they need to learn enables you to create a training program that is engaging and delivers rapid results.   

Training as an Investment in the Future: Employee Retention

In a rapidly evolving world of work, the job profiles of many employees are also continuously shifting. Technological advancements and global challenges, such as the skilled labor shortage and climate change, make ongoing training essential. New skill requirements are emerging that would have seemed unimaginable just a few years ago. According to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Future of Jobs Report 2023, nearly one in four jobs will undergo fundamental changes by 2027. The report also highlights the growing importance of further training: in 2023, the German economy invested over 46 billion euros in continuing education, representing a real increase of 2.3 percent compared to 2019. 

The high demand for further training is particularly relevant for younger generations, who expect opportunities to grow in their roles and are willing to leave if these expectations are not met. As reported by Hamburg News, a survey conducted by the Forsa research institute, commissioned by Onlyfy, found that 48% of Generation Z employees and nearly half of Millennials are open to changing jobs, with many actively seeking new opportunities. Many cite the lack of promotion prospects and insufficient professional development as key factors. This underscores the importance of providing up-to-date knowledge and relevant skills, as they are crucial not only for individual career progression but also for retaining younger talent and ensuring the long-term success of companies. 

Assessing Training Needs: There Are Never Too Many Questions 

Developing an effective training program that delivers positive results starts with asking the right questions. Thoughtful, insightful inquiries help you better understand your employees’ needs and preferences, as well as your organization’s goals and timelines for achieving specific skill objectives. A thorough training needs assessment is crucial, and asking the right questions greatly increases the likelihood of success.   

One efficient way to evaluate your learning and development initiatives while saving time, effort, and resources is by using Speexx. Speexx is a language training and business coaching platform designed to help you identify learning needs and create a tailored program aligned with your business objectives.   

Speexx uses AI-powered assessments to evaluate language learning and business coaching needs with a person-centered approach that goes beyond merely determining language levels. It identifies your team’s strengths and weaknesses, enabling you to focus your investment where it matters most.   

Try Speexx today to assess your training needs!