How to Conduct a Classic Training Needs Analysis: An Overview

How to Conduct a Classic Training Needs Analysis: An Overview By Leigh Anne Lankford

When your learning and development team is facing a very big change or organizational need, the key to delivering impactful results starts with a thorough Training Needs Analysis (TNA). A well-conducted needs analysis ensures you are focusing on the right knowledge, skills, or attitudes and align training with organizational goals.

Organizations today don’t always have time for a full training needs analysis. In most cases, the learning and development team knows their audience, they know the organization and technology, and they usually don’t have time for more than a short, targeted analysis. When you need to conduct a full, large-scale analysis, this article explains 5 steps you should follow.

Step 1: Create a Future State Description

What is it we are trying to accomplish? What will be different as a result of this program? Do stakeholders, instructional designers, the target learner group, and leadership all share the same vision of the future state? What is driving this request? Does it align with the organization’s goals?

The future state description is a cornerstone of a successful training program, blending factual data with informed judgment and forward-looking projections. Achieving consensus on the organization’s future needs is crucial to ensure alignment and clarity.

Download our Guide to Creating a Future State Description

Step 2: Gather Data

Gathering the right content and data is crucial to providing a clear and accurate picture of the current state, identifying gaps, and recommending effective solutions. Begin by identifying data sources. Sourcing foundational materials such as job descriptions, performance metrics, organizational goals, and prior training reports. These resources provide context and help ensure that your analysis is grounded in factual, relevant information. Collaborating with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) is also key—they can offer valuable insights into current practices, challenges, and opportunities for improvement that might not be apparent from documentation alone.

Performance data plays a vital role in a comprehensive needs analysis. Metrics such as productivity rates, quality control issues, or employee feedback can highlight areas where training or other interventions are needed. Review historical data from previous initiatives to understand what has worked (or not worked) in the past. For instance, if a past training program didn’t yield the desired results, examining its content and delivery methods may reveal critical lessons for shaping future efforts. Including quantitative and qualitative data ensures your analysis is balanced and actionable.

If you find you need more data than you are finding in existing reports, methods for gathering more data include surveys, questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, observation, performance assessments, and workshops to gather the needed data.

Step 3: Perform a Gap Analysis

Once you have defined your future goals, the next step is to assess your current state by conducting a gap analysis. This process identifies discrepancies between the current skills, knowledge, and performance levels of your learners and the desired outcomes. If you’ve completed the “Creating a Future State Description” guide, you already have a list of target performance requirements. Collaborate with stakeholders to evaluate whether there is a measurable difference between the current and desired states. This evaluation helps you pinpoint areas requiring improvement and ensures alignment between organizational goals and training efforts.

For each identified performance gap, it’s important to uncover the root cause. Not all gaps stem from a lack of knowledge—some may be due to process inefficiencies, inadequate resources, unclear expectations, or even motivation issues. For instance, if employees are not meeting performance standards, the problem could lie in outdated tools or insufficient feedback rather than a lack of training. Using models like Robert Mager’s Analyzing Performance Problems can help you systematically determine whether training is the right solution or if other interventions, such as workflow adjustments or leadership coaching, might be more effective.

A thorough gap analysis ensures that training initiatives are focused and relevant. By addressing only those gaps that can be resolved through learning and development, you avoid wasting resources on unnecessary training and instead create solutions that directly impact performance. Moreover, engaging stakeholders in this process fosters a shared understanding of the challenges and promotes buy-in for the chosen non-training interventions. This collaborative approach not only strengthens the training design but also supports long-term organizational growth.

Step 4: Conduct an Audience Analysis

Conducting an audience analysis also involves diving deeper into environmental and technological factors. Where does your audience work—are they remote, in-office, or hybrid? What technology and tools are available to them for training purposes? What programs and changes have they been through in the last year or two?

Knowing these details helps you anticipate potential barriers, such as limited access to devices or lack of familiarity with certain platforms. Furthermore, learning style preferences can vary significantly across demographics or roles. For example, seasoned professionals might favor self-paced modules, while newer employees may benefit from collaborative, instructor-led sessions. Addressing these nuances builds a stronger connection between the training material and its learners.

To gather audience insights effectively, employ a mix of research methods. Surveys, focus groups, and interviews can reveal firsthand information about your audience. Analytics from previous training sessions, such as completion rates and feedback scores, can also provide valuable data. Once insights are collected, segment your audience into smaller groups based on shared characteristics, such as role, experience level, or learning preference. Analysis of these segments ensures inclusivity and relevance, resulting in the opportunity to create a more personalized learning experience.

Step 5: Write a Needs Analysis Report

The final step in conducting a Training Needs Analysis is turning your findings into a comprehensive, actionable report. This document serves as a roadmap for your training program, ensuring that the identified gaps, goals, and recommended solutions are clearly communicated to stakeholders. By organizing your data into a structured format, you provide decision-makers with the clarity needed to move forward confidently.

A strong Needs Analysis Report includes several key components: an executive summary, a detailed explanation of the future state goals, findings from the gap and audience analyses, and prioritized recommendations for training solutions. Be sure to include data-driven insights, such as metrics and feedback gathered during the analysis, to support your recommendations. Visual elements like charts, graphs, and tables can help illustrate key points and make the report more engaging and accessible for your audience.

This report is not just a formality—it’s a tool to align stakeholders around a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities your training program will address. When done well, it establishes credibility, builds buy-in, and serves as a foundation for the design and implementation phases of your training initiative. Taking the time to craft a clear, well-organized report ensures that your hard work in the needs analysis process translates into a meaningful, actionable plan.

Download our Fictional Needs Analysis Report Sample

What’s Next?

Conducting a Training Needs Analysis is an investment in your organization’s success. By following these steps, you’ll not only design training that addresses real gaps but also gain stakeholder buy-in and measure the impact of your efforts.

One side note: in today’s fast-paced world, we don’t have time to perform a full needs analysis for each large request. Learning and development departments can pre-plan for these events by:

  • Performing audience analyses on each audience and then setting time each year to update them.
  • Providing regular surveys as part of training programs and incorporating those results into a larger ongoing analysis.
  • Regularly collecting performance data and housing it as part of a larger ongoing analysis.

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Does your learning and development department have more projects than people? TrainingPros has been named as a Top 20 Staffing Company internationally by Training Industry. Coupling this award with being voted as a top Custom Content Development company internationally by our consultants for five years in a row underscores TrainingPros’ unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality, tailored training solutions. If you need an instructional systems designer or a learning experience designer to conduct a needs analysis project, contact one of our industry-expert relationship managers today. When you have more projects than people™, let us find the consultant to start your project with confidence. Schedule a consultation today.

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Leighanne Lankford

With more than 30 years of experience in Learning and Development, I bring a wealth of expertise to every project. My career has spanned roles from instructional designer to learning leader, equipping me with a deep understanding of the industry. Holding an MS in Human Resource Development, I’ve been recognized with multiple industry awards for my contributions as a practitioner. Under my leadership, my company has won dozens of L&D industry awards, reflecting our commitment to excellence. Since 2007, I’ve been passionate about connecting consultants with impactful projects at TrainingPros, ensuring both clients and consultants thrive. Connect with me to explore insights that elevate your L&D strategies.
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With more than 30 years of experience in Learning and Development, I bring a wealth of expertise to every project. My career has spanned roles from instructional designer to learning leader, equipping me with a deep understanding of the industry. Holding an MS in Human Resource Development, I’ve been recognized with multiple industry awards for my contributions as a practitioner. Under my leadership, my company has won dozens of L&D industry awards, reflecting our commitment to excellence. Since 2007, I’ve been passionate about connecting consultants with impactful projects at TrainingPros, ensuring both clients and consultants thrive. Connect with me to explore insights that elevate your L&D strategies.

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