Training Needs Assessments: 03. How To Conduct a Training Needs Assessment

A training needs assessment identifies the current degree of competency, skill, or knowledge in one or more areas, and compares that to a goal that you want to reach. It maps out a path from your current performance to your target performance, and it can happen at three different levels: individual, operational, and organizational. Generally speaking, a training needs assessment process goes through five steps: identify business needs; gather data; perform a gap analysis; assess training options; and implement a training plan. In this program, we'll take an in-depth look at these steps and talk about how to conduct an assessment to address the needs of your company.