THE BASIS OF LEARNING NEEDS ANALYSIS

Learning needs analyses are undertaken in industry and business to determine the gap between
the existing skills, knowledge, and abilities of staff and those that are needed for the organization
to function at the desired level. Once this gap is determined, decisions can be taken on the type
of training required (if this is the preferred action) and the form of delivery. Effective training
needs analysis is particularly important in the current rapidly changing workplace as new
technologies and flexible work practices are becoming widespread, leading to corresponding
changes in the skills and abilities needed. If training needs are identified systematically, it will
provide valuable information on who needs training and what trainees need to learn.
Learning needs should be analyzed keeping in mind the following factors:
Firstly, it should be done for the organization as a whole (corporate needs). Organizational
analysis will focus on both the external and internal context. A primary focus of organizational
analysis is with determining the appropriateness of training, given the organizations business
strategy. Organizational analysis also considers the resources available for the training and the
levels of support available.
Second, learning needs will focus on departments, teams, functions, or occupations within the
organization (group needs). It is important to specifically isolate the team level as an important
dimension, given the increased use of teams as an organizational strategy and because teams
sometimes fail.
Third, learning needs for individual employees (individual needs). Person level analysis involves
determining whether performance deficiencies result specifically from a lack of knowledge, skill,
or ability, or whether they arise from motivational issues. The analysis at this level may also
focus on the readiness of the employee for training. These three areas are interconnected as the
analysis of corporate needs will lead to the identification of learning needs in different
departments or occupations, which in turn will indicate what individual employees will need to
learn.
Learning or training needs analysis is sometimes assumed to be concerned only with defining the
gap between what is happening and what should be happening. Training, therefore, is viewed at
closing this gap: identifying the difference in what people know and can do, and what they
should know and be able to do. Armstrong cautions against adopting the deficiency model

approach, which implies that training is only about putting things right which have gone wrong.
Learning, is however, much more positive than that, as it is concerned with identifying and
satisfying developmental needs, encouraging people to take on additional responsibilities,
increasing all-round competence, and preparing people to take on higher levels of responsibility
in the future.