10 Responses

1. Skills analysis
   Firstly, you should be careful about using the appraisal as a tool to identify training needs as you will likely have the managers viewpoint on the staff needs, and not their own.

   Secondly, the UK based service ACAS has a million and one forms on their internet site which should help with presentation.

2. Advice on undertaking skills/training needs analysis
   This is exactly what we do. If you would like to have a quick chat without obligation please email or call me.

   Daniel Amini

   Mercuri Urval Limited
   Spencer House
   29 Grove Hill Road
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   UK

   Tel + 44 (0)20 8901 6316
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3. IT Training Needs Analysis (TNA)
   An excellent training needs analysis tool is available for IT users. In essence, a web-based testing facility finds areas of weakness and competence for different skills (cisco, microsoft, solaris etc.) and then creates a report on each individual’s training needs and can tailor a course to address these. The tool is part of a managed service available in the UK from Lynx Consulting Group 0207 716 5822

4. Skills Audit/Training Needs Analysis
   Dear Julie
   I think you need to be sure what it is you are trying to achieve because a skills audit is different to a training needs analysis – by doing the work in such a manner will providfe both but outcomes and requirements are different and will reuqire different data and approaches.

   There are approaches and these vary and can be mixed and matched depending upon the organisation, the speed and the thoroughness.

   Approaches can be questionnaires, focus groups, interviews and as you say reveiew development plans.

   The output again depends upon your outcome and requirement, but would focus on individual, team and organisational levels.

   If you need any help give us a call as we are in the process of undertaking one for an organisation of 150 people.

   Best Regards

   Nick Tyler
   Inspirevolve Limited
   01737 216394

5. Use qualitative data gathering as well as quantitative – if it’s
   We have a lot of experience of doing TNAs, and the reasons for doing it should be really clear. It should take account of organisation, team and personal needs, and should cover quantitive and qualitiative data.
   Time and money spent on doing this well can save a lot of money that could otherwise be mis-directed.

   Ian Williams
   Kairos Consulting Ltd
   01454 417360

6. Tips participants valued
   I don’t disagree with anything the others have said. The lessons that participants in a recent TNA course said were most valuable to them were:
   1)Link the TNA to organisation objectives. These SHOULD ( but are not always) be cascade through to team and individual objectives.
   2)And be clear about who is sponsoring you and what they want to achieve and WHY.
   3) Don’t rely on forms. Talk to people to clarify and interpret.
   The group attending my course were training specialists in one of the big 5.

7. Compiling a TNA
   Hi Julie,

   I have modified a technique that I used many times in my consulting career to help with prioritising training needs and you can then validate the findings against the data in the PDP’s you have. If you would like to talk it through, please get in touch.

   Regards,

   Gary (0788 079 0815)
   [email protected]

8. Benefits of TNA
   I am new to training and have been asked to do a TNA, I have never completed one before can anyone tell me what benefit?
   Thanks

9. Reply to Joanne
   “I am new to training and have been asked to do a TNA, !I have never completed one before can anyone tell me what benefit?”

   Hi Joanne

   TNA involves identifying what skills, knowledge and values employees need in order to perform their jobs effectively, then carrying out an audit to identify the skills etcetera that employees actually have and don’t have. Training is then directed at the don’t have areas for individual employees in order that they develop all the skills etcetera required for effective performance. Training without TNA will be hit and miss, wasteful and disappointing. A search on TrainingZone for training needs analysis will result in lots of information, or just ask!

10. Disagree
    Firstly I’m not trying to sell consulting services, but I do agree that doing a TNA properly takes time and effort and that doing it properly is better than wasting money on poorly designed training and development later in the day.

    But I strongly disagree with the concept that you can’t use appraisals as a starting point – it really depends on how your appraisal system is designed and what information is captured.

    If your appraisal system is strong enough to have captured the “where you are now” and the “where you need to be and the what you need to do” to enable people to meet the organisational objectives. And it has an element of negotiation (i.e. it’s not just a managerial viewpoint but an agreed viewpoint) then there is no reason that you should not cull a lot of this information as the basis of a TNA.

    As for a skills audit – you could start by getting everyone in your company to update their CV’s for you – it’s not a perfect start (many people forget they have certain skills) but it’s quite handy for putting together project plans etc.

    Or a better approach would be to put a skills audit into place via managers administering questionnaires as part of their next informal review.

    Going back to your TNA it should be linked to business objectives, prioritised by essential (can’t move forward without it training), nice to have (prioritised by “most bang for buck”) and then everything else at the bottom of the heap.

    Hopefully you have a few generic roles that you will be able to identify common needs from pdp’s etc. But go talk to people, particularly managers and get a real picture together – by checking your understanding of development needs outlined in reviews to the “true picture”.

    Good luck, if you want any help feel free to drop me an e-mail.