A training needs analysis (TNA) shows the skills each role needs and the gaps. It turns the training budget into a plan with priorities. This post gives you a TNA table and five steps to fill it.
Learn these skills in the course Human Resources (BL-HR), module 4.
Who This Is For
HR executives who plan the training budget for next year. Also managers who choose courses for their team.
Why Start With a TNA
Without a TNA, courses are chosen by request or by habit. The budget then goes to the loudest voice. A TNA links each course to a gap and to a business goal.
The TNA Table
| Role | Skill Needed | Level Now (1 to 5) | Level Needed (1 to 5) | Gap | Course or Action | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales executive | Negotiation | 2 | 4 | 2 | Negotiation course | High |
| Supervisor | Managing work and people | 2 | 4 | 2 | Work Management (BL-WM) | High |
| HR executive | Performance appraisal | 3 | 4 | 1 | Coaching by the HR manager | Medium |
Link the TNA to Your Plans
Start the TNA from the workforce plan and the appraisal results. The workforce plan shows the roles for next year. The appraisals show the gaps of each person today. Together they give you the facts for each row.
How to Do the TNA
- Take the goals of the workforce plan for next year. List the roles that deliver them.
- For each role, write the three to five skills that matter most.
- Ask each manager to rate the level now and the level needed (1 to 5).
- Calculate the gap. Mark the gaps that block a business goal as “High”.
- Choose a course or an action for each high gap. Put them in a yearly training plan.
Compare your list with the Training Courses list. Check the dates on the Training Calendar.
Example: An Engineering Firm
Take an engineering firm with 60 staff and a fixed training budget. The TNA shows two high gaps. Project engineers need project planning. Supervisors need to manage work and people. The firm puts both in the first half of the year. Other requests move to the second half.
What Good Looks Like
- Each role has three to five key skills.
- All managers use the same 1 to 5 scale.
- Each high gap has a course or an action.
- The training plan follows the priorities, not the requests.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Asking staff which courses they want, without a link to a skill gap.
- Rating skills with no common scale. Each manager then means something different.
- Training everyone in everything. Put the budget on the high gaps first.
- Forgetting to check after the course. Ask the manager if the skill level went up.
Try It This Week
Choose one role in your team. Write its three most important skills. Rate the level now and the level needed. Circle the biggest gap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should rate the skills?
The line manager rates them with the employee. HR checks that all managers use the same scale.
Can the training be HRD Corp claimable?
Many Kognifi courses are an HRD Corp Claimable Course (SBL-KHAS). The HRD Corp page explains the claim.
Next Step
Read the full outline of Human Resources (BL-HR). All class dates are on the Training Calendar. For a group from your company, get a quote for in-house training. More HR Work Tips are in the skill area HR. Read also:
