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Successful businesses survive by adapting.  As customer requirements shift, the successful organisation has already laid the framework to facilitate change. Products may age but a keen eye ensures the company product range evolves. Smart organisations stay ahead of the market by responsible analysis of all company endeavours from common practises such as SWOT analysis to internal programmes such as continuously evaluating training needs.

The training needs of your organisation has two defining features:

1) It can be overcome or reduced through learning and / or development

2) It is any shortcoming, gap, or problem that prevents an individual or an organisation from achieving its objectives

At the organisational level the training need is relative to anything that hinders the achievement of strategic objectives, be it lack of skill or aggressive corporate behaviour; for example, a lack of customer care skills that harms the business or a lack of interpersonal skills that negatively affects staff retention.

For individuals the training need occurs when the said individual requires knowledge, lacks a particular skill-set or fails to be successful due to an inability to adapt their behaviour to meet the requirements of a given situation.  Employers sometimes make erroneous assumptions about their employees so the key to training needs analysis (TNA) is to communicate effectively and evaluate all shortcomings within the organisation from a training perspective.  TNA helps you address this in a “big picture” approach by systematically breaking down the culture within your organisation and using internal mechanisms such as staff appraisals to identify and harness change.

What are the Advantages?

Training needs analysis offers the following advantages:

> The targeting of  resources at identified priorities
> By helping individuals and teams perform better individually and as a whole.  This results in improved job satisfaction, morale and overall motivation
> Provides an ongoing structure for improving performance
> Enhances the organisation’s progress towards training programmes such as Investors in People
> Flows naturally from the appraisal process, in which staff discussions  help tailor training towards their needs

Effective training or development depends on knowing what results are required and tailoring it to match corporate objectives.  With limited budgets and the need for cost effective solutions, all organisations need to feel secure that the resources invested in training are targeted at areas in which training and development is needed.  Only then can a positive return on the investment be guaranteed.

Considerations

Identify courses that are relevant to your organisation.  Not just those that are mandatory to the sector you operate in but also those that allow you to diversify when the need arises
> Identify training that has not been arranged in the past and look at why that is the case.  Working outside of the box has its advantages and training should offer as much to the organisation as it does to the individual
> Review previous training sessions and verify that expected outcomes were met.  If not find out why.  If existing methods are outdated, replace them or invest in newer methods that increase productivity

At TutorCare we are a training provider that constantly evolves.  Our training needs analysis goes beyond our corporate responsibility and is embedded into our ethos.  We continuously re-evaluate our product range so that you, as a client or potential client have access to all necessary information at a time and pace that suits the needs of your employees and the overall business.

From supervision and appraisal training to time management and team leadership, if your TNA requires outsourced training, we are here to help.  With E-Learning plans and on-site group work we have a suitable solution that offers true return on any investment in training.