Training Needs Assessment Data Gathering

Questions Toward Development of Initial Training Plan

Download the Microsoft Word version

This questionnaire is to be used when a department or business unit head requests training for his/her staff. The goal of this questionnaire is to be sure you gather the appropriate data to begin planning the training needs for the group.

A meeting should be held with the department or business unit head to discuss the training needs. If multiple departments are involved, representatives should be available from all departments. The individuals who attend this initial data gathering meeting should be those within the department most familiar with the situation and able to make decisions on behalf of the department.

The following questions should be asked to develop the initial training plan:

1. What is the current situation, or expected future situation, that you believe requires training to ensure success?
2. Provide examples of how individuals have been unsuccessful or have had difficulty doing their job because of lack of training.
3. Provide examples of how the business unit or department has suffered because of a lack of training in a specific area – e.g., employee retention problems, inability to meet clients’ needs, delays in projects, etc.
4. What specific skills, competencies, or knowledge is missing?
5.  Who is the target audience for this training initiative? How long have they been with the organization? How long have they been in their roles? What are their backgrounds?
6. Will the group be able to take training altogether, or will they need to go in shifts to ensure continuous coverage within the department?
7. Has a budget been set aside for training initiatives? If so, in what amount?
8. What previous training has the staff attended?
9. What else is going on with the department/business unit that may be affecting performance of the staff? (e.g., new software in use, changes in processes and procedures, etc.)
10. What does success look like for these individuals after attending the training class?  How would you measure the success of the program?

Ideally these questions would be asked in a group (face-to-face) interview rather than via a survey tool. This will enable you to ask follow up questions and probe for more details where necessary to capture the necessary information to begin your training plan.