How to Perform a Learning Need Analysis?

In the context of growing skill shortages and tight L&D budgets, the Learning Needs Analysis (LNA) has become critical. LNA is essentially the process of identifying gaps between current performance and the skills/knowledge needed to meet different business goals.

It pinpoints what learners need to learn, why they need to learn it, and how they can best learn it before designing any training. Without an LNA, training becomes ineffective guesswork. In this article, we will take a closer look at how to perform learning needs analysis, its goals and objectives and some of the best tools that you can use to facilitate the process.

What is a Learning Needs Analysis?

Addressing skill gaps is the number-one priority for L&D professionals in the UK, cited by 29% in a recent CIPD. Yet many organisations still deliver learning without adequate analysis – only 57% of L&D teams proactively analyse performance issues before recommending solutions (leaving a sizeable 43% who do not).

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) defines LNA as “a current or future health check on the skills, talent and capabilities of the organisation, a systematic gathering of data about employees’ capabilities and organisational demands for skills.”

A Learning Needs Analysis doesn’t assume training is the only answer. Instead, it asks: “What performance improvement is needed to reach our objectives, and what knowledge, skills, and behaviours will achieve that?” Some needs might be solved by formal training, but many could require additional steps, such as coaching, process changes, job aids, etc.

Finally, make sure to differentiate between a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) and an LNA. TNA tends to be a one-off, reactive assessment for a specific training program, whereas LNA takes a broader, strategic view. It is oriented toward the future, happening continuously or at regular intervals rather than just once.

5 Reasons Learning Needs Analysis Is Important

·Business-aligned learning unlocks measurable ROI. Starting every programme with an LNA links training directly to strategic metrics (e.g., sales growth, quality) so organisations can reach Kirkpatrick Level 4 and calculate Phillips-style ROI, proving that “for every dollar invested, dollars come back.”

LNA stops the $97 billion global training waste. By verifying who truly needs what, firms avoid teaching existing skills or irrelevant topics, redirecting budget and effort to high-impact development rather than the costly misfires that plague companies without analysis.

·Targeted programmes yield strong returns. When training is based on a solid LNA,Accenture found companies gained $4.53 for every $1 spent (a 343 % ROI) and other studies tie robust L&D to 24 % faster revenue growth thanks to sharper skills, higher quality, and better customer satisfaction.

·Engagement soars and turnover falls. Accurate needs analysis signals real career support: one organisation saw its employee Net Promoter Score jump from 57 to 65, while firms with weak or absent LNA processes endure 32 % higher attrition because staff feel under-skilled or overlooked.

·Skipping LNA is an expensive gamble. Mis-targeted learning costs large enterprises about £2.7 million a year and fuels the same 32 % spike in turnover—proving that analysis-free training is “pinning the tail on the donkey blindfolded,” whereas evidence-based LNA secures both financial and human-capital ROI.

Defining Organisational Goals and Writing a Problem Statement

If you are wondering where, here are 3 steps every Learning Needs Analysis requires.

First, clarify your organisation’s objectives and challenges. Training should always support a business goal – whether it’s improving customer satisfaction, increasing sales, boosting compliance, or enabling a new strategy. Make sure to engage senior leadership and stakeholders to identify these top-line goals and pain points. For example, if the company aims to expand e-commerce sales, the learning needs might relate to digital marketing skills or e-customer service.

Before jumping to solutions, articulate the performance problem or opportunity in a concise statement. This means describing what is currently happening versus what should be happening, and the impact of that gap. A good problem statement is specific, measurable, and agreed upon by stakeholders.

For example: “Customer support calls are averaging 6 minutes (current state), but our goal is to handle most calls within 4 minutes without sacrificing service quality (desired state), indicating a need for training in product knowledge and call-handling skills to improve efficiency.”

As you define the problem, probe why it exists. It’s crucial to verify that a lack of skill or knowledge is truly causing the performance gap – otherwise, a training course might not fix it. Sometimes issues stem from processes, resources, or incentives rather than capabilities. Use data and inquiry (interviews, observations, surveys) to confirm that a performance issue can be solved by learning – and if not, redirect to other solutions.

Learning Needs Analysis: Knowing Your Learners

Before you move on to the actual analysis, you need to make sure you know and understand your learners. Here are some tips:

·Identify who needs to learn and what they do: A core part of LNA is understanding the audience for learning – their roles, responsibilities, and current behaviours.

·Gather input from the learners themselves: Don’t rely only on top-down data; involve employees and managers who are close to the work. Use interviews, focus groups, and surveys to get qualitative insights.

·Analyse current performance and skill levels: To truly know your learners, you need to gauge where they stand now. Collect performance metrics (sales numbers, error rates, customer feedback scores, etc.) and assessment results to quantify current capabilities.

·Consider learning preferences and barriers: While the myth of rigid “learning styles” is debunked, it’s still useful to consider how your audience best engages with learning. Are they mostly on the factory floor with no computer access, or are they desk workers comfortable with e-learning?

·Outcome: personas and targeted needs: After this audience analysis, many L&D teams distill findings into learner personas or profiles – archetypes that represent key groups of learners. For instance, New Sales Rep Mary is tech-savvy but unfamiliar with our product line, needs onboarding and advanced product knowledge. Essentially, this helps humanise the data.

The 10 Best Practices for Conducting a Learning Needs Analysis

1.Secure leadership buy-in and collaboration

LNA is most successful when it’s a partnership between L&D and the business. Among other things, support from senior management can provide access to data and ensure that recommendations are taken seriously.

2.Follow a structured step-by-step process

To conduct an LNA, there are five clear stages you must follow: 1)Plan and scope the LNA, 2) Collect data on current performance and capabilities, 3)Analyse the data to identify gaps and causes, 4)Prioritise needs and recommend solutions and 5) Report.

3.Integrate all levels of analysis

Likewise, a comprehensive LNA will look at all three levels of analysis: organisation, group and individual. Sometimes a company does well at big-picture analysis but misses individual needs. This is why a balanced approach yields the best results: company goals drive the LNA focus, and the LNA outcomes inform targeted training at group and individual levels.

4.Use data and evidence to inform decisions

Data is crucial for identifying skills needs. Make sure to use both qualitative and quantitative evidence to get an accurate picture. By presenting data, you build credibility for your analysis and make a stronger case for recommended actions.

5.Prioritise and don’t boil the ocean

Especially in large organisations, a Learning Needs Analysis can uncover a long list of potential learning needs. It’s not feasible or sensible to tackle everything at once. Focus on the critical needs that align with business priorities and offer the highest ROI.

6.Consider alternatives to training and address root causes

Sometimes, as we discussed, the fix might lie outside traditional training – updating a process, introducing a tool, clarifying expectations, etc. Don’t force a training solution if it won’t truly solve the problem. By being solution-agnostic, L&D demonstrates that it’s focused on performance improvement, not just delivering courses.

7.Make it continuous and agile

Treat LNA not as a one-time project but as an ongoing cycle. Business needs evolve, so should your analysis. Regularly review and update learning needs. Adopting an agile approach – smaller, more frequent assessments – can improve responsiveness.

8.Ensure transparency and communication

Throughout the Learning Needs Analysis, communicate with stakeholders and the broader organisation about what you’re doing and why. Once the analysis is done, share the insights – don’t keep the report hidden. Remember to present key findings to leadership and, where appropriate, to employees.

9.Leverage technology and tools

Take advantage of modern tools to enhance your LNA. There are many templates, checklists, and software solutions (we discuss specific examples in the next section) that can simplify data gathering and analysis.

10.Plan for evaluation and follow-up

A strong LNA lays the groundwork for evaluating training impact. For instance, by integrating Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model thinking upfront (Levels 3 and 4), you ensure that when training is delivered, you’ll be able to demonstrate whether it worked – which in turn validates the LNA process.

Tools, Templates, and Data Collection Methods for LNA

So, what tools can you use to help you with the Learning Needs Analysis?

·Checklists & templates: Start with proven guides—e.g., the UK Civil Service College’s free Learning Needs Assessment Guide, AIHR’s TNA template toolkit, or SafetyCulture checklists—to walk through organisational, task and individual analyses, then tailor the fields (objective, gap evidence, priority, owner, timeline) to your context.

·Surveys & assessments: Gather data at scale with Google Forms, SurveyMonkey or Microsoft Forms, supplement with LMS quizzes, 360°-feedback tools and competency-management software to create an evidence-based picture of real skill gaps.

·Data analysis & visualisation: Use Excel, Google Sheets, Tableau or Power BI to turn raw responses into heat-maps or bar-charts of gaps, and—at the advanced end—follow IBM’s AI-driven approach of matching skill profiles to job needs for predictive insights.

·Dedicated LNA platforms: Talent-management suites or LMS add-ons that include skill inventories and learning-request workflows centralise data and track progress; in smaller firms, a disciplined mix of spreadsheets and surveys achieves the same goal.

·Competency frameworks & libraries: Benchmark against sector standards such as the UK Civil Service DDaT framework, NHS models, SFIA for IT or CIPD’s Profession Map, and review past L&D plans to avoid duplicating effort and to focus on new or persistent gaps.

If you and your team are interested in learning how to operate some of these tools, Future Savvy’s instructor-led training courses are the perfect place to start!

Learning Needs Analysis: Real-life Examples and Case Studies

Finally, let’s look at what companies that have done an LNA have to say about it.

First, the retail company Halfords identified a need to enhance how new employees were trained in their customer support centre. They commissioned an LNA from an external consultancy to pinpoint gaps and opportunities.

The analysis revealed the absence of a structured learning pathway for new customer service recruits. Based on the findings, the team delivered “a step-by-step proposal for a new learning strategy”, focusing on onboarding and customer service skills. Although specific performance metrics weren’t published, you can expect improved customer satisfaction and consistency in service.

On the other hand, PhotoAiD, a technology startup, uses ongoing learning needs analysis as part of its culture. According to Karolina Kijowska, their Head of People & Culture, they “conduct training needs analysis not only when a problem arises… We also do it when employees ask for more growth opportunities because we want to offer them the best-tailored training”.

The result: PhotoAiD saw its employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS, a measure of employee engagement) rise from 57 to 65 after basing L&D programs on the needs analysis. This is a significant jump, indicating employees felt more positively about the company’s development opportunities.

A Learning Needs Analysis is far more than an HR checklist – it is a strategic tool for business success. By systematically identifying performance gaps and learning needs, organisations ensure that their budget is spent to drive results that matter. In an era where skills are the new currency, LNA helps organisations invest wisely in developing those skills that give them a competitive edge.

For HR, L&D, and training professionals, mastering LNA methodology is hugely empowering. If your organisation is looking to boost its digital skills to be able to perform an LNA or excel in other areas, contact us today!