Training only works if it solves a real problem. Nevertheless, many companies start with the wrong question: "What training should we offer?" The better question is: "What training needs actually exist?"

Those who properly assess employees' training needs invest more specifically, avoid unnecessary training, and improve the impact of further education. Because not every knowledge deficit requires a course immediately. Sometimes a short guide is missing. Sometimes practical training is needed. And sometimes it turns out that a process is unclear, not the employees' competence.

Determining training needs therefore means: you compare the skills employees need for their tasks with the knowledge and abilities that are currently available. This creates a clear basis for learning objectives, formats, budgets, and tools.

For L&D managers and HR teams, this step is crucial. Only with a structured needs analysis can you plan training that is actually completed, sustainably secures knowledge, and supports operational teams in their daily work.

Too Long, Didn’t Read: Determining Training Needs at a Glance

• Training needs arise when current competencies do not match the requirements of a role, task, or change.
   
• The needs analysis should take place before any major training planning.
   
• Good methods are interviews, surveys, competence matrices, observations, feedback data, and knowledge checks.
   
• Excel can help for starters, but quickly hits limits when it comes to currency, evaluation, and scaling.
   
• Digital solutions like keelearning help to identify training needs based on data and translate them directly into learning content.
   
• The best start is a clear 5-step process: define goals, capture requirements, check status quo, prioritize gaps, derive measures.

Identified training needs? With keelearning, you turn them directly into suitable learning content, clear learning paths, and measurable results.

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How do you identify training needs?

Training needs describe the gap between what employees should know or be able to do for their tasks and what they currently master with confidence. This gap can be professional, methodological, technical, or behavioral.

Typical triggers for training needs are:

• new processes or workflows
   
• new products, services, or systems
   
• legal requirements
   
• quality problems or recurring errors
   
• onboarding of new employees
   
• internal role changes
   
• digitization of work processes
   
• changed customer expectations
   
• new safety or hygiene standards

It is important to note: Training needs are not automatically a sign of poor performance. They often show that requirements have changed or that knowledge has not been communicated clearly enough so far.

Determining training needs: Step by step

A good needs analysis does not require a complicated method. It requires structure. With these five steps, you create a clear foundation for effective employee training.

Step 1: Clarify goals and occasion

Do not start with an Excel list or a form. Start with the goal. Why do you want to determine the training needs?

Possible goals are:

• onboard new employees faster
   
• properly document mandatory training
   
• improve product knowledge
   
• reduce errors in processes
   
• develop managers more specifically
   
• qualify operational teams more reliably
   
• plan training budgets better

The more concrete the goal, the better the analysis will be. An example of this would be:

Unclear: "We need more training in service."

Better: "Service employees should handle complaints according to a uniform process and confidently answer typical queries."

The second formulation makes it immediately visible what knowledge is missing and how the learning success can be checked later.

Step 2: Define requirements

In the second step, you determine which knowledge and skills are necessary for a role or task. A simple competence overview helps with this.

Ask:

• Which tasks must employees perform confidently?
   
• Which tools, systems, or machines do they use?
   
• Which standards must be met?
   
• Which mistakes must not happen?
   
• What information do new employees need first?
   
• Which questions do customers or internal teams ask particularly often?

These answers create a target profile. This profile does not describe abstractly what someone "should know," but concretely what a person must be able to do in their everyday work. Here we show an example for the retail sector:

TaskRequired KnowledgeAccept goodsInspection process, documentation, quality standardsAdvise customersProduct knowledge, objection handling, service guidelinesProcess complaintsReturn process, system usage, communication rulesImplement new promotionPromotion details, placement, sales tips

This makes training needs tangible.

Step 3: Assess the status quo

Now check where employees currently stand. There are several methods for this. Which one fits depends on team size, topic, and goal.

Suitable methods are:

• Self-assessment by employees
   
• Assessment by managers
   
• short knowledge checks
   
• observation in everyday work
   
• analysis of errors or quality data
   
• evaluation of support or queries
   
• feedback from onboarding interviews
   
• interviews with experienced team members

A self-assessment can be done via a form, for example. It is important that questions are concrete.

Instead of: "How well do you know the returns process?"

Better: "How confident do you feel when checking, documenting, and approving a return?"

This creates answers from which real measures can be derived.

Step 4: Evaluate and prioritize gaps

Not every knowledge gap is equally important. Therefore, you should prioritize training needs. A simple evaluation logic helps:

CriterionGuiding questionRiskWhat happens if the knowledge is missing?FrequencyHow often does the task occur?ImpactHow strongly does the topic influence quality or efficiency?Target groupHow many employees are affected?UrgencyMust the topic be trained immediately?

An example: If a task rarely occurs but is safety-critical, it can still have high priority. If a question arises daily and costs a lot of time, quick training is also worth it.

Step 5: Derive training measures

Only now do you decide which training makes sense. The training need determines the format, not the other way around.

NeedSuitable formatBasic knowledgeE-learning modulePractical stepsVideo or on-site trainingRecurring questionsFAQ or microlearningMandatory proofDigital course with certificateProcess reliabilityStep-by-step module with quizBehavioral situationsScenarios, role plays, or interactive trainingQuick updatesNews post or short learning card

Which tools help to determine training needs?

There are different tools for determining training needs. It is important that they not only collect data but also facilitate decisions.

1. Training needs form

A training needs form is well suited for getting started. It can be set up as an online form or PDF and contain typical questions:

• Which tasks do you find difficult?
   
• Which topics should be explained again?
   
• Where do frequent queries arise?
   
• Which content is missing in onboarding?
   
• Which training courses would you like?
   
• Which processes are unclear?

A form is created quickly and easy to distribute. The disadvantage: The evaluation often remains manual.

2. Training needs Excel

An Excel template helps to collect training needs clearly. Typical columns are:

• Name or team
   
• Role
   
• Task
   
• required competence
   
• current level of knowledge
   
• priority
   
• recommended training
   
• status
   
• deadline

This can work for small teams. However, as soon as several locations, roles, or training topics are added, Excel becomes confusing.

3. Survey tools

Digital surveys are good for collecting a lot of feedback quickly. They are particularly helpful for self-assessments or feedback after training. However, they usually only map the need. The implementation of the training takes place in another system.

4. Competence matrix

A competence matrix shows which skills are required for which role and how confidently employees master them. It is particularly helpful for managers and HR teams who want to plan development measures.

5. LMS and learning platform

A Learning Management System connects needs assessment, training execution, and evaluation. This means that training needs are not just collected, but directly translated into learning measures.

With an LMS, for example, you can:

• play out knowledge checks
   
• record learning levels
   
• document mandatory training
   
• segment target groups
   
• assign learning paths
   
• evaluate results
   
• update content regularly

Discover how keelearning makes your training measurably easier. 

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Why Excel is often insufficient for determining training needs

Excel is practical if you want to start quickly. For sustainable needs assessment, however, it quickly reaches its limits.

The biggest disadvantages:

1. Data becomes outdated quickly
   Training levels change constantly. If several people maintain one file, outdated versions quickly emerge.
   
2. Evaluation costs time
   Filters, manual assessments, and status queries work for small teams. For larger target groups, evaluation becomes laborious.
   
3. No direct learning assignment
   Excel might show that training needs exist. But the appropriate training must be organized separately.
   
4. No automatic reminder
   Open training, deadlines, and repetitions must be tracked manually.
   
5. Little transparency for learning progress
   Excel maps data, but no real learning journey.

In short: Excel can be a transitional solution. For companies that want to determine training needs regularly and scale training, a digital learning platform is significantly more reliable.

Best practices for a good needs analysis

To ensure that the analysis does not become a mere administrative task, these principles help:

• Ask about concrete tasks, not general topics.
   
• Combine self-assessment with objective data.
   
• Prioritize according to impact, risk, and frequency.
   
• Plan appropriate learning formats directly.
   
• Check regularly whether training actually reduces the need.
   
• Use feedback from everyday work.
   
• Keep content current and easily accessible.

Particularly important: Do not communicate the needs analysis as a control measure. It is not about exposing deficits. It is about supporting employees better and making knowledge available where it is needed.

How does keelearning help in determining training needs?

keelearning supports companies in not viewing training needs in isolation. Instead of just creating a list of open topics, you can connect needs, content, and learning progress in one system.

With keelearning, you can:

• create learning paths for specific roles based on tags
   
• use knowledge checks to make knowledge levels visible
   
• assign mandatory training
   
• evaluate learning progress
   
• make content available on mobile
   
• structure recurring training
   
• quickly roll out new content to relevant teams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcgfUH8qumo

This is particularly helpful for operational teams. Employees in retail, catering, production, or healthcare often have little time for long training days. With short digital learning units, you reach them directly in their daily work. See for yourself in a free and non-binding demo!

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More professional insights, current perspectives, and impulses can be found on LinkedIn.

FAQ: Determining training needs

How do I determine the training needs of employees?

First, define goals and requirements. Then record the current level of knowledge through surveys, interviews, observations, or knowledge checks. Subsequently, evaluate the gaps according to urgency and derive appropriate training measures.

What belongs in a training needs form?

A training needs form should capture role, area of responsibility, required competencies, self-assessment, frequent uncertainties, desired training topics, and priority. Concrete questions are important instead of general assessments.

Is there an Excel template for training needs?

An Excel template can contain columns for role, competence, actual status, target status, priority, measure, deadline, and status. It is suitable for small teams but quickly becomes confusing for larger organizations.

Why is Excel often not enough for training needs?

Excel collects data but does not conduct training. Learning assignment, reminders, progress measurement, and evaluation usually have to be done manually. For regular training, an LMS like keelearning is more efficient.

How does an LMS help with needs analysis?

An LMS can connect knowledge checks, learning levels, target groups, and training assignments. As a result, you not only identify training needs but can also directly provide suitable learning content and measure progress.