An Insightful Tale Of Needs Analysis In The Modern Corporate World
Organizations must be able to reflect on their pain points and create personalized online training solutions for their team. Otherwise, you run the risk of skill stagnation, high employee turnover, and low customer satisfaction stats. But how do you approach needs analysis from a creative angle in order to get the answers you're looking for? This eBook explores the entire needs analysis process from a practical point of view. You're introduced to a whole cast of characters as they face emerging challenges and discover innovative L&D strategies.
Why Every Organization Should Approach Needs Analysis Holistically
Every organization has unique objectives and areas for improvement. However, it's essential to step back and look at the business, as a whole, before diving into your L&D strategy. Here are just a few reasons why every company should consider a holistic needs analysis approach to shore up gaps and boost employee engagement:
Identify The Root Cause Of Performance Gaps
It's sometimes difficult to trace gaps back to the source, especially if you solely focus on your employee development plan. For example, low customer satisfaction stats indicate that there may be a deeper problem with your sales and/or customer service policies. Likewise, you might need to take a closer look at your certification paths that tie into those specific skills. A holistic needs analysis approach gives you the opportunity to widen the research scope. You can step outside the L&D frame of reference and evaluate business reports, feedback results, and other sources of data to see the bigger picture.
Get Employees Actively Involved In The Process
You shouldn't expect employees to sit on the sidelines while you conduct a needs analysis in secret, then show your findings in some grand reveal. The key is to get them involved early on so that they can provide valuable insights. For instance, they can give you firsthand accounts of what it's like to actually work for your organization and interact with clients. This is why staffers should be one of your first points of contact during the needs assessment process. Conduct surveys, host live feedback events, and encourage them to share their personal stories to disclose hidden gaps.
Disclose Pain Points On The Horizon
Tunnel vision is one of the most common culprits for corporate failure. You're so focused on the current issues that you can't see the emerging pain points. For this reason, you need a holistic analysis to identify areas for improvement that are just beginning to show themselves. As an example, you might see symptoms of low employee motivation or negative performance behaviors. It's crucial to conduct frequent needs analyses to spot these challenges ASAP before they become widespread problems within your organization. Namely, problems that start to affect customer service, sales figures, and employee retention.
Custom Tailor Training Resources
Another notable reason to take a broader approach to needs analysis is to personalize the online training experience for your team. Additionally, needs analysis allows you to reevaluate your company culture, as a whole, so that it better aligns with your goals and objectives. For instance, you're able to create individualized resources that resonate with them, as well as reflect your values and mission statement. It's a total package, instead of a fragmented L&D experience that barely brushes the surface of their on-the-job challenges.
Highlight Overlooked L&D Approaches
Are you using the best L&D solution or is there a more effective way to deliver information and improve performance behaviors? Needs analysis lets you delve into overlooked approaches and methodologies you haven't considered...yet. Maybe your current JIT support library is missing crucial info or there's a better way to cater to diverse learning styles. The process enables you to get a general overview of the strategy you currently have in place and then dive deeper into the weak spots.
Prioritize Business Growth Initiatives
Whether you're dealing with post-merger obstacles or trying to venture into new markets, there's probably a lot on your organizational to-do list. The right approach to needs analysis can help you prioritize initiatives and connect the L&D dots. For instance, your company might go global and you need to localize your online training strategy. This should be your top priority so that employees in every region know what to expect and what's expected from them. A needs analysis shines the spotlight on this aspect of business growth and all the hurdles that come with it so that you can fine-tune your plan of action.
About This eBook
This think-outside-the-box guide features relatable characters and corporate struggles. The team at AshCom shows you how to evaluate learner expectations, define your learning experience, and much more. Here's a brief glimpse of what you'll find inside How To Change The Way You Approach Needs Analysis: A Story Around The 7 Essential Elements:
- Curriculum Mapping and Training Design. Can You See the Big Picture?
- Knowing, Doing, Believing What Are Your Goals?
- Defining The Audience: Who Are Your Learners?
- Designing A Brand: What Is The Learning Experience?
- Designing The ROI: What Will Be Accomplished, And How Will You Know?
- Building The Team: Who Do You Need?
- Scoping The Project
- The Seven Essentials Of Needs Analysis
A Unique Approach To Needs Analysis
Want a real-world perspective that walks you through the steps of needs analysis and change management? Download the eBook How To Change The Way You Approach Needs Analysis: A Story Around The 7 Essential Elements to follow along as the fictional company, AshCom, reevaluates their current strategy and devises results-driven L&D solutions.
