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HR glossary

What is Training Needs Analysis (TNA)? Meaning and Example

Training needs analysis (TNA) is the process of finding the gap between the skills, knowledge and behaviours employees have and those their roles or the business need, and deciding which gaps training can close. It is done at three levels: organization, role or team, and individual.

How a TNA is done

HR starts from the business: new products, a new plant, new regulations, audit findings, customer complaints or a planned move to new software. It then looks at roles, comparing what each job family needs with current capability, using appraisal ratings, competency assessments, KPI data, manager input and short skills tests. Finally, individual gaps come from appraisals and development plans. The output is a training plan for the year: which programmes, for whom, delivered how, by when and at what cost.

Sources of data for a TNA

Not every gap is a training gap. If calls drop because the phone system is faulty, or dispatches run late because the loading dock is short of staff, training will not fix it. Check for process, tool and staffing causes before booking a classroom.

TNA vs individual development plan

A TNA is a planning exercise across the company or a department, usually done once a year before the training budget is fixed. An individual development plan is a personal plan for one employee. The two connect: the TNA sets group programmes, and IDPs pick from them or add personal actions. Themes that repeat across many IDPs become one of the inputs to the next TNA.

Example: In February 2026, the HR team at a Vapi chemical plant ran a TNA for 2026 to 2027. Audit observations showed repeated gaps in permit-to-work procedures, and 14 of 30 supervisors scored below 3 out of 5 on people management in appraisals. The plan included a two-day permit-to-work refresher for all 160 shop-floor staff, a three-month supervisory skills programme for the 14 supervisors, and training on the new inventory software for 8 stores staff before it went live in July.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the three levels of training needs analysis?

The three levels are organizational analysis, which looks at business goals and changes that need new skills; task or role analysis, which compares what each job requires with current capability; and individual analysis, which finds each person's gaps through appraisals, assessments and manager input. Together they decide who needs what training.

How often should a training needs analysis be done?

Once a year is usual, timed before the training budget is fixed, often in the last quarter of the financial year. Run an extra, focused TNA when something big changes, such as new machinery, new software, a new regulation or a sudden rise in quality or safety incidents.

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