The only way training will provide a return on investment is if it addresses a business need.Determining training needs the key to receiving any payback on money spent on workplace training.It's great to be committed to the training of employees, but the reality is that a huge percentage of workplace training is a waste of resources, either because it doesn't address or solve a business problem, or the employee isn't in a position to use what is learned (if anything is actually learned). Clearly the key is to determine training needs properly for the organization, and for individual employees. That's the way to increased productivity through human resource development.Our Training Needs Assessment Step by Step Helpcard is designed to walk you through a straightforward process for determining training needs and requirements. You don't need to be a trainer or learning specialist to do this.ContentWritten by training expert and instructional designer, Robert Bacal, these step-by-step instructions provide a roadmap for conducting a training needs analysis. We explain what a training needs assessment involves, and how to go about doing it properly. Here's what's included:: * Characteristics of training that pays off * Training needs analysis overview * The Steps * Identifying performance gaps * Techniques for identifying gaps * Priorizing the gaps * Identify the causes of the gaps including use of "the seven why's technique" * Deciding whether training will reduce the gap * Identifying skills needed and who needs them * Hints & Tips