Training Needs Analysis in 2025

Every level of an organization benefits from a Training Needs Analysis (TNA). It’s how you make sure the right people are getting the right development without wasting time, budget, or energy.

When done well, a TNA gives your team clarity: what’s missing, what’s needed, and what’s next.

What’s Worked Before and What’s Changed in 2025

Historically, TNAs worked by surveying leaders, reviewing performance data, and tracking compliance needs. That’s still useful but in 2025, organizations are facing constant change. Strategy shifts faster than org charts. Employees switch roles more often. And new tech rolls out before the old ones are fully adopted.

What’s different now?

  • We need faster, more responsive analysis cycles

  • Soft skills and leadership capacity matter just as much as technical ones

  • Context like psychological safety and values alignment matters more today then it did 10 years ago

A static TNA won’t cut it. What works now: dynamic assessments that focus on growth, strategy alignment, and confidence-building. That’s where the Resilient Leaders Program becomes a flexible solution.

How HR Teams Discover Real Needs

Effective HR and People teams don’t just guess. They gather data and patterns across different sources:

  • Performance reviews

  • Employee engagement surveys

  • Customer or stakeholder feedback

  • Turnover trends

  • Team dynamics and communication breakdowns

  • New initiatives, tools, or org structure changes

But the real magic happens in asking better questions.

Questions That Reveal Gaps

  • What problems are teams struggling to solve independently?

  • Where is decision-making bottlenecked or unclear?

  • What new systems, structures, or processes are people resisting?

  • Who is underperforming and why?

  • What does success look like in this role right now?

  • Are managers equipped to coach, not just manage?

  • Are individual contributors clear on how their work aligns with company goals?

These questions help uncover not just technical gaps but leadership, mindset, and strategy gaps too.

Different Depths of Analysis

A TNA can be broad or narrow depending on what you’re solving for.

1. Organizational-Level TNA

Used when:

  • A major shift in company direction is underway

  • You’re launching a company-wide platform or system

  • Culture, communication, or retention issues are surfacing

Example: A company rolling out a new hybrid work model. Some leaders embrace it, others resist. A TNA shows that mid-level managers lack tools to lead remote teams, and that’s where the Resilient Leaders Program can support mindset, communication, and confidence.

2. Department-Level TNA

Used when:

  • A department is underperforming or restructured

  • There’s a push to improve collaboration or innovation

  • A new leader steps into a team

Example: A Marketing team with great creative output, but missed deadlines. The TNA reveals gaps in prioritization and cross-team communication. RLP provides decision-making frameworks and confidence tools that address both.

3. Individual-Level TNA

Used when:

  • An employee wants to grow but isn’t clear on how

  • Someone’s newly promoted and feels in over their head

  • There’s feedback about leadership presence or impact

Example: A high-performing IC struggling to speak up in meetings. The TNA reveals a gap in executive presence. The Resilient Leaders Program, customized to focus on communication and influence, helps them show up stronger.

Why It Matters to Get It Right

Training the wrong people wastes time and frustrates your team. Putting someone in a session they don’t need makes them feel disconnected or worse, micromanaged. Meanwhile, the people who do need development might be overlooked because no one asked the right questions.

A TNA fixes that.

It ensures:

  • Training is aligned with real needs

  • Employees feel seen, supported, and equipped

  • Business outcomes guide development not trends or hunches

How ZeroGap Customizes Based on TNA Results

The Resilient Leaders Program is modular and adaptive. We can:

  • Shift focus based on job function or career stage

  • Adjust delivery method (coaching, cohort, on-demand, live)

  • Focus on confidence, executive presence, change leadership, or communication depending on what your team actually needs

We work with your HR or L&D team to map competencies, clarify goals, and fit training into the actual flow of work not as an add-on, but as part of how business gets done.

When and How Often Should You Run a TNA?

A full org-level TNA isn’t needed every quarter but it should be part of any major transformation, reorg, or strategy shift.

Here’s a general cadence that works:

The goal? Give employees the clarity and support they need to think strategically and solve problems confidently not just follow orders.

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Understanding Needs vs. Wants in L&D: Why Culture Comes Before Curriculum