Introduction

To build my L&D skills, I volunteered for a nonprofit organization called School Group as their Learning & Development Manager. During my time there, I led a team to develop a company-wide needs analysis on the onboarding process. We used interviews, surveys, and observations to determine learning gaps.

My team members were new to the L&D world, and it was my job to guide and support them. One of the first things I did was develop a job aid on best practices in developing a needs analysis, and then I trained my team on the content. The job aid included:

• The Needs Analysis Process
  • Questions to ask yourself and tasks to complete for:
    • Conducting an organizational analysis
    • Conducting a performance analysis (key tasks vs. key competencies)
    • Conducting a performer analysis
    • Determining the target training solution
    • Planning the evaluation techniques (Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation; formative vs. summative evaluation)
    • Writing the needs analysis report
• Tips on Data Collection
  • Advantages/Disadvantages of:
    • Surveys
    • Interviews (individual and group)
    • Observations (work products and procedures)
  • Potential data sources at School Group

We then developed thoughtful and targeted questions to analyze the relevance of the current onboarding training, as well as the organization’s overall goals. This resulted in a company-wide survey and an interview guide. The survey was distributed to all volunteers through Google Forms and focused on the individual’s onboarding experience. The interviews consisted of one-on-one discussions with managers to collect information on organizational and departmental goals, their department’s greatest obstacles, and their observations of learning gaps.

Unfortunately, I was not at School Group long enough to see changes implemented in the onboarding process. However, I learned a tremendous amount about leadership while in this role. I strengthened my direct communication skills and learned to adapt my management style to each of my team members’ personal needs.