LEARNER NEEDS ANALYSIS TEMPLATE

WHAT’S THE POINT OF THIS

TEMPLATE?
This template helps you identify what
you know about your learner and what
you need to find out.
WHY SHOULD I USE IT?
The success of your course is measured
by how learners improve their
performance in the workplace. This
activity helps ensure that all of the
information and activities you include in
your course can provide tangible value
to your learners. Giving your learners a
name and a persona helps you test
assumptions about the course itself, the
activities, and the value to the
organization.
When it’s clear that the content will be
useful, learners are more likely to
become engaged. Engaged learners
are more likely to remember what you
teach them and actually use it in the
workplace.

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01 | LEARNER PROFILE
PROFILE
NAME: JOB TITLE:

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION: PAIN POINTS:

BEHAVIORS & BELIEFS: GOALS AND NEEDS:

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01 | LEARNER PROFILE

SUMMARY:
R O L E ( S) :

DEMOGRAPHICS
 Education

 Background experience

 Age range

PAIN POINTS/NEEDS
 Common challenges

 Short term goals

 Long term goals

 Job Requirements

BEHAVIORS/VALUES:
 Interests

 Abilities/Talents

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APPENDIX A | EXAMPLE

PROFILE A: Learner in the LX Design Course

NAME: Tori Smith JOB TITLE HR/Trainer/Facilitator

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION PAIN POINTS

− 29 yrs old, single − Has recently been given charge of the (previously
− Lives in Miami unsuccessful) onboarding program.
− Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development − Doesn’t have any guidance about what to improve
− Pursuing a Master’s degree − Is under pressure to get better results with new
employee orientation by the upcoming quarter.

BEHAVIORS & BELIEFS GOALS AND NEEDS

− Social. Likes to be on people’s good side! − Prove her value to the company
− Creative. Enjoys looking at things from different perspectives − Produce a successful onboarding program
− Hard worker. Will commit to a project 100% − Get experience that she can apply to her Master’s
− Dependable. Responsible and steadfast program

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APPENDIX A | EXAMPLE

PROFILE B: Learner in the LX Design Course

NAME: Sydney Marsh JOB TITLE Business Professional (Customer Service

Representative)

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION PAIN POINTS

− 36 yrs old, − Has been asked (aka. put on the spot) to train his
− Father to Dean (Age 9) peers so that they improve their call outcomes.
− Lives in Gainesville, Florida − Doesn’t have any experience in teaching
− Bachelor’s degree in English − Doesn’t have much time outside of his current role
− Worked the past 15 years at the same company as their star to design anything fancy.
customer service representative

BE H A V I O R S & B E L I E F S GOALS AND NEEDS

− Team Player. Believes in contributing to the success of the
company
− Great communicator. Maintains positive relationships with his
customers and colleagues
− Social and outgoing. Likes to be the life of the party
− Wants to support his colleagues and see them succeed
− Get great feedback on his course
− Grow his income

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APPENDIX A | EXAMPLE

SUMMARY: Learners in the LX Design Course

ROLE(S): Business Professionals (Sales, Technical, etc.), HR/Trainers/Facilitators,

Instructional Designers

DEMOGRAPHICS
 Education: High school, Bachelors +
 Background experience Novice to expert
 Age range 21-55

PAIN POINTS/NEEDS
 Common challenges − Course topics and goals are set by the business team, not by the
LX Designer
− Don’t have visibility into the learners and their development needs.
− Not enough time to prepare courses
− No visibility into the success of the course

 Short term goals − Build an effective course

− Increase motivation

 Long term goals − Gain leadership recognition

− Grow status and income

 Job Requirements − Independence, Initiative, Persistence, Stress-tolerance, Flexibility,

Social Orientation, Multi-tasking

BEHAVIORS/VALUES:
 Interests Investigative, Artistic, and Enterprising

 Abilities/Talents Organization of information, Written/Oral Expression, Written/Oral

Comprehension, Problem-solving, Problem sensitivity

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APPENDIX B | EXAMPLE: SALES TRAINING
PROFILE A: Learners in a new employee orientation for the sales team

NAME: Andrew Smith JOB TITLE Sales Representative

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION PAIN POINTS

− 32 yrs old, Divorced − Is new to the company and doesn’t know all the
− Father to Jenna (6) and Tim Jr. (2) product details.
− Lives in Chicago − Doesn’t have enough experience using the company
− Bachelors degree in marketing sales model
− 10 years of sales experience − Is under pressure to hit the ground running by the
end of Q2.

BEHAVIORS & BELIEFS GOALS AND NEEDS

− Competitive. Doesn’t like to lose! − Increase his income to help pay for childcare
− Motivated. Works long hours, but wants to cut back to spend − Grow his customer base
more time with his kids. − Wants to impress his boss
− Great networker. Is constantly on LinkedIn − Make top sales for the year
− Independent. Doesn’t like to depend on others to succeed.

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APPENDIX B | EXAMPLE: SALES TRAINING

SUMMARY: Learners in a new employee orientation for the sales team

ROLE: Sales Representative at XYZ Company

DEMOGRAPHICS
 Education: High school, Bachelors
 Background experience 3+ years in sales
 Age range 21-35

PAIN POINTS/NEEDS
 Common challenges − Lack product knowledge.
− Don’t have updated information about client accounts.
− Under pressure to achieve increasing sales targets
− Don’t feel loyalty to the company

 Short term goals − Grow income

− Gain recognition

 Long term goals − Increase network

− Grow client base

BEHAVIORS/VALUES:
 Interests Investigative, Social, and Enterprising

 Work Styles Independence, Initiative, Persistence, Stress-tolerance, Flexibility,

Social Orientation, Multi-tasking

 Abilities/Talents Written/Oral Expression, Written/Oral Comprehension, Problem-

solving, Problem sensitivity,

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APPENDIX C| RESOURCES

Key Word List

Use the following list to get some ideas of the type of information that you can include in your
learner analysis. Note, not all of the characteristics here apply to all jobs. This list is extensive and
derived from the database compiled by the U.S. Department of Labor.

INTERESTS1
Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on
problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood,
tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of
paperwork or working closely with others.

Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an
extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out
problems mentally.

Artistic — Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They
often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Social — Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching
people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects.
These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require
risk taking and often deal with business.

Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and

routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually
there is a clear line of authority to follow

WORK STYLES2
Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging
achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

1 "Interests." O*NET OnLine. National Center for O*NET Development, n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.onetonline.org/find/descriptor/browse/Interests/>.
2 "Work Styles." O*NET OnLine. National Center for O*NET Development, n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.

<http://www.onetonline.org/find/descriptor/browse/Work_Styles/>.

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APPENDIX C| RESOURCES
Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to
considerable variety in the workplace.

Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related
issues and problems.

Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work
tasks.

Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being
understanding and helpful on the job.

Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured,
cooperative attitude.

Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling
obligations.

Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with
little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and
answers to work-related problems.

Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.

Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger,
and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being
personally connected with others on the job.

Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high
stress situations.

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APPENDIX C| RESOURCES
ABILITIES3
THINKING ABILITIES (COGNITIVE)
Problem-solving — The ability to make sense of a challenge and find an effective solution or
produce answers to a question.

Organization of Information — The ability to arrange things in a certain order or pattern to make
it clear, accurate, and easy to interpret.

Mathematical Skills — The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve
a problem. The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.

Memorization — The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and
procedures.

Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented
through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will
understand.

Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation,
or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does
not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being
distracted.

Spatial Orientation — The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know
where other objects are in relation to you.

Multitasking — The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of
information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).

Visualization — The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when
its parts are moved or rearranged.

Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented
in writing.

3 Adapted from: "Abilities." O*NET OnLine. National Center for O*NET Development, n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.onetonline.org/find/descriptor/browse/Abilities/>.

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APPENDIX C| RESOURCES
Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will
understand.

PHYSICAL ABILITIES
Flexibility — The ability to quickly and repeatedly bend, stretch, twist, or reach out with your body,
arms, and/or legs.

Endurance — The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves
muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.

Strength— The ability to use short bursts of muscle force to propel oneself (as in jumping or
sprinting), or to throw an object.

Coordination — The ability to coordinate the movement of your arms, legs, and torso together
when the whole body is in motion.

Equilibrium — The ability to keep or regain your body balance or stay upright when in an unstable
position.

Stamina — The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded
or out of breath.

Arm-Hand Steadiness — The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or
while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Precision — The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to
exact positions.

Dexterity — The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two
hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Reaction Time — The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound,
light, picture) when it appears.

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MARCELA PIÑEROS

Marcela Piñeros is the founder and owner of 11 Ideas Consulting, based in San
Francisco, CA. With over 20 years of experience in the education space, Marcela
has designed innovative solutions to empower individuals in organizations from
SMBs to companies on the Global Fortune 100 list. Her client list spans multiple
industries including retail, hospitality, finance, technology, pharma, government,
energy and higher education.

Marcela strives to create learning moments that have a memorable and lasting
impact. From face-to-face workshops to 3D simulations, Marcela incorporates best
practices to add immediate value and meet the objectives of her clients. She
accomplishes this by putting the target audience at the center of everything she
does, applying processes that have been refined over two decades to achieve the
optimal transfer of skills and knowledge into the workplace. Known for instructional
design that yields visible results, Marcela sleeps, eats, and breathes creative
learning solutions.

CLIENT HIGHLIGHTS: SPECIALTIES:

 Corporate Training Curriculum Design

 Scalable Global Education Programs
 Online/CBT/WBT/F2F Training
 Training as a Service
 Active Learning
 Needs Analysis
 Soft Skills Training
 UI/UX Design
 Critical Thinking with Technology
 Designing Assessments
 Rapid Development
 Graphic Design
 Interactive Video
 Scenarios and Storytelling as Training Tools.
Languages: Spanish – fluent (oral/written) English – fluent
(oral/written)

Let’s talk! Visit www.11ideas.co to get in touch.

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