Assessing Training Needs: Do Work Experience and Capability Matter?

Eric A. Surface

Erich C. Dierdorff 

Keywords: Training Needs, Work Experience, Capability, Needs Assessment, Performance

The Study: This study examined whether employees’ work experience and capability influence their perceptions of training needs and their actual performance. Using a sample of workers with varying levels of experience and ability, the authors assessed whether these attributes affect the accuracy with which individuals recognize their developmental needs and whether they explain differences in actual performance.

Main Findings: Work experience contributed to improved performance but did not reliably predict individuals’ ability to identify their own training needs. Capability was strongly associated with higher performance; however, more capable individuals tended to underestimate their developmental needs, whereas less capable individuals tended to overestimate them. Thus, self-assessments were often biased and did not accurately reflect true needs. These findings indicate that objective assessment methods are necessary, as individuals are not always accurate judges of their training requirements.

Practical Implications: Organizations should be cautious about relying solely on self-assessment to determine training needs. Formal assessment processes, validated tools, and structured feedback are critical to accurately identifying development priorities. Understanding how experience and capability interact can help organizations design more effective development strategies aligned with actual performance gaps.

Reference: Surface, E. A., & Dierdorff, E. C. (2011). Assessing training needs: Do work experience and capability matter? Human Resource Development Quarterly, 22(3), 273–304.

Dierdorff and Surface, 2008.pdf

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