Analyzing learner characteristics and then incorporating what you have discovered into the training materials is one of the core processes of Instructional Design. While this is sometimes achievable, in practice, this can be very difficult, or even impossible to do in a way that is sufficiently beneficial to justify the effort, especially in the realm of corporate training. 

Why is this often not worthwhile in the corporate world? The main reason is that it is rarely worth the diversion of resources required to poll the target audience to discover their characteristics. Also, the target audience may resist such efforts, especially if they feel that it is going to "expose their ignorance" on a topic. That said, you probably know enough about the learners to make some reasonable assumptions, so this is where your efforts will be focused in most cases.

Another dilemma is that often the main purpose of analyzing learners is to assure the success of "low performers," i.e., the people with the least amount of knowledge and skills at the start of training. This is worthwhile in some settings, but in the realm of corporate training, it may not be. Often these gaps can be met by informal methods, especially through peer mentoring.

 So what can and should be done in corporations in an attempt to apply techniques of learner analysis? Think carefully about the assumptions you are making about what learners already know, and be somewhat conservative. Adding a little more information to the training can prevent problems later on, and sometimes the amount of additional effort required is very small. Also, when creating training for adults, always consider the guidance offered by adult learning theory. Finally, encourage learners to fill their own knowledge gaps through informal methods where appropriate, for example, by providing links to useful web sites.

Analyzing learner characteristics and then incorporating what you have discovered into the training materials is one of the core processes of Instructional Design. While this is sometimes achievable, in practice, this can be very difficult, or even impossible to do in a way that is sufficiently beneficial to justify the effort, especially in the realm of corporate training. 

Why is this often not worthwhile in the corporate world? The main reason is that it is rarely worth the diversion of resources required to poll the target audience to discover their characteristics. Also, the target audience may resist such efforts, especially if they feel that it is going to "expose their ignorance" on a topic. That said, you probably know enough about the learners to make some reasonable assumptions, so this is where your efforts will be focused in most cases.

Another dilemma is that often the main purpose of analyzing learners is to assure the success of "low performers," i.e., the people with the least amount of knowledge and skills at the start of training. This is worthwhile in some settings, but in the realm of corporate training, it may not be. Often these gaps can be met by informal methods, especially through peer mentoring.

 So what can and should be done in corporations in an attempt to apply techniques of learner analysis? Think carefully about the assumptions you are making about what learners already know, and be somewhat conservative. Adding a little more information to the training can prevent problems later on, and sometimes the amount of additional effort required is very small. Also, when creating training for adults, always consider the guidance offered by adult learning theory. Finally, encourage learners to fill their own knowledge gaps through informal methods where appropriate, for example, by providing links to useful web sites.