SHRM developed this guide using the same general-purpose AI tools it describes. The prompts are intended as starting points and may need to be adapted, reviewed, and validated for your specific use case.
AI can help you get more done with the HR work you already do, from drafting and summarizing to organizing information and generating ideas. But it does not know your organization, your people, your policies, or your obligations unless you provide that context. This prompt gives you a starting point, with space to add the unique information AI needs to support your work.
Prompt — Assess Employee Learning Needs
Replace everything in brackets before you run the prompt.
Help me assess learning needs for [FUNCTION OR ORGANIZATION].
Where the business is going: [PASTE STRATEGY OR PLANS — what will be different in 12-24 months].
What I have on current capability: [PASTE: skills data, performance review themes, manager feedback, exit themes, support ticket patterns — whatever you have, aggregate only].
Constraints: [budget, time available for learning, headcount]
Give me:
- Capability gaps between where we are and where the business is going, ranked by business impact.
- For each gap, whether the evidence is strong, mixed, or thin, and which source it comes from.
- Which apparent needs look like process, expectation, or resourcing problems rather than skill gaps — be direct.
- Rough time to competence for each gap.
- What I should explicitly NOT invest in, given the constraints.
Rules:
- Do not recommend specific vendors, courses, or products.
- Do not invent capability data I have not provided.
- Where the evidence is thin, say so rather than smoothing it.
- Distinguish gaps affecting many people from gaps affecting a critical few; they need different responses.
Write in plain, everyday language. Do not use jargon or invented terms; if a simpler word exists, use it.
Optional, if available: give the AI your organization's style guide, brand voice guide, or writing standards document alongside this prompt so the output matches how we write.
Check Before You Publish
Before you publish, review the AI-generated draft carefully. You are responsible for the final version.
- Check facts, figures, dates, requirements, and other details against the information you supplied or the original source.
- Paste in any legally required or compliance-sensitive language yourself. Do not let AI generate it.
- Confirm nothing was invented, assumed, or taken out of context.
- Verify that the final version reflects your organization, your audience, and the purpose of the work.
Use your judgement as an HR professional. AI can assist with the work, but you make the final call. Looking for more prompts? Explore the AI Prompts Guide for HR for more prompts and templates to support your HR work.
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