Successful Workforce Planning

Many employers are reacting to the economic downturn by freezing recruitment or reducing headcount without doing essential workforce planning.  Making cuts without a clear understanding of what critical skills are necessary to restore business growth could cost employers greatly when the economy cycles back up in a few years time.

Workforce planning is the process of getting the right staff in the right job at the right time.  It involves:

• Determining the current staffing situation
• Forecasting the demand for staff (includes full-time and temporary requirements)
• Forecasting the future supply of staff (includes replacement and skills required to support business growth)
• Planning the programs necessary to ensure there is the right mix of employees and skills when and where they are needed.

It is an ongoing process that gives managers direction in order to support the organisation’s mission, strategic plan, budgetary resources and desired workforce capabilities.  There is no right or wrong way when it comes to workforce planning, however, it is important to have the people and capabilities to deliver your business in the future. 

To start, you may think over what your ideal workforce would look like to then see what you would change or what you might need to plan for.  By doing this you can identify and mitigate any risks to the future of your workforce.   When developing action plans you should consider covering off organisational development needs; developing specific and critical skills; and addressing employee behavioural aspects such as leadership, succession planning etc.

Tips to successful implementation include:

• Involve managers throughout the process
• Identify short and long term strategies to address the most critical issues
• Align workforce planning to existing organisational processes (eg: business planning, budgeting)
• Address anticipated and unforeseen challenges/difficulties
• Plan the review process
• Continually review workforce progress and requirements
  

Workforce planning provides organisations with a clear understanding of future workforce needs that will deliver business outcomes now and into the future.