CONDUCT WORKFORCE PLANNING
WHY IT MATTERS
Organizations succeed or fail based on the composition and capability of the people who make up their workforce. It is people who do the real work in an organization, and today’s workforce is volatile, prone to movement, and unpredictable. With competition for talent at its highest, people can be present one minute and out the door the next. Leaders that conduct workforce planning ensure their organization will have the right people, at the right times, in the right places, and with the right skills to accomplish the work of the future. Leaders that fail to conduct workforce planning risk having a workforce that is misaligned, unprepared to contribute, or incapable of meeting the performance demands required of them.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that conduct workforce planning know the composition of their workforce is the key to achieving their vision. They understand the value of the people component of their organization. They know that without a plan to meet the needs of their workforce there is little hope for success. They realize that because their strategy, competition, and business environment are continually evolving, it is critical their workforce needs and makeup be continually reviewed.
Leaders that conduct workforce planning have a clear picture of the organization’s overarching strategy. They know the goals, timing, means, and methods required to achieve the strategy, and they assess the existing workforce against each different component to identify their ability to deliver them. They measure the gaps between the existing workforce and their future needs, and make a plan for bridging the two.
Leaders that conduct workforce planning ask if they have the right number of employees, then create staffing plans to identify solutions for recruiting, hiring, or downsizing. They question if they have their employees deployed to the right locations, then create a location plan to identify whom and how many employees are required where. They ask if they have the right mix of talent in terms of skills, knowledge, and capability, then craft a thorough training and development plan to grow their people. They question if the employee organization is structured to be as effective as possible, then consider ways to redesign the structure where needed.
Leaders that excel at workforce planning execute the plans they create. They ensure their plans don’t sit on a shelf after they are approved. They regularly follow up on the progress of their plans. They identify potential threats and barriers to their plan’s success. They hold assigned individuals and teams accountable for delivering their part of the plan. They put in place metrics to accurately assess the success of their plan and its implementation.
Leaders that excel at conducting workforce planning recognize the reality that, like everything else, their best-prepared plans will inevitably change. They rally the needed resources to modify and update their workforce plan when required. They review and update their plan at least annually to ensure they have the workforce they need.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
WORDS OF CAUTION
Organizations succeed or fail based on the composition and capability of the people who make up their workforce. It is people who do the real work in an organization, and today’s workforce is volatile, prone to movement, and unpredictable. With competition for talent at its highest, people can be present one minute and out the door the next. Leaders that conduct workforce planning ensure their organization will have the right people, at the right times, in the right places, and with the right skills to accomplish the work of the future. Leaders that fail to conduct workforce planning risk having a workforce that is misaligned, unprepared to contribute, or incapable of meeting the performance demands required of them.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that conduct workforce planning know the composition of their workforce is the key to achieving their vision. They understand the value of the people component of their organization. They know that without a plan to meet the needs of their workforce there is little hope for success. They realize that because their strategy, competition, and business environment are continually evolving, it is critical their workforce needs and makeup be continually reviewed.
Leaders that conduct workforce planning have a clear picture of the organization’s overarching strategy. They know the goals, timing, means, and methods required to achieve the strategy, and they assess the existing workforce against each different component to identify their ability to deliver them. They measure the gaps between the existing workforce and their future needs, and make a plan for bridging the two.
Leaders that conduct workforce planning ask if they have the right number of employees, then create staffing plans to identify solutions for recruiting, hiring, or downsizing. They question if they have their employees deployed to the right locations, then create a location plan to identify whom and how many employees are required where. They ask if they have the right mix of talent in terms of skills, knowledge, and capability, then craft a thorough training and development plan to grow their people. They question if the employee organization is structured to be as effective as possible, then consider ways to redesign the structure where needed.
Leaders that excel at workforce planning execute the plans they create. They ensure their plans don’t sit on a shelf after they are approved. They regularly follow up on the progress of their plans. They identify potential threats and barriers to their plan’s success. They hold assigned individuals and teams accountable for delivering their part of the plan. They put in place metrics to accurately assess the success of their plan and its implementation.
Leaders that excel at conducting workforce planning recognize the reality that, like everything else, their best-prepared plans will inevitably change. They rally the needed resources to modify and update their workforce plan when required. They review and update their plan at least annually to ensure they have the workforce they need.
BELIEFS
- It doesn’t matter how good your strategy is if you don’t have a workforce that can deliver it.
- Workforce planning can’t be an afterthought to strategic planning. It needs to be an integral part of the strategic planning process.
- It is in executing the workforce plan, not simply going through the act of creating it, that its value is manifest.
- Don’t overthink the workforce planning process. Determine your future workforce needs then plan how to close the gaps.
- Workforce planning isn’t just about having the right number of employees, it is about making sure they have the right skills.
- Those without a workforce plan may find their workforce ill equipped, outdated, under prepared, and unable to meet its goals.
- Nothing else happens in your organization without planning, so why should it be any different with your workforce?
- There are few things more comforting to a leader than knowing you have the workforce you need to succeed.
BEST PRACTICES
- Identify needed changes in workforce capability.
- Use a systematic process for planning the workforce.
- Link your business strategy to workforce needs.
- Equip the people component of the organization.
- Change organization design when needed.
- Define the right mix of workforce talent.
- Identify the competencies employees need to develop.
- Know the talent gaps that need to be filled.
- Staff the organization with the right people.
- Link the workforce and strategic planning processes.
- Make workforce planning a regular activity.
- Define future workforce sizing gaps.
- Determine the number of employees needed.
- Map where to locate employees.
- Project organization staffing needs into the future.
- Modify the workforce plan when needed.
- Make the resources available to plan correctly.
- Use your workforce plan once it has been created.
- Define the needed diversity mix of the workforce.
- Commit others to implement the workforce plan.
- Identify where to grow and reduce the organization.
- Monitor progress and results of the workforce plan.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I have a plan in place to answer questions about my workforce, or have I failed to prepare for the future?
- Do I assess my workforce against our strategy to ensure I have what I need, or do I just hope they can do what’s needed?
- Do I identify the gaps in the workforce and plan how to close them, or do I ignore workforce gaps?
- Do I have the right number of employees to perform the work, or do I have too few or too many?
- Do I have my employees positioned at the right locations, or have I not assessed my employee location strategy?
- Do I know my employees have the skills and capabilities they need, or have I failed to properly develop them?
- Do I implement and use the workforce plans I create, or do I let them sit on a shelf and become an exercise only?
- Do I measure the success of our workforce plan, or do I just hope it is successful?
WORDS OF CAUTION
- Don’t expect your plan to encompass every possible workforce potentiality, because no plan can predict everything.
- Don’t become so rigid in the implementation of your plan you don’t make necessary adjustments mid-stream.
- Don’t make your workforce planning process so complicated people see it as a burdensome exercise to be avoided.
- Selecting the right person for each job is the best form of employee development.
- Knowing where we’ve been is important to hiring in the future.
- Personally, people issues are the most rewarding.
- I place my best employee(s) in the most important positions.
- I align my business plan with my staffing needs every year.