Workforce planning best practices involve analyzing current operations, forecasting future workforce needs, and identifying strategies to address gaps. Only 23% of companies use advanced analytics to inform workforce decisions. An effective workforce planning process involves 6 steps: accessing data, analyzing current operations, scenario planning, identifying initiatives, implementing plans, and reviewing results. Regular scanning and long-term planning are needed to ensure workforce strategies keep pace with changing business and market conditions.

1. Workforce Planning
Best Practices
Kyle Couch

2. Workforce Planning

3. Workforce Planning Stats

89% of Best-in-Class organizations have
strategic workforce planning efforts in
place

4. Workforce Planning Stats
72% of Industry Average and 59% of
Laggard organizations take this kind of
forward-looking view of workforce plans


5. Know Your Timeframe

6. People

7. IBM CHRO Study

8. High Level Themes

9. Exposing the Gaps

10. Managing the Talent Supply Chain

11. Making the Right Connections?

12. Limited Use of Workforce Analytics

13. The Reality
Less than one-quarter of CHROs are
using sophisticated analysis and modeling
to make decisions about the future.


14. Cultivating Creative Leaders

15. Mobilizing for Speed & Flexibility

16. Collective Intelligence

17. Workforce Planning

18. Organizational Value

19. Source of Workforce Data

20. How Good is Your Dashboard?

22. Workforce Planning Process

23. Step 1 – Access Planning Data & Plans
Workforce profile data
 Strategic plans
 Operational and management plans
 Environmental scanning
 Legislation/regulations/governance


24. Step 2 - Analyze Current
Operations
Review budget/current financial situation
 Identify current technology
infrastructure/systems
 Identify legislative and regulatory
parameters
 Review current policies and processes
 Workforce profile data
 Review environmental factors


25. Step 3 – Scenario Planning &
Forecasting
Identify probable scenarios based on future
projects and trends
 Review planning considerations relevant
to the organization
 Identify likely impacts on the workforce
Identify future workforce supply and demands
 Identify workforce gaps
Determine staff demand based on analysis of
future projections and trends




26. Step 3 – Scenario Planning &
Forecasting
Identify skills no longer required in the future
due to changing organizational needs
 Identify new skills required in the future to
meet organizational goals
 Review labour market trends and identify any
issues associated with availability of workers
 Identify critical jobs (ie those positions that
are difficult to recruit and/or difficult to retain
staff)


27. Step 4 - Identify Planning Initiatives and
Strategies

Recruitment and retention strategies
 Career development and
mentoring programs
 Staff engagement surveys
 Succession planning
 Job redesign

28. Step 4 - Identify Planning Initiatives and
Strategies
Review of policies and processes
 Identify and review new systems
and technology
 Budget planning
 Pre-retirement contracts
Post retirement employment for academic
staff to manage knowledge transfer



29. Step 5 - Implement workforce plan
Introduction of changes to technology and
infrastructures
 Process re-engineering and introduction of revised or
new efficient processes and systems;
 Introduction of changes to existing policies or
development of new policies;
 Staff training and development;
 Career development and mentoring programs, job
analysis and design;
 Attraction, retention and recruitment strategies, preretirement contracts, succession planning, introduction
of flexible staffing arrangements and staff surveys.


30. Step 6 - Review and Evaluation

Review strategies and evaluate impact of changes
(positive/negative)
 Identify if further consultation is required with
People and Culture
 Identify if any policies/processes need
further refinement
 Review staff training and development
requirements
 Identify changes against business planning
considerations and update workforce plan
accordingly.

31. Scan the Horizon Often

32. Long-Term Planning

33. Workforce Planning
Best Practices
Kyle Couch