Workforce Development Planning
Getting the 'People Factor' into Organisational Strategies and Plans
May 17, 2008
Workforce planning, at its simplest, is about predicting the future demand for different types of staff and skills and seeking to match this with supply. The main drivers for workforce planning include:
- Political and policy change
- Labour market
- Demographic and social change
- Technological change
Workforce planning provides the essential link between business planning strategies and people plans for recruitment and retention, staff development and training.
The Workforce Planning Cycle
As with many processes, the workforce planning cycle is not set within one model but the key to its success is in the delivery of its outcomes, through a realistic action plan, which is reviewed and measured as part of the business planning process. These two planning processes are interdependent. However, it is recognised that in real life, a cyclical model is not so clear-cut and therefore there are stages that may be carried out independently. The workforce planning cycle usually includes the following elements:
- Organisational Vision – where the organisation wants to be
- Current Demography – of the organisation ‘world’
- Client needs – analysis and assessment of customer demands
- Current Workforce – Roles currently in employment and any recruitment issues
- Future Workforce – Roles required to deliver the vision and meet client demands
- Skills Required – to deliver the vision and meet clients demands
- Gap Analysis and Assessment – to identify what resources, skills and roles are required
These elements then form a detailed action plan for implementation over a number of years and like all plans will need reviewing on a regular basis. A workforce development plan should be a 'living document' that is owned by the organisation and its staff and is considered part of the organisational culture.
Benefits of Workforce Planning
Effective workforce planning is an important tool in maximising resources and building capacity in a structured and planned way. People are the key to successful improvement and capacity building and if we plan well we will be better equipped to manage both day-to-day business needs and to address changing priorities. Some of the benefits of effective workforce planning include:
- Reduced staff shortages and staffing costs
- Ensure the delivery of quality and timely services
- Effectively implementation of diversity policies
- Training and development activity supports future skill needs
- Supports the development of future managers and leaders
- Forecast employment needs by anticipating changes
- Appropriate training and development is provided at the right time
- Delivery of improved services by linking business strategy to people plans
- Best practice in staff performance and sickness absence management
Workforce development planning in partnership with effective strategic and operational business planning ensure organisations consider the ‘people factor’ when developing and delivery their business.
