How do you do Workforce Planning?
While there are many Work Force Planning models out there, they all boil down to 4 primary phases.
Once your organization’s Business Plan has been completed, you’re ready to start Work Force Planning, as follows
Phase 1- Work Force Analysis
Determine the profile of the current work force. Results might include age distribution, retirement eligibility, turn-over rates, skills inventory, etc.
Determine the profile of the future work force that is needed to meet the organization’s goals? Results might include staffing changes needed due to anticipated shifts in work volume and/or complexity, staffing changes needed due to planned organizational changes, new direction, or new/changed goals, staffing changes needed due to the introduction of new technology or other new required skills, etc.
Identify the gaps (+ or -) between the current and future work force. Also, as a result of reviewing all the current workforce data, some other issues will likely appear other than gaps between current and projected staff.
Some examples might be: High turnover in a particular position, possibly indicating a problem which should be evaluated; The realization that there are no internal replacement candidates for many management positions.
Prioritize which issues (the gaps and/or the other issues identified) need to be addressed first.
Result will be a list of the most critical workforce changes needed in order to meet the organization’s future goals.
Phase 2- Determine the Work Force Plan (action steps) needed to move from the current workforce to the future work force. Include responsibility for each action, the expected completion date and how to determine if the step was successful.
Results might include re-structuring the organization, cross-training, new hires, staff transfers, outsourcing a function, succession planning, re-training, building relationships with educational organizations, staff retention efforts, a mentoring program, etc.
Phase 3- Implement the Work Force Plan
Obtain management commitment for the Work Force Plan and communicate the plan to the entire organization. Execute the Work Force Plan action steps as developed in Phase 2
Phase 4- Monitor, evaluate and revise the Workforce Plan
Periodically assess success of the Work Force Plan’s action steps (on-going throughout the plan period)Alter Work Force Plan actions as required by new/changed direction or goals (on-going throughout the plan period)Evaluate needs for the next Work Force Plan as part of the next planning cycle