Here’s Why Every Organisation Needs Strategic Workforce Planning

1
Heres Why Every Organisation Needs Strategic
Workforce Planning
2

• Amongst all the core operations and duties that
  HR teams within every organisation is responsible
  for, workforce planning is one of the core
  fundamentals.
• Sustainable. high-performing organisations are
  always a testament to the absolute need for, and
  positive impact of, strategic workforce planning
  on delivering high quality business outcomes over
  time.

3

• While many organisations engage in elements of
  workforce planning, and address aspects that look
  at subsets of overall workforce shape, cost,
  capability and capacity to align with current and
  future business needs, they are still struggling
  to be successful at achieving a holistic outcome
  that demonstrates a tight alignment between
  business and workforce plans.

4

• The message here is dont give up. Its hard
  because its complex and requires structure,
  judgement, discipline and persistence in order to
  work. However, the broad and deep benefits
  associated with workforce planning make it
  essential that organisations who want to
  successfully stay the journey, realise their
  potential and deliver on their objectives need to
  have in place a workforce plan that is fit for
  purpose for their business.

5

• Put the other way around, management teams that
  dont have a workforce plan in place that tightly
  links business and workforce objectives and
  outcomes are deploying what's usually, for most
  businesses, their biggest expense without knowing
  if its properly structured and sustainable into
  the future.

6

• Having said that, set out below are some
  suggestions about some key areas to think about
  in terms of workforce planning and why its
  important
• Ensure sustainability and business continuity
• Reduce risk associated with workforce capacity
  and capability
• Manage employee costs
• Deliver better outcomes for clients
• Identify workforce skills requirements
  including changes into the future.

7
Eliminate unwanted surprises

• Workforce planning needs to be a proactive
  process that involves planning ahead effectively
  to avoid/minimise potential workforce talent
  shortages or surpluses.
• In addition, by forecasting the talent needs as
  well as the available or required supply of
  talent, HR can easily avoid urgent hiring and
  layoffs that tend to affect the core operations,
  reputation and productivity of the business.

8
Streamline business cycles

• Every business cycle has periods of growth and
  recession. Determining a customised approach to
  deal with different of the business cycle helps
  prepare the organisation for changing phases and
  keep business operations running at peak
  efficiency.
• With appropriate procedures to be implemented in
  both good and bad times, the organisation can
  meet intended production goals while preventing
  project delays and unfavourable outcomes.

9
Identify skill gaps in the workforce

• Not only does a good workforce planning
  assessment assist in hiring new employees and
  determining appropriate staffing needs, but it
  also helps to put in place proper employee
  development initiatives identifying and
  addressing skill gaps in the current workforce.

10
Identify skill gaps in the workforce

• With a well-though out system in place to
  identify employee needs and link this to budgets
  and performance management schemes, it becomes
  easier to apply organisational resources to known
  areas of need.

11
Conclusion

• Workforce planning is not just limited to
  identifying, recruiting and deploying the right
  employees but also analysing current and future
  workforce needs and goals to keep the business
  operating at peak efficiency.
• Laying out a strategic workforce plan might seem
  intimidating at first but when implemented
  appropriately it can yield rewarding results for
  the organisation. Remember, without a workforce
  plan your biggest expense and asset is not being
  efficiently and effectively used.

12
Get in Touch..
HBA Consulting Office 29 Somerville St
SPENCE ACT 2615, Canberra, Australia Post
PO Box 6262, O'CONNOR ACT 2602 Telephone 02
6247 4490 Contact Email gary.champion_at_hbaconsul
ting.com.au Website www.hbaconsulting.c
om.au