Okay, so officially it is not a sport.
I do use a few sport analogies in here just to keep you reading. I did that to draw your attention to a crucial work tool that gets easily dismissed because of it’s stoic, dry, seemingly obvious name -Workforce Planning (yawn)! While it sounds boring it is invaluable (not priceless) insight into your organization’s likelihood of success from the “people” perspective.
Okay, okay number focused managers–stop groaning–because your workforce is a team. And it’s either a winning team or well…you know.
The beauty of a good workforce plan is you can use as many numbers as you want here to help identify your success gaps.
AND you get the added bonus of learning all about your people, their strengths, your team’s effectiveness, and maybe even (likely) give you an edge over other leaders and teams because you know your numbers and your people! Helloooo, no brainer here.
Current Staff Evaluation: Audit your current talent and recruiting needs
Strategic workforce planning helps you align your hiring needs with your business’ current and future growth opportunities. One of the first steps business leaders should consider is an audit of current staffing needs. Critical position identification. Challenging talent-finding areas.
Yes, use your talent scout, but does your talent scout work all alone? Get that Org. Chart out and prepare to mark it up. Look at current talent, empty spots, unmet needs, and where the unidentified gaps are or may occur. This is a great place to use your affirmative action plan. It lays out the workforce segments by department, job type, and field it will provide another perspective to get a better handle on where future needs and opportunities exist for the company.
Anticipated Needs: Future needs and the vision for your workforce
Now, 1-year, 3-year, and even 5 years down the road what are you going to need? Based on what you know about the company’s priorities, where do you see the largest growth or downturn? For example, the launch of new products may require adding an in-house development team or growing a small sales team into a full-fledged sales force. Determining what leadership demands the company will require in the future.
Who do you have on the bench and how often do you let them play? Understanding your priority needs makes it possible to focus on internal development, recruiting and retention opportunities that can set you up for future success.
Skills & Needs Gap: Identify organizational & talent gaps and “impossible” to fill areas
If you can’t think through this–get help. Strategic workforce planning is more than just fancy recruiting. Workforce planning helps you “see” your gaps and most challenging areas and requires you to think of your opportunities. It’s a SWOT analysis on people (a big shout out to whoever created the SWOT analysis). You really have to know your business and your goals well to effectively identify your needs–so bring the right people to this table.
Don’t be afraid to bring people who fill the current needs and high performers into the discussions as needed. Interview your people about how they have become the useful people they are today! Don’t reinvent the wheel–just enhance the quality of the wheel.
Identify your specialty coaches to build your rookies. Sometimes you have to create opportunities in order for people to grow and provide mentors. Think technology, science, dwindling trades, leadership qualities, pragmatist, EQ…these are current BIG GAP areas for most companies. What networks have you established (this is no longer just a local thing). It is a numbers game–wider pool harder to sort, but hands-on effort reaps rewards.
Flight Risks & Planned Turnover: Consider your current talent, obstacles, and risks
What are the current vulnerabilities in staffing? Who is unhappy? Who has transient capabilities? Who wants bigger & better? Who is not performing to standard and subject to dismissal. Did I mention retirement? What can of worms has remote working opened up (Free Agents, anyone)? Whether it’s competition for dwindling skill sets–Think STEM, diversity and inclusion, work advantaged zones, business friendly regions, no matter what you think–everyone is facing steep competition for highly effective employees.
Know your people and create a plan for every single one of them. As a company you have to give it your best shot to get the best shot. You have to come up to bat to get a hit. Expanding your employee retention initiatives, creatively sourcing, developing your current team, or investing in “employer of choice” culture and benefits (Yeah rah rah and $green$).
Build Plan: Now you know — what’s the plan?
Based on the HR audit you’ve conducted of your organization’s current and future workforce. Next steps are to consider your strategies in the following key areas:
- Building a robust recruiting process
- Talent acquisition and explorative candidate sourcing
- Developing a successful onboarding structure
- Engage in employee development and training (order reversed on purpose)
- Employer of choice retention models
- Planned TO knowledge transfer methods
Workforce planning is the fancy way to say PLAN AHEAD SMARTLY–GET A SOLID GAMEPLAN! And understand that no plan goes “as planned” — I know, crazy, right? But a plan vs. no plan is better prepared to see opportunities. No plan=head in sand. It takes time to find “right aligned” talent so make it look like you had a crystal ball by hiring right as you go along.
Take a look at your analytics, goal achievements, corporate trends, new technologies and field data available to predict future needs, develop a progressive (even use the best practices of old school again) talent acquisition and retention strategy, and implement an approach that will help your business grow and meet its goals in the years to come. Thanks for staying present and finishing this blog article. Next time I’ll write a workforce planning blog using some other hobby or interest–stay tuned.
