Workforce Planning – Needed now more than ever
What is workforce planning?  It is an exercise aimed at ensuring that you have “the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time to deliver the organisation’s objectives”. 

This is not a new idea – more a statement of the obvious.  But perhaps because it needs a bit of graft and isn’t very glamorous it took a nose dive during the 80’s and 90’s as the HR profession hid behind the focus on short-termism and change. Now, due to the recession, it is recognised that a focus on achieving measureable results and having a clear idea on the skills and experience that will deliver them is back on the agenda.

Workforce planning – and having a workforce plan – is not complicated. All you are looking for is a clear idea of the actions to be put in place so that the workforce can deliver the organisations services and products efficiently and in a cost effective way.  A clear view of where you are headed and communication is the key. After that input from across the whole organisation should be welcomed, giving all employees the chance to think through how what they do contributes to the achievement of the end results - and how it could be done better.

Based on the gaps identified the employer can develop the right structures, behaviours, job groups and career paths to get to the chosen destination.  HR can flesh out the details – the competencies, the training and development plan, succession planning, multi-skilling, quality of recruitment, flexible working, demand matching and communications – that put the oil in the engine and pump up performance. (Or in 2010 speak, reduce costs and do more with less).

Want to give it a go? Give Campbell or Stuart a call and let us demonstrate how a bit of workforce planning will more than pay its way. Campbell@hradvantage.co.uk/01494 451681. Stuart@hradvantage.co.uk/01404 42359.