Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko: https://www.pexels.com/photo/an-elderly-man-working-on-his-laptop-8376340/

Our blog from our very own Chairman, Trevor Dawes sharing his knowledge about Workforce Planning. We hope you find it helpful.

Introduction

I have been working in the area of recruitment, skills and competencies, capability and talent management for over 30 years. In this blog I talk about how to use Workforce Planning to ensure you manage people risks in your business.

Workforce Planning

Most organisations have considered the impact of recession due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the global energy crisis, but where they may have planned some contingency in output or supply, have they done any workforce planning?

You may be ahead of the game, thinking about opportunities and threats, working out your strategies and having some costed business plans. A good approach is not just to think about the impact on your budget. Thinking about headcount is important, but it’s not the full story.

It’s more than just a numbers game!

Trevor Dawes, OPL Chairman

In addition to headcount, think about the skills and capability of your teams. There are some key employees who have ‘knowledge nuggets’ in their heads that keep things running smoothly. Do you know who they are?

Photo by Anna Tarazevich: https://www.pexels.com/photo/skills-text-on-black-background-5598301/

Let me give you an example…

A friend was telling me that when his business had been affected by a downturn in orders, they decided to reduce the number of production line staff. This included two long serving veterans whose skills seemed surplus to requirements, now they had a modern production line which required little manual intervention. What those making the decision at senior level didn’t realise was that these two people had ‘knowledge nuggets’ that were vital to the smooth running of the line. These employees had used their experience to spot potential problems before they impacted on production. As they covered for each other’s absences, their manager had not realised the potential impact of losing both team members. Without their input there were constant interruptions to production, leading to wastage and delays in meeting order deadlines. This resulted in more damage to the business reputation and the bottom line than anyone could have imagined.

Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/piled-brown-stones-220759/

Tips for Workforce Planning

Are you facing potential similar risks? If so, here are some of our key tips for workforce planning:

1. Engage with managers and get them involved – they will know where the skills are needed and where problems might arise.

2. Think about skills and capability and uncover those ‘knowledge nuggets’.

3. Ensure you have cover and succession plans for key roles.

4. Understand the job market for the key skills you require – if these skills are in short supply, how will you retain the staff you already have with those skills and, if you need to recruit, how will you differentiate your organisation as an employer of choice?

5. Remember that workforce planning is not an academic exercise – it’s not enough to produce a report and file it! Workforce planning should be flexible to meet a range of possible outcomes. You may need separate plans for different teams depending on your structures, internal talent pipelines, the availability of skilled recruits and the external competition for these skills.

Photo by Monstera: https://www.pexels.com/photo/hands-of-black-people-in-black-and-white-shirts-6998462/

Summary

When we are on the other side of this latest recession, you may breathe a sigh of relief. If you are realistic, you will recognise that businesses need to be agile in order to deal with ongoing uncertainties in the future. So, don’t let workforce planning be a one-off intervention for the situation we currently find ourselves in; make it an integral part of your business planning process. The best employers have various ‘what if’ workforce plans that identify the skills and capabilities that they will need, with succession plans and people development well aligned. Are you one of those organisations?

Would you like to know more about how OPL can help your organisation? If so, please do make contact. We’d love to hear from you!

Pick up the phone today and call us on 01455 550732 or email us on info@onlineprofiling.com