Workforce Planning 101

By Terry Simanek

May 2011

Smaller organizations often don’t engage in formal workforce planning activities. Workforce planning is the process of ensuring the organization has the right people in the right place at the right time. Even smaller organizations can create value and increase organizational stability and productivity by implementing the basics of workforce planning.

A strategic plan is the ideal place to start the workforce planning process. However, even without a formal strategic plan in place, there are basic steps that can be implemented to position the organization for success.

To begin, the organization needs to assess current and future needs based on short-term (a year or less) and long-term (3 to 5 years out) goals. What knowledge, skills and abilities will be needed to achieve those goals? The assessment takes into account the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the current employees and identifies gaps between what is currently available and what will be needed. Also, an evaluation of the organization’s business cycle and peaks in demands for goods and services is necessary to ensure that customer demands can be met.

After the assessment is completed, a plan is established to acquire the skills necessary to keep the organization moving towards its goals. The plan would typically include steps to develop existing employees, recruitment strategies to acquire new skills, and the appropriate staffing patterns to meet varying customer demands.

The challenge for the smaller organization in this process is having the resources available to carry out these activities. Smaller organizations can benefit from partnering with companies like Integrity Staffing & Solutions. Our firm is able to meet temporary and long-term needs for talent and provide expertise in the areas of Human Resource, Management and Leadership. We offer flexibility in the way we deliver services to provide the client with valuable, yet affordable, solutions. All organizations can benefit from a basic workforce planning process, whether they partner with a company like ours or complete it on their own.

If you have questions or comments about this topic, feel free to contact Terry Simanek at tsimanek@integritystaffsolutions.com or at 402-558-2072.