Unit 4 Notes - Workforce Planning and Talent Management
Introduction
Terms
• Involves analytics and technical aspects
• Prediction - A single numerical estimate of HR requirements associated with a specific time horizon and a set of
assumption
• Internal vs External predictions can differ
• Projection - Incorporates several HR estimates based on a variety of assumptions
• High/Med/Low
• Envelope - An analogy in which one can easily visualize the corners of an envelope containing the upper and lower
limits, or “bounds,” of the various HR projections extending into the future.
• Boundaries
• Scenario (Forecasting) - A proposed sequence of events with its own set of assumptions and associated program
details
• Contingency Planning - Plans to be implemented when unanticipated changes to organizational or environmental
factors which may negate the usefulness or the existing HR forecasting predictions or projections
Staffing Systems: Strategic/Organizational Effectiveness Point of View
• Staffing contributes to:
• Organizational goal attainment (e.g. survival, profitability and growth)
• Acquisition of leadership talent
• Competitive advantage for the organization
• Ensuring sufficient number and type of employees
• If done properly will contribute to organizational and employee success
Workforce Analytics (Strategic Perspective)
• Goal
• To provide an organization with insights for effectively managing employees so that business goals can be reached.
• Doesn’t just deal with collecting data but also making good decisions with the data
• Challenge
• Identifying what data/information should be captured
• How to use the data to predict capabilities so the organization gets an optimal return on investment.
• Does this by identifying areas that can be improved help with prediction and answers
• Applying analytic processes to the human resource department with the view of improving employee performance and
return on investment
• Examines both the efficiency, and more importantly, the effectiveness of programs.
• Aims to provide insight into each process by gathering data and then using it to make relevant decisions about how to
improve these processes.
• Correlate business data and people data, which can hep establish important connections
• Key aspect of it is to conclusively show the impact the HR department has on the organization.
• Establishing a cause-and-effect relationship between what HR does and business outcomes, and then creating
strategies based on that information.
• Workforce analytics enables the HR professional to identify the unique performance drivers within their own
organizations.
• Harvard study for Sears showed that the key to business was customer service and so by hiring and cultivating good
customer service and attitudes could meet targets (Sears service model)
• Treat employees like best customer they will treat customers like best customer
• From establishing a base line and engaging in benchmarking metrics can be used to adding more intelligence through
correlations and predications.
• How to add value? Beneficial to translate into the language of the business
• Impact Statements:
• People pay attention often indirect so important to be able to tie together to show outcome
• What impact does a sales training have on revenue development?
• What impact does low/high engagement have on turnover?
• What is the impact of a good on boarding program on productivity?
, Workforce Planning
What is Workforce Planning?
• Systematic identification and analysis of what organization will need in workforce generates business plan
• A process that:
• Determines the Human Capital needed
• Analyzes what is available; and
• Identifies the actions required to ensure the right people are at the right place at the right time, doing the right
things, to fulfill the organization’s strategic and operational plans.
• Strategic Workforce Planning may cover 3-5 years
• Scenario Planning
• Operational Workforce Planning cover 12-18 months
• Aligns with business planning cycle
• Human capital and taken management plan
• Examines: The stock and flow of people
Strategic Plan
• Linked to business strategy
• Some questions:
• Will planned growth or shrinkage require new recruitment strategies, selection techniques, or training programs?
• Will new business goals require new work procedures, employee performance standards, and training?
• Will other major changes require additional “change management” or employee/labour relations support.
Changing Environment
• Changes in the market, labor pool or legislative action
• Will new customer/stakeholder demands require new performance management standards, work methods, or
reorganization?
• Is our workforce profile (e.g. age, gender, ethnicity) changing who employees late to each other and to our
customers?
Workforce Maintenance and Enhancement
• Maintenance issues: staffing levels and sustaining employee knowledge and skills
• Risk management: Workplace safety, employment liability, and business continuity following a critical incident.
• Enhancement Issues: improve operational efficiency or improve organizational culture and performance.
Some Strategic Questions
• Contingency factors
• Is our current training plan keeping staff knowledge and skills current with industry standards?
• How prepared are we to manage/redeploy staff in the event of a critical incident that disrupts business operations?
• Are staff performing at the desired level?
• Do staff demonstrate the values and behaviours necessary for the organization to be successful?
Internal Capacity Factors
• Workforce demographics (e.g. major job categories, union membership, age/race/gender percentages)
• Internal candidate pools, candidate recruiting programs, and screening and selection strategies
• Current and projected internal workforce competency requirements (knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviours)
• If not will have to spend money hiring instead of training and retaining current employees
• Organizational design (e.g. supervisor span of control, centralization vs. decentralization, and distribution of
specialists and generalists)
• Workforce distribution (e.g. work locations and travel requirements_
• Work flow, methods, and processes
• How many hands touch / involved with decisions
• Human resources systems (e.g. compensation, classification, work rules and policies, collective bargaining
agreements, and performance management strategies)
Introduction
Terms
• Involves analytics and technical aspects
• Prediction - A single numerical estimate of HR requirements associated with a specific time horizon and a set of
assumption
• Internal vs External predictions can differ
• Projection - Incorporates several HR estimates based on a variety of assumptions
• High/Med/Low
• Envelope - An analogy in which one can easily visualize the corners of an envelope containing the upper and lower
limits, or “bounds,” of the various HR projections extending into the future.
• Boundaries
• Scenario (Forecasting) - A proposed sequence of events with its own set of assumptions and associated program
details
• Contingency Planning - Plans to be implemented when unanticipated changes to organizational or environmental
factors which may negate the usefulness or the existing HR forecasting predictions or projections
Staffing Systems: Strategic/Organizational Effectiveness Point of View
• Staffing contributes to:
• Organizational goal attainment (e.g. survival, profitability and growth)
• Acquisition of leadership talent
• Competitive advantage for the organization
• Ensuring sufficient number and type of employees
• If done properly will contribute to organizational and employee success
Workforce Analytics (Strategic Perspective)
• Goal
• To provide an organization with insights for effectively managing employees so that business goals can be reached.
• Doesn’t just deal with collecting data but also making good decisions with the data
• Challenge
• Identifying what data/information should be captured
• How to use the data to predict capabilities so the organization gets an optimal return on investment.
• Does this by identifying areas that can be improved help with prediction and answers
• Applying analytic processes to the human resource department with the view of improving employee performance and
return on investment
• Examines both the efficiency, and more importantly, the effectiveness of programs.
• Aims to provide insight into each process by gathering data and then using it to make relevant decisions about how to
improve these processes.
• Correlate business data and people data, which can hep establish important connections
• Key aspect of it is to conclusively show the impact the HR department has on the organization.
• Establishing a cause-and-effect relationship between what HR does and business outcomes, and then creating
strategies based on that information.
• Workforce analytics enables the HR professional to identify the unique performance drivers within their own
organizations.
• Harvard study for Sears showed that the key to business was customer service and so by hiring and cultivating good
customer service and attitudes could meet targets (Sears service model)
• Treat employees like best customer they will treat customers like best customer
• From establishing a base line and engaging in benchmarking metrics can be used to adding more intelligence through
correlations and predications.
• How to add value? Beneficial to translate into the language of the business
• Impact Statements:
• People pay attention often indirect so important to be able to tie together to show outcome
• What impact does a sales training have on revenue development?
• What impact does low/high engagement have on turnover?
• What is the impact of a good on boarding program on productivity?
, Workforce Planning
What is Workforce Planning?
• Systematic identification and analysis of what organization will need in workforce generates business plan
• A process that:
• Determines the Human Capital needed
• Analyzes what is available; and
• Identifies the actions required to ensure the right people are at the right place at the right time, doing the right
things, to fulfill the organization’s strategic and operational plans.
• Strategic Workforce Planning may cover 3-5 years
• Scenario Planning
• Operational Workforce Planning cover 12-18 months
• Aligns with business planning cycle
• Human capital and taken management plan
• Examines: The stock and flow of people
Strategic Plan
• Linked to business strategy
• Some questions:
• Will planned growth or shrinkage require new recruitment strategies, selection techniques, or training programs?
• Will new business goals require new work procedures, employee performance standards, and training?
• Will other major changes require additional “change management” or employee/labour relations support.
Changing Environment
• Changes in the market, labor pool or legislative action
• Will new customer/stakeholder demands require new performance management standards, work methods, or
reorganization?
• Is our workforce profile (e.g. age, gender, ethnicity) changing who employees late to each other and to our
customers?
Workforce Maintenance and Enhancement
• Maintenance issues: staffing levels and sustaining employee knowledge and skills
• Risk management: Workplace safety, employment liability, and business continuity following a critical incident.
• Enhancement Issues: improve operational efficiency or improve organizational culture and performance.
Some Strategic Questions
• Contingency factors
• Is our current training plan keeping staff knowledge and skills current with industry standards?
• How prepared are we to manage/redeploy staff in the event of a critical incident that disrupts business operations?
• Are staff performing at the desired level?
• Do staff demonstrate the values and behaviours necessary for the organization to be successful?
Internal Capacity Factors
• Workforce demographics (e.g. major job categories, union membership, age/race/gender percentages)
• Internal candidate pools, candidate recruiting programs, and screening and selection strategies
• Current and projected internal workforce competency requirements (knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviours)
• If not will have to spend money hiring instead of training and retaining current employees
• Organizational design (e.g. supervisor span of control, centralization vs. decentralization, and distribution of
specialists and generalists)
• Workforce distribution (e.g. work locations and travel requirements_
• Work flow, methods, and processes
• How many hands touch / involved with decisions
• Human resources systems (e.g. compensation, classification, work rules and policies, collective bargaining
agreements, and performance management strategies)
