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Strategic workforce planning guide for HR professionals
Explore how ADP Canada can help you align workforce planning with day-to-day operations.
As the workplace continues to evolve, Canadian organizations are re-evaluating how they align their people strategy with long-term objectives. Strategic workforce planning helps HR professionals evaluate future skill needs, identify gaps and develop proactive plans.
Table of Contents
- What is strategic workforce planning?
- What are the benefits of strategic workforce planning?
- What does a strategic workforce planning framework include?
- Which strategic workforce planning certifications are available?
- What are the best tools for workforce planning?
- What are strategic workforce planning best practices?
- Connect planning with workforce execution
- FAQs
What is strategic workforce planning?
Strategic workforce planning is a comprehensive process that involves analyzing and forecasting an organization’s future talent requirements to align with its business goals. This process involves assessing the current workforce, predicting upcoming needs and creating actionable strategies for recruitment, employee development and succession planning.
To enhance this process, many organizations use strategic workforce planning software or tools to model different scenarios and assess the potential impact of workforce changes.
What are the benefits of strategic workforce planning?
The value of strategic workforce planning lies in its ability to help organizations make informed workforce decisions. Potential benefits include:
- Better alignment between HR and business strategy: Strategic workforce planning ensures that HR initiatives support the overall business goals, leading to a more cohesive organizational strategy.
- Data-driven workforce forecasting: By using data and workforce analytics, organizations can make more accurate predictions about workforce needs and trends, such as planning for an aging workforce.
- Improved transparency: Strategic workforce planning fosters greater clarity regarding workforce capabilities and gaps, enabling all stakeholders to understand workforce needs and available resources.
What does a strategic workforce planning framework include?
A strategic workforce planning framework provides a structured approach for connecting people data with business strategy. While frameworks may differ by organization or industry, they commonly include:
- Business and strategy review: Understanding organizational goals and external factors, such as market conditions or regulations
- Current workforce assessment: Reviewing internal data such as head count, demographics, skills and turnover
- Future workforce modelling: Using workforce planning tools to model future needs, based on strategy and expected change
- Gap analysis: Identifying where additional talent, skills or training may be needed
- Action planning: Outlining recruitment, reskilling or succession strategies
- Monitoring and evaluation: Regularly reviewing progress and updating forecasts
Which strategic workforce planning certifications are available?
HR professionals interested in developing their skills in strategic workforce planning can explore several established programs, including:
- HCI strategic workforce planning (SWP) certification: Takes workforce planning out of the theoretical realm and into reality by giving you a methodology and set of tools to implement right away
- SHRM workforce planning course: Empowers you to lead strategic workforce planning that drives agility, reduces risk and fuels long-term growth
- CIPD workforce planning course: Helps you learn to forecast talent supply and segment data to make informed decisions
What are the best tools for workforce planning?
The best workforce planning tools vary depending on an organization's size, systems and planning maturity. Typically, these tools offer:
- Integration with HR and finance data for consolidated reporting
- Scenario planning to evaluate potential workforce changes
- Budget and cost analysis to align workforce decisions with financial planning
- Visualization dashboards for sharing insights across teams
What are strategic workforce planning best practices?
Strategic workforce planning best practices include:
- Engaging stakeholders across departments
- Ensuring data accuracy
- Reviewing plans regularly
- Investing in workforce planning training
- Aligning the plan with business strategy
- Using technology where needed
Connect planning with workforce execution
Effective strategic workforce planning relies on accurate data and integrated systems. ADP Canada’s workforce management solutions help Canadian organizations coordinate scheduling, manage time and attendance and access workforce analytics that support informed, data-based decisions. Learn how your HR team can move from planning to execution with tools that make workforce oversight simpler and more consistent. Talk to sales
FAQs
What are the main objectives of strategic workforce planning?
The main objectives of strategic workforce planning are to align the workforce with the organization's long-term goals, anticipate future staffing needs and optimize the placement of talent. Additionally, it aims to enhance recruitment and retention strategies while improving organizational agility, allowing companies to respond effectively to changing market conditions.
What are the 5 Rs of workforce planning?
- Right people: Identifying the skills and qualities needed for specific roles to support organizational goals
- Right numbers: Determining the appropriate number of employees required to meet business demands
- Right time: Ensuring staff are available when needed, based on project timelines and seasonal demands
- Right place: Deciding where employees should work, whether in-house, remotely or in different locations
- Right cost: Managing workforce costs to ensure hiring and retention align with the organization’s budget
What is SWOT analysis for workforce planning?
SWOT analysis for workforce planning evaluates the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of an organization’s workforce. Strengths are internal advantages, such as skilled employees and effective training, while weaknesses refer to internal challenges, including skills gaps or high turnover. Opportunities involve external factors that can enhance talent acquisition, such as market trends and new technologies, and threats encompass external challenges, like competition for talent or economic changes. By using a SWOT analysis, organizations can gain valuable insights to inform their workforce planning decisions.
This guide is intended to be used as a starting point in analyzing strategic workforce planning and is not a comprehensive resource of requirements. It offers practical information concerning the subject matter and is provided with the understanding that ADP Canada is not rendering legal or tax advice or other professional services.
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