Professional Documents
Culture Documents
August 2006
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Fact Brief
*The interviewed individual represents the practices of one business operation of Company C. However, the revenue and employee information represents the entire organization.
Table of Contents Executive Summary Administering Workforce Planning Conducting Workforce Planning Improving Workforce Planning Appendix: Workforce Planning Processes Research Methodology 2 3 4 9
Workforce Planning Strategically Aligns Human Capital with Business Direction An aging population and tighter talent markets demand new human capital planning strategies An uncertain labor market coupled with a rapidly changing marketplace creates the need for organizations to proactively plan for expected and unexpected shifts in business demand and talent supply. Furthermore, the business implications of the aging workforce position human capital planning as an essential element of comprehensive business planning. However, many organizations are only beginning to see the value of such planning and may be at a disadvantage in the coming years without building a planning process that ties human capital strategies to business goals.1,2 and encourage companies to identify key workforce strategies through well-developed workforce planning. Workforce planning allows organizations to better meet the challenges of a rapidly changing economy. By using business strategy to align shifts in demand with the existing and future supply of human capital, organizations optimize the workforce to meet business goals, increase market share, and improve employee engagement. This brief describes the workforce planning processes of six organizations and illustrates the strategic alignment of workforce planning, detailed in the figure below: Figure 1: Workforce Planning Strategic Alignment
Business Strategy Workforce Planning Human Resources Strategy Human Resources Operations 2006 Corporate Executive Board. All Rights Reserved. Catalog No.: CLC1609955
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
To create an efficient and effective workforce planning process, organizations typically follow a three-phase process, as detailed in the executive summary below:
*For an overview of each profiled companys workforce planning process, please see pages 11-13 of this document.
PROCESSES FOR WORKFORCE PLANNING AUGUST 2006 Administering Workforce Planning Conducting Workforce Planning Improving Workforce Planning
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The main responsibility of the dedicated staff members is to complete the annual workforce plan. All profiled companies, with the exception of Company F, conduct workforce planning annually. Company F currently conducts workforce planning on a more ad hoc basis. The interviewed individuals note that workforce planning occurs annually because it is incorporated into the annual planning or budgeting process. However, profiled companies reveal that in the future they hope to conduct the process more frequently to react to business changes such as mergers and acquisitions, changes in the internal and external labor markets, and changes in business strategy. The table below illustrates the frequency and duration of the workforce planning effort at the six profiled organizations: Table 1: Frequency and Duration of Workforce Planning Company Frequency Duration Annually, will be moving to a Currently most of the work is A rolling six quarter process* done in last quarter of the year B Annually July to September C Annually August to February D Annually September to October E Annually, monitored quarterly 2 to 3 months F As needed N/A
*This new planning process means that each quarter the company will project six quarters ahead. The organization will move to this planning cycle to mirror the financial planning process.
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Phase II: Analyze Historical Trends and Business Estimates to Develop Demand ForecastForecasting workforce demand is a process that allows management to predict upcoming changes to their need for talent. Profiled organizations take the workload approach, which evaluates the amount and type of work the organization anticipates handling to project the number of resources needed to perform that work. Profiled organizations predict future demand by considering internal factors such as turnover and external influences like business strategies, economic conditions, and market competition. The figure below illustrates a hypothetical demand analysis that evolves business goals into workforce reality:7,8,9 Figure 4: Hypothetical Demand Analysis Based on Business Goals
Key Business Questions What are the estimated increases or decreases in company growth, output, or revenue? What are the estimated corresponding changes in talent (and other functions) that result from company growth? Hypothetical Forecast To reach the business goal, the organization will need to take the following actions: Buy 5 buildings Hire 500 new employees Train for language skills Buy new technology system Workforce Reality Organizations take into account historical trends in turnover and other factors, to determine the specific need for talent. For example, as detailed in the equation below to have 500 new employees, the organization must hire 1,500 new employees: Forecast (500 employees) Factors (e.g., turnover) Actual Number (1,500 employees)
+/-
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Organizations collect this data to analyze the current and future supply both internally and externally. Profiled companies primarily use their HRIS to track this data but also use a variety of other collection methods, which are detailed in the two tables below: Table 2: Tools to Determine Current Supply Tool Description
HRIS All profiled organizations use their HRIS to pull relevant workforce information on their full-time and part-time employees. Profiled companies give templates to line or functional managers to complete about the current supply of their workforces. For example, Company C asks line managers about involuntary and voluntary turnover and projected retirements of their employees. To determine the external supply of talent, Company E and Company F utilize data from the BLS on demographic trends. Company E pulls this information for the ten most important business locations. Profiled organizations cite that the most effective way to track contract labor is to build a contractual supplier relationship. Then the supplier can provide accurate and updated temporary labor headcount on a regular basis.
Focus Groups
Vendor Relationships
Forecast Models
Profiled organizations build forecast models based on current supply and projected future supply. A sample forecast model is detailed in Figure 5 below.
As mentioned above, profiled organizations develop a forecast model used to project the supply of labor for the coming year or for the next several years. The figure below illustrates a commonly used supply analysis model that first determines internal labor supply and then factors in external labor supply (typically drawn from BLS data) to create the supply forecast: Figure 5: Supply Analysis Model
Projected Inflow
Transfers Promotions New Hires
Supply Forecast
All profiled companies use spreadsheets to conduct gap analysis and note that this process can be tiresome as spreadsheets are difficult to update. As a result of this difficulty, all profiled organizations hope that in the future their organizations will implement new systems such as Web-based dashboards to conduct gap analysis. The interviewee from Company C notes that the organization considered purchasing a consultant workforce planning system but it was deemed too expensive. As workforce planning becomes more valuable to organizations, there is a greater likelihood that organizations may begin to use more sophisticated technology such as dashboards, data warehouses, or other vendor workforce management products. Research and interviews reveal that using this type of technology provides the following benefits:11 Figure 7: Benefits of Workforce Planning Technology Reduce Time and Effort
Profiled organizations note that spreadsheets can be time consuming and are difficult to update. Other technology can reduce this time and effort of data compilation.
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The workforce planning output allows functions, especially HR, to create targeted strategies to fix current and impending skill and talent gaps. The interviewed individual at Company C notes that the organization has taken significant action as a result of the workforce planning process, as detailed below: Figure 8: Company Cs Defined Workforce Strategies Recruiting Training and Development Retirement Policy
An external labor analysis exposed a shrinking external labor pool. To successfully recruit from this shrinking talent pool, Company C began to create innovative recruiting strategies and implement an employment branding initiative.
To ensure that the organization would have a full talent pipeline, Company C established a development program for high-potential employees. By developing these employees for key positions, Company C hopes to avoid gaps in critical positions in the future as the baby boomer generation retires.
Company Cs workforce study revealed that a large portion of the workforce would be eligible for retirement in the next five to ten years. To keep employees working longer, Company C implemented flexible benefits, flexible work arrangements, and part-time work opportunities.
Tie workforce planning to existing business processes Research and interviews reveal that workforce planning is often more effective when it is tied into an existing business process. Therefore, most profiled companies draw a direct link between the workforce plan and the companys strategic mission.
Develop a simple workforce planning model and provide tools Profiled companies note that developing a simple planning model and providing tools engages HR and managers in the process and avoids arriving at incorrect conclusions.
Conduct background research Before Company C began workforce planning, the HR department conducted research on the state of the internal and external workforce. The research revealed that half of its workforce was projected to retire in the next five to ten years. This future talent and skill gap illustrated the importance of workforce planning and ensured buy-in.
Adopt new technology and keep process simple Profiled companies hope to move towards using data warehouses or consultant tools in the future. However, in the interim, profiled companies try to keep the use of spreadsheets as simple as possible.
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Benefit #1: Enables Organizations to Be Proactive Workforce planning enables profiled companies to recognize emerging challenges and proactively respond. For example, organizations that fail to prepare for the implications of the aging workforce will suffer from a lack of talent and potentially severe skill gaps. In addition, proactive planning prevents massive hiring and layoffs due to business swings. Profiled companies note that proactive action is often less costly because the problem has not yet fully developed.
Benefit #2: Improves the Effectiveness of the HR Function Workforce planning allows the HR function to create targeted strategies and improve the effectiveness of the function. By prioritizing resources and time on the workforce implications of business strategy, HR is able to become a more strategic partner to the organization. Profiled companies cite that since beginning workforce planning, the HR function is seen as a more valuable contributor to business strategy, and executives are more interested in human capital issues.
Benefit #3: Increases Customer and Employee Satisfaction Workforce planning enables companies to improve customer service by ensuring that the organization has the appropriate number of employees in the right locations. In addition, profiled companies note that they have experienced increased employee engagement because companies are able to deploy an appropriate number of employees to meet demand. In addition, by having a better understanding of future demand for talent, employees are groomed for new opportunities that fit their capabilities and interests.
Benefit #4: Improves Market Share Workforce planning improves the overall business by proactively addressing human capital. The interviewees at Company E note that by understanding the workforce they have been able to move employees around to meet demand and thus increase the companys market share. In addition, if the organization enters a new market segment or product area, they are able to save recruiting and training resources by knowing if there are internal or external sources of talent for particular positions.
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Key Players:
Finance As part of the annual business planning process, the finance team sets annual revenue targets for the organization.
Business Unit Function Leaders Each business unit function puts together an annual plan to meet the revenue goals. The information primarily comes from the companys HRIS and through a linked tool for contingent labor that managers can update as needed.
Human Resources The HR plan for each business unit is combined into a corporate workforce plan. This information is tracked via spreadsheet. The workforce plan is rolled up into the enterprise-wide annual plan.
Human Resources The workforce plan is given to the business unit HR leaders to develop a hiring plan for the following year. This information is especially relevant to recruiting, whose goals are tied to meeting the targets laid out by the workforce plan.
Key Elements:
Company Bs Workforce Planning Process Company B conducts an annual workforce planning event from July to September that consists of the following steps:
Key Players:
Human Resources HR does a workplace study of each line of business as well as at the enterprise level. The study is given to HR generalists from each business on a monthly basis and examines factors such as turnover, vacancies, and retirement eligibility.
Human Resources HR provides each business with a tool that contains current headcount, current and projected vacancies, and other staffing projections. This information is tracked through the companys HRIS and through vendorprovided monthly temporary staffing updates.
Business Unit HR Business unit HR creates a workforce plan based on the information from the workplace study and the template.
HR, Finance, Strategic Staffing The various business unit plans are compiled into a corporate workforce plan.
Business Unit and Functional Leaders From this corporate plan, action plans are built out for each business. The leaders of each business meet with the support functions to do a prioritization exercise to build out a set of key goals.
Key Elements:
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Key Players:
Line Managers Line managers are given workforce planning templates to fill out that examine anticipated turnover, retirement, training need, and possibility for internal and external recruiting. The company currently uses spreadsheets to track workforce planning information.
HR and Business Leaders These workforce plans are rolled up to the Senior Vice Presidents or business leaders who use this information to create a business-wide forecast.
Human Resources The workforce planning output goes to inform HR decisions and strategies. For example, company leaders realized that due to the aging workforce, they had to attempt to keep workers longer and thus developed new part-time work options for older employees.
Key Elements:
Company Ds Workforce Planning Process Company Ds workforce planning process is broken down into the senior and non-senior population. The organization spends more time and resources on the senior population to ensure a continuity of critical talent. The organization conducts an annual planning process with a 3- or 5-year forecast, as detailed below:
Step 1a: Complete Template for Senior Positions Personnel Managers and HR Directors The Personnel Manager of each function and the HR Director of each country complete a supply and demand template, as detailed below: Supply: The annual talent nominations provide each employee a talent nomination that allows the organization to have a better understanding of the talent pipeline. Demand: The template examines the business goals and factors such as retirement, turnover, and the number of new roles being created to determine demand. Step 1b: Complete Template for Non-Senior Positions Step 2: Approve and Compile Plans Step 3: Create Workforce Strategies
Key Players:
Human Resources Company D bases supply and demand projections off long-term business plans. For example, if the business plan calls for a certain number of new stores, the template has a formula that takes into account history of turnover to project the number of employees that will be needed in the coming years.
Senior Leadership and HR The workforce plans for each function are approved by the functional leader and personnel manager for each function, and the HR director and CEO approve the workforce plan from each country. Once approved these plans are given to corporate HR, which compiles this information into a global forecast.
Human Resources The workforce planning information is given to the HR function to determine the strategic implications on training, development, and recruiting.
Key Elements:
The global forecast is presented to the Board on annual basis and illustrates how the workforce plan is helping to achieve business goals. 2006 Corporate Executive Board. All Rights Reserved.
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Key Players:
Human Resources The organization pulls data about the internal workforce from the HRIS. The company determines external supply by pulling information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics about its top ten business locations.
Human Resources The organization analyzes demand by business geography by surveying the business partners, examining business goals and trends, and making educated assumptions based on this data.
Human Resources HR reviews the supply and demand analysis to determine the current and future gaps in the workforce. HR monitors the gap on a quarterly basis by examining the gaps by geography and by role.
HR Leadership The HR leadership team builds a workforce plan to fill the gaps discovered during the gap analysis phase. Groups are held accountable for closing these gaps when the HR leadership team meets on a quarterly basis to adjust the workforce plan.
Key Elements:
Company Fs Workforce Planning Process Company F has a two-pronged approach to workforce planning. The first prong examines the call center population, and the second prong examines the exempt employee population, as detailed in the process map below:
Step 1: Demand Analysis Step 2: Supply Analysis Step 3: Conduct Process As Needed Step 4: Implement Strategies to Address Gaps
Key Players:
Finance and Human Resources The finance team determines the demand for the call centers on an ongoing basis based on business goals and plans.
Human Resources HR drives the supply analysis by examining data such as the demographics of internal and external labor pools, and the number of college graduates, education levels, etc.
Human Resources The workforce planning process is conducted on an as needed basis and provides just in time analysis. For example, in the case of a largescale organizational change, a workforce planning initiative would be launched.
Human Resources If the workforce planning process reveals specific training or talent gaps, the organization is able to resolve these gaps quickly by initiating hiring or training programs.
Key Elements:
Demand for the exempt employees is also based on business goals but is relatively stable over time.
This information is gathered from sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and through external consultant-led focus groups. 2006 Corporate Executive Board. All Rights Reserved.
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Project Aims
3. 4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9.
Figure 1: Figure 2: Figure 3: Figure 4: Figure 5: Figure 6: Figure 7: Figure 8: Figure 9: Figure 10:
Workforce Planning Strategic Alignment Key Players in the Workforce Planning Process Sample Workforce Implications Template Hypothetical Demand Anlaysis Based on Business Goals Supply Analysis Model Sample Gap Analysis from Exxon Mobil Benefits of Workforce Planning Technology Company Cs Defined Workforce Strategies Reaction to Change and Workforce Planning Key Challenges and Solutions for Successful Workforce Planning Figure 11: Benefits of Workforce Planning
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Author Unknown, "Watson Wyatt Establishes Workforce Planning Consulting Practice," HR.com (6 January 2003). (Obtained through http://www.hr.com/hrcom/index.cfm/262/B3586A78-295E-4C2C-9D1CF860F5179579). [Accessed 29 June 2006]. 2 Bindl, Jim, "Align Plans with Data," Personnel Journal (Date Unknown). (Obtained through ProQuest). 3 Author Unknown, "Workforce Planning: Who Does What?" Workforce Management (October 2002). (Obtained through http://www.workforce.com). [Accessed 6 July 2006]. 4 Creelman, David, "Six Easy Pieces," Workforce Management (May 2005). (Obtained through http://www.workforce.com). [Accessed 22 June 2006]. 5 Author Unknown, "How to Tie Workforce Planning to Revenue," Workforce Management (June 2006). (Obtained through www.workforce.com/archive/article/24/42/55.php). [Accessed 5 July 2006]. 6 Creelman, David, "Six Easy Pieces." 7 Sullivan, John, "Why You Need Workforce Planning," Workforce Management (November 2002). (Obtained through http://www.workforce.com/section/06/feature/23/35/44/index_printer.html). [Accessed 23 June 2006]. 8 Corporate Leadership Council, Workforce Planning Processes, Washington: Corporate Executive Board (June 2003). 9 Ward, Dan, "Workforce Demand Forecasting Techniques," Human Resources Planning (1996). (Obtained through ProQuest). 10 Corporate Leadership Council, A Higher Calling: Redefining HR's Priorities and Role in the New Economy, Washington: Corporate Executive Board (2000). 11 Barkley, Marcia, "Dear Workforce: What Can Analytics Software Do for HR?" Workforce Management (17 June 2003). (Obtained through http://www.workforce.com/archive/article/23/72/90_printer.php). [Accessed 28 June 2006]. 12 Corporate Leadership Council, Communications Tools for the Chief Human Resources Officer, Washington: Corporate Executive Board (2005). 13 Sullivan, John, "Workforce Planning: Why Start Now?" Workforce Management (November 2002). (Obtained through http://www.workforce.com). [Accessed 6 July 2006].