Consultation with managers on workforce planning

1. Consultation with managers on workforce planning

2. Operating environment • Environmental factors are both external and internal and include: • External:Political, legislative, compliance, economic, labour market, social, policy, technology, environment, educational, recruitment competition, comparative pay rates, service expectations, sector/industry-wide trends.

3. Internal: mission/vision, culture and values, current business drivers, business challenges, structure, resources, knowledge management, new productss/service demands,performance indicators, customer feedback.

4. Scenario Planning • Review available organisational information; • Workshop the data with relevant managers; • Define two or three possible scenarios; • Assess the likelihood and impact of each scenario occurring; • Identify the desired future; • Use understanding of scenarios to feed into workforce planning efforts and strategy; • Reality-check and amend scenarios as necessary and modify relevant workforce planning strategy

5. Distinguish broad environmental factors that may impact on the current workforce • Identify the likely future conditions or scenarios • Identify key roles and job categories (e.g. positions, classifications, skills and professions) for business success • Isolate the critical factors impacting on capacity/capability of the future workforce • Consult line experts and key staff • Consider the risk of ‘doing nothing’

6. Questions to ask • What demands are likely on the business in next 5 years? • Key jobs for business success? • Is current work aligned with strategy? • Could improvements be made to structure of organisation or your unit?

7. Supply-side factors • Identify and access critical staffing information (eg recruitment, retention, attrition) • Analyse trend data for key roles and job categories (e.g. positions, classifications, skills and professions) • Understand current levels of capability (including cultural)

8. Supply side questions • Do you know what your workforce looks like(eg retirements, age, turnover rates) • What capabilities make your key jobs critical? (technical/generic/leadership) • Current levels of capability? • Is there a match between capability and current business requirements?

9. Demand-side factors • Evaluate current and anticipated workload issues • Identify and consider current and future occupational shortages • Identify priority capabilities now and into the future

10. Demand side questions • What are current and anticipated workload issues? • What do you want more or less of in your workforce? • Priority capabilities? • Sourcing needs 12 months, 3, 5 years • Staff shortages

11. Redundant skills? • New skills required? • Impact in critical jobs? • Staff Development time lines? • Pressure points?

12. Build up evidence for action • Have work requirements changed? • Does the work still need to be done? • Is the work being done aligned to organisational strategy? • How will work flow into each part of the organisation? • Are we structured the right way? • Are there changes planned to the location of work? (eg virtual offices, relocations, teleworking)

13. Are there staff shortages in particular areas of work? • Do employees have the required skills and capabilities? • How is knowledge transferred and how long does it take to develop ‘critical skills’? • What skills are no longer required, or will no longer be required in the future?

14. What is the ‘gap’? • Identify the gap between demand and supply factors • Undertake a risk assessment of critical workforce issues and/or skills gaps in order to focus workforce planning efforts • Identify the necessary changes to the nature or composition of the workforce to meet the targeted (desired) future • Assess where org’n needs time to respond

15. Source www.apsc.gov.au/publications06/workforce planningquestions.htm Accessed 7/9/08