Importance of Workforce Planning::
Workforce planning deals with creating a balance between the supply and demand of the human force and skills. In workforce planning organizations make an analysis of the present number of workforce available in the organization and how much more the organization needs now and in the coming future. It also identifies the gap between the present workforce and future workforce needs. Workforce planning is important for having the right number of employees with the right skills at the right time.A proper and right workforce planning saves the organizations from shortfall or excess of employees. Having the right number of employees helps in improving the performance of the organization and achieving its goals and mission within the specified time. For example, most of the companies offer end-of-the-year or Christmas sales and have to produce the products in bulk. When production increases the more worker are required. If the organization does not have to do workforce planning before the sales season then it will be in a difficult situation at the time of sale.
Workforce planning is important as it helps diminish work costs for workforce arrangement and adaptability. It helps to recognize and react to changing client needs and applicable procedures for focused individuals’ improvement. It targets shortcomings, improves worker maintenance, improves efficiency and quality yields, and makes proposals to convey key value through ability. Workforce planning is also helpful for human resource management in informing about the planning, designing, developing the job, right time about the recruitment and selection, and talent management.
Workforce Planning Process:
The workforce planning in large organizations differs from the small organization. Large organizations have a separate team for this purpose and do this process more frequently. Whereas small organizations have fewer requirements and needs for workforce planning.Types of Workforce Planning:
There are six types of workforce planning- Employee development
- Upskilling for Transformation
- Cross-training
- Project staffing
- Internal recruiting
- Merger and acquisitions
Employee Development:
Employee development is a continuous process that focuses on improving the skills of the employees by providing them with knowledge and learning through training. Through employee development, the employees are internally trained for higher roles, responsibilities, and designations. And at the time of need, based on the performance they are promoted to the upper level. In large organizations, the human resource department has learning and development centers, whose main purpose is to arrange and provide the necessary training and learnings to the employees.Upskilling for Transformation:
Upskilling for transformation is a technique that focuses on not only providing the skills to the employees based on the current job need but also from the future perspective. Every organization faces changes and there is now the trend of digital transformation. On yearly basis, organizations make big changes in their operations and procedures. Keeping in view the next year's goals and future needs organizations transform the skills of their employees. So that in the future when they need the required skill they already have the workforce ready.Cross-Training:
In cross-training employees are given training about the job functions other than their basic job function. This helps in internal mobility. When an organization has employees with multiple skills and training in multiple fields, they can easily fill the gaps and always have the workforce ready at the time of need. It also saves the organizations from recruiting costs.Project Staffing:
Project staffing is related to the training, development, and recruitment of the workforce according to the needs of the project. The workforce is provided with training that is based on the requirements and goals of the project. The project teams with the right and high skills are a competitive edge for the organization. When the organization does the project staffing planning, its purpose is to develop a team that is best in all aspects.Internal Recruiting:
Internal recruiting is now gaining more importance. Internal recruiting helps fill the vacant or temporary positions immediately it not only saves the time but also the recruiting cost. Internal recruiting provides the person who is already familiar with the working and procedures of the organization.Merger and Acquisition:
Workforce planning is an essential requirement at the time of merger and acquisition. This planning is a little different from normal workforce planning. This involves the combining of two separate workforces into one in an ideal and most appropriate way. The workforce planning for mergers and acquisitions is considered the most difficult.The Bottom Line:
No organization can deny the importance of workforce planning. The requirement of workforce planning is dependent on the type and size of the organization. The type of workforce planning that the company preferred to choose is dependent on the organization type and job type and specification.
