Strategic Workforce Planning

A key process for successful value creation

Companies and their business models are changing at an increasingly rapid rate. Simultaneously, the job market is changing. What effects do these changes have on personnel structure? Which skills are becoming more important; which are no longer relevant? Where do we need more staff, where do we need fewer? SWP gives HR the opportunity to position itself as a strategic partner and driver of these changes. This is the only way of proactively managing personnel changes to ensure a faster, more fitting response to altered framework conditions.

What is our approach (and what do we do differently)?

Agile & Pragmatic: SWP is not a science, nor is it an obsession with figures. Instead, we establish an iterative planning process with a pragmatic approach to ensure broad applicability and high penetration of the organisation.
Transparency & Controlling: SWP provides transparency regarding future qualitative and quantitative requirements. At the same time, it is a controlling instrument for personnel costs and places HR departments on an even footing with Finance, helping them to actively control and structure this (usually major) cost item.
Anchoring & Enabling: We secure the long-term establishment and application of SWP by means of our Reference Value Model and linkage with strategy and financial planning processes. In the course of the piloting process, we empower and enable your HR department to become a powerful SWP-Team.
IT-Tool & HR Analytics: SWP is not an IT-issue and the tool itself is not at the centre -it merely supports the process. HUMAN uses its own SWP-Tool (which combines SWP with an HR-Analytics-Tool) and at the same time remains independent with a broad overview of the market – from A for Anaplan to V for Visier. We use HR Analytics where it provides reliable added value, e.g. in workforce development.

The Process

1 Workforce Demand

2 Clustering

We define clusters around the desired knowledge gain (e.g. building a comprehensive jobfamily architecture vs. using organisational clusters), create objective categorisation criteria and – where possible – use automated clustering processes, e.g. textmining when adjusting raw data. Critically examining jobfamilies: which purpose does the clustering serve? Creating a jobfamily concept that follows the business logic.

3 Workforce Supply

4 Risks & GAPs

We combine data on HR requirements and workforce status and simulate risks in four key areas – Capacity – Competence – Costs – Composition (e.g. internal/ external, age, location) We employ various different forms of presentation including inter alia, heatmaps, departure bridges, skillmaps, for meaningful analyses. Swift adjustments and parameterisation are vital! What’s more: SWP provides trend predictions rather than precise prognoses!

5 Measures

6 Anchoring

We ensure that SWP is truly integrated in the organisation by means of organisational anchoring (e.g. HR Controlling, CoE, HR BP) as well as through integration into the strategic planning process using our Reference Value Model. Establishing the “Where?” and the “How?” are key to anchoring the SWP-process. SWP needs to be an integral part of business planning processes and should not be run simply on an as-needed basis.

Tool

The success of ongoing SWP is manifested first and foremost by the individuals in charge of controlling the process and providing information (businessdata). Thus, the capabilities and clear allocation of responsibilities and tasks throughout the process are just as decisive to its success as the appropriate tool:

HUMAN-SWP-Tool: HUMAN uses its own SWP-Tool with Workforce Supply, Workforce Demand and GAP-functionalities. The tool is part of a comprehensive HR-Analytics Suite and is thus directly linked with HR-Analytics.
Market Overview: Together, we help you identify the best tool to meet your needs. Our overview of providers ranges from A for Anaplan to V for Visier.

USPs / Success Factors

Agile SWP Model (-50% cost of traditional SWP-projects)

Dedicated IT-Tool plus a broad market overview …from Anaplan to Visier

Relevant project experience from DAX-30 companies to the medium-sized enterprise sector

SWP in combination with HR Analytics

Establishment of full capabilities for your HR-Team within the project – you can be self-sustaining from the very first project!

Combining expertise in HR, strategy and finance

Where do we begin?

1. Presentation/ Lab: We will present and discuss with you which added value SWP could bring to your organisation, the kinds of model processes and potential hurdles involved and how other companies have successfully implemented SWP. The outcome of the Lab is an initial business case and a basic understanding of the topic. 2. Analysing the level of maturity: Together we identify the benefits the business would gain from SWP (SWP-Value Assessment). In addition, we establish what you need in order to embark on SWP – basic requirements in terms of data, processes, IT etc. (SWP Maturity Check). 3. Establishing SWP: We develop a tailored SWP-approach for your company, pilot the approach and help build SWP-skills within your organisation, as well as anchoring the process in a sustainable way. 4. SWP as a managed service: We are also happy to provide ad hoc planning services for your specific requirements. This provides fast, reliable analyses in a sophisticated visual form, without the need for you to establish your own company resources.

HUMAN english Wir denken HR neu und wertsteigernd.

Future Workforce Planning –
the greatest opportunity for HR

Without SWP there can be no digitalisation, no transformation

Strategic Workforce Planning –
take a seat at the strategy table

New strategy,
the right personnel structure?