What is Strategic Workforce

Planning?
Defining Strategic Workforce Planning and Line Involvement

Corporate Leadership Council®

 Presentation Roadmap
What is the traditional planning process and where does it fall
short?

What are the differences between traditional staff planning and

strategic workforce planning?

What are the benefits of strategic workforce planning?

What defines an effective HR-Line workforce planning

relationship?
 Key Question I:
What is the traditional planning process
and where does it fall short?
Current Staff Planning Not Responding to Strategic
Talent Gaps
Current staff planning processes focus on identifying and responding to current
talent needs rather than the long-term strategic talent gaps of the organization
Annual Staff Planning Unable to Close the Strategic
Talent Gap
Current staff planning processes are fundamentally unable to identify and
respond to strategic talent gaps due to three key shortcomings
 Key Question II:
What are the differences between
traditional staff planning and strategic
workforce planning?
An Expanded Workforce Planning Agenda
Organizations must complement traditional staff planning
with a new set of strategic workforce planning inputs and outputs
An Expanded Workforce Planning Process
Organizations must complement traditional staff planning
with a new set of strategic workforce planning process steps
 Key Question III:
What are the benefits of strategic
workforce planning?
Effective Workforce Planning Drives the Value of HR
CLC research illustrates the business impact of workforce planning
 Key Question IV:
What defines an effective HR-line
workforce planning relationship?
 Driving a Forward-Looking Conversation
HR must ensure a regular dialogue with line leaders that goes beyond short-term
staffing needs and focuses on the talent implications of strategic priorities
Define Business Strategy
What are our key business goals for the next 2-5 years?
Situate Company Performance Relative to Competitors
How does our organization compare to our competitors’ three largest organizational strengths?
Evaluate the Capabilities Needed for Future Success
What are the three to five core capabilities we need to achieve business success?
Identify the Talent Barriers to Business Success
What are the potential internal and external talent barriers to each of the critical capabilities?
Consider Potential Workforce Planning Responses
What are all the potential talent management responses to eliminate talent barriers for the critical
capabilities?

Strategic Workforce Planning Line Leader Objective

Ensure HR Business Partner understands the strategic direction of the
organization and that both HR and line collaborate to understand the
human capital implications of business strategy.
 Building the Workforce Action Plan
HR must partner with the line to develop a workforce action plan that focuses on
the critical talent and capability gaps of the organization

Workforce Action Plan

Critical
Talent/Capability Execution
Action Steps Responsibility Timing
Gap Barriers

Strategic Workforce Planning Line Leader Objective

Understand that the creation and execution of a workforce action plan is
not solely a HR activity. Line leaders should involve themselves in
creating the workforce action plan, identifying potential barriers to
execution, assisting in execution, and measuring success.