5 must-haves for your staff planning

Staff planning is so much more than just putting together a work schedule. In practice, it’s the sum total of everything you have to do to make sure you’ve actually got staff to schedule in the first place! This article shares what we believe to be the top must-haves for your staff planning in 2022 and beyond.

But what is ‘staff planning’ exactly?

When we use the term ‘staff planning’ – a.k.a. Human Resource Planning (HRP) – we mean creating optimal staffing levels. In other words, having the right numbers of the right people in the right place at the right time.

HRP 2022

That’s a lot to get right! And quite a challenge as we’re sure you can imagine. Especially here and now in 2022 where virtually every sector is facing major staff shortages and coping with rapid changes in automation and digitalization. Recruiting was already challenging enough, let alone selecting staff with the right skills.

Read our article, ‘How to solve staff shortages and future-proof your manufacturing organization’, for more information.

Must-haves for your staff planning

Staff planning is a broad and multifaceted discipline. To keep things as simple as possible, we’ve divided it into the five following disciplines …

1.  Headcount planning

Headcount planning maps staffing levels to workload. For example, do you have enough staff in your employment with the right skills to complete the work at hand? Having this clearly mapped is, in turn, a launchpad for workforce planning and strategic staff planning.

2.  Workforce planning

Workforce planning is a broader concept than headcount planning. It maps your current workforce and staffing requirements to your current and future operational objectives and any legal, regulatory, and product/service-related considerations. It’s about having and keeping the right people in the right place at the right time. This makes workforce planning the strategic bit of staff planning.

Read our article, ‘Everything you need to know about workforce planning’, for more information.

3.  Human resource development

Nowadays, it feels as though we’re rewriting job descriptions every other day, with automation and digitalization advancing so rapidly. So, how are you supposed to ensure your staff have the right skills for the work at hand? To prevent skills gaps from emerging, it’s vital that you continuously invest in your staff’s ongoing professional development by helping them ‘upskill’ and ‘reskill’.

Read our article, ‘Why ‘upskilling’ and ‘reskilling’ are fast becoming the latest buzzwords and a hot issue’, for more information.

4.  Recruitment

It’s an unavoidable fact of life … people retire, fall ill, switch employers, or become unable to perform certain tasks (for whatever reason). But this doesn’t mean these events should take you by surprise – this is something you can plan for. Proactively.

Read our article, ‘High staff turnover? Here’s why and how to solve it’, for more information.

5.  Layoff planning

It’s never pleasant having to lay off staff. But sometimes it’s unavoidable. For example, when companies have to downsize or restructure to survive or when certain roles are no longer required for the work at hand and reskilling isn’t an option.

Use smart software

Staff planning focuses on finding and retaining the right staff with the right skills. The first step in this process involves mapping all your staff’s current skills.

A great way to do this is to use AG5’s skills management software to get …

• a snapshot of all the skills and qualifications within your organization
• a clear picture of which skills you’ll need in order to remain fully operational
• an overview of which staff’s qualifications will soon need renewing or refreshing
• a keen insight into which staff will need upskilling or reskilling to keep your organization future-proof

Find out more or schedule a live demo now!

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