Strategic Workforce Planning for HR Leaders

The Role of Human Resources in Workforce Planning

HR professionals are a vital resource within an organization, providing guidance and expertise to make data-driven decisions related to workforce planning, talent opportunities and how best to align a company’s resources to meet strategic goals.

The key responsibilities of HR include:

Talent Acquisition & Forecasting: Proactively recruiting and hiring based on projected business initiatives.
Workforce Development: Identifying skill gaps and implementing upskilling and reskilling programs.
Retention & Employee Engagement: Reducing turnover and ensuring a motivated workforce.
Strategic Workforce Allocation: Aligning talent with high-priority projects and business goals.

How HR Collaborates with Business Leaders:

Working with project and resource managers to anticipate future staffing needs.
Supporting audit teams by ensuring compliance-related talent is available.
Helping services organizations manage workforce risks in a sales driven environment.
Assisting product leaders in scaling teams efficiently for new launches.

How to Enhance HR Partnerships for Workforce Planning and Success

When an organization and its leaders recognize the value that collaboration between HR and other teams can bring, the results are better planning and better utilization of resources. Here are four specific use cases of HR partnerships to help with workforce planning.

Partnering with Project and Portfolio Leaders for Workforce Success

Project management teams face unique challenges when planning for both the now and the future. When project managers take the time to forecast their project demands months or years in advance, HR can look at the resource forecast to understand if the right people have the right skills to successfully take on that work.

Common Workforce Challenges in Projects:

Fluctuating resource demands due to shifting priorities.
Skill shortages leading to project delays due to lack of forecasting.
Overworked teams causing burnout and turnover with current work.

How HR Can Help:

Talent Pipelines: Building a pool of skilled professionals ready for deployment before work begins
Flexible Staffing Models: Leveraging contractors and contingent workers for peak demand periods.
Workforce Analytics: Using data-driven insights to improve talent acquisition decisions.

Read more about how to take steps to ensure success with our Guide to Successful Projects.

Supporting Internal Audit with Workforce Planning

Internal Audit and GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) engagements require meticulous planning and precise resource allocation. HR can help Internal Audit teams manage their resources to align with audits and engagements seamlessly.

Challenges in Internal Audit Workforce Planning:

Compliance deadlines requiring specialized talent.
Need for cross-functional expertise across teams.
Seasonal spikes in workload.

HR’s Role in Internal Audit Workforce Planning:

Succession Planning: Ensuring a steady pipeline of compliance professionals.
Training & Development: Providing ongoing regulatory training for internal teams.
Strategic Hiring: Recruiting experienced auditors based on forecasted needs.

Learn how Tempus Resource can assist Internal Audit and HR leaders with workforce planning and managing audits here.

Read our Guide to Audit Resource Planning to learn about how resource planning and GRC requirements can be achieved together.

Workforce Strategies for Professional Services Organizations

Professional Services organizations juggle multiple projects under tight deadlines with specific client demands. HR can assist with workforce planning to make sure strategies, projects and resources are all in alignment.

Common Challenges in Contract-Driven Staffing:

Long-term commitments requiring stable workforce availability.
Balancing permanent staff vs. temporary contract needs.
Ensuring workforce compliance with contractual obligations.

HR’s Role in Professional Services Workforce Planning:

Retention Strategies: Developing programs to keep key contract employees engaged.
Risk Mitigation: Proactively addressing workforce shortages that could impact contract execution.
Talent Pool Management: Maintaining a roster of skilled professionals available for upcoming contracts.

Learn how Tempus Resource can assist Professional Services and HR leaders with workforce strategies here.

Learn more about resource management and how leaders can align their strategy, planning and execution in our PMO’s Guide to Great Resource Management.

Scaling Workforce Planning for Product Development Organizations

Product development is dynamic and complex, often stretching over multiple years and requiring intricate planning across all departments. HR can assist with workforce planning to make sure new and existing products will have the resources available when needed.

Challenges in Product Development Workforce Planning:

Rapid scaling needs during product development and launch phases.
Ensuring cross-functional teams work efficiently.
Retaining specialized talent in competitive markets.

HR’s Contribution to Product Development Workforce Planning:

Workforce Flexibility: Implementing agile staffing strategies for R&D and go-to-market teams.
Retention Programs: Offering career development pathways to retain top talent.
Cross-Functional Training: Developing employees with diverse skill sets to support evolving market conditions.

Learn about common product development challenges, and how Tempus Resource can help HR and product development teams here.

Best Practices for HR-Business Collaboration

When an organization and its leaders recognize the value that collaboration between HR and other teams can bring, the results are better planning and better utilization of resources. Here are four specific use cases of HR partnerships to help with workforce planning.

Regular Workforce Planning Meetings: Ensuring HR and business leaders stay aligned on workforce needs.

Data-Driven Decision Making: Leveraging analytics to optimize staffing and capacity planning.

Integrated Workforce Planning Tools: Using HR technology to provide real-time workforce insights like talent acquisition, known skills and experience, employment type, etc.

Talent Mobility Programs: Encouraging internal movement to fill critical skill gaps efficiently.

Effective workforce planning requires strong collaboration between HR and business leaders. By integrating talent strategies with project, audit, contract, and product needs, organizations can build a more resilient and agile workforce.

Next Steps for HR Teams:

Conduct workforce assessments to identify gaps and opportunities.
Develop strategic hiring plans aligned with business forecasts.
Implement training and upskilling initiatives to prepare for future demands.
Foster stronger cross-functional partnerships for improved workforce agility.

By taking a proactive approach, HR can drive meaningful impact across the organization, ensuring that every business function has the talent and capacity it needs to succeed.