In strategic workforce planning, HR evaluates workforce supply and demand, assesses skill gaps and determines what talent management initiatives are required for the workforce to drive business objectives now and into the future. 

To successfully implement a future-proof workforce planning model, HR leaders need to gather the right information to inform them of the existing skills gaps in the organisation and identify pathways to filling those gaps as the business grows and develops. 

The workforce planning model is the road map of where HR’s hiring practices are currently and where they need to be to develop and acquire the strategic skills needed for the future.

Organisations rely on workforce planning to map existing and future talent needs. Without strategically analysing the skills gaps within the business, and projecting what skills will be required as the business evolves, the organisation will lack the critical talent and knowledge needed to deliver on strategic goals.

HR needs to drive the future-proofing of the workforce. If HR fails to fill skills gaps strategically, the workforce will continue to lack the necessary talent to develop and deliver on business strategy. 

Additionally, HR needs to educate and influence business leaders on the importance of upskilling employees and developing leaders to thrive in the digital workplace.

Keys to executing a successful workforce plan include:

1. Collaborate with the business to identify evolving needs: Business and operating models are constantly changing to keep current on what is needed to drive organisational ambitions:
   
   • Develop productive partnerships with business leaders and educate yourself about the future of the business. 
     
   • Integrate workforce planning into business planning so it is not a stand-alone process and cannot be easily dismissed by business leaders.
2. Gather external labour market intelligence: Many workforce plans fail to recognise and account for external information that is critical to strategic success. Without this information, it is difficult to identify talent risks, so you cannot preempt and plan for them. Gather data on:
   • How key roles are evolving in the industry
   • How talent is flowing in and out of key competitors
   • How specific trends are affected by location 
   • How available diverse talent is in the labour market
     
3. Build HR’s ability to use and interpret talent data: Leveraging data is not only important for identifying talent; it can help determine the best strategy to close talent gaps. Data can drive your decision to build, buy, retain, outsource or automate. To improve HR’s ability to understand future organisational talent needs and the external labor environment, data skills are vital.