The Ochre House Network Think Tank, Munich, Germany
While practically all large companies now believe that a strategic approach to workforce planning is essential, only around one-fifth have successfully embraced the concept.
- (1888PressRelease) July 23, 2012 - And while the majority of the rest are intending to introduce strategic workforce planning over the coming year, what they really seem to be talking about is relatively unsophisticated resource planning. That is the message from the Ochre House HR Network think-tank, which includes over 650 major employers including ArcelorMittal, BT, DHL, Fujitsu, Oracle, Siemens and Vodafone.
"Too many organisations still think in terms of 'how many of this type of individual will we need next year?'", says Helena Parry, think-tank leader and director at RPO specialist Ochre House, "and that is not what effective strategic workforce planning is about. Our members seem to agree that strategic workforce planning or SWP is a much bigger concept than this and is most certainly not just about numbers. On the contrary it is about immersing the planning of the people resource within the larger picture of strategic capability planning and is consequently becoming part of the organisational effectiveness area of businesses rather than just 'classic' HR."
At HR Network member, ArcelorMittal, SWP is seen as a process that enables the organisation to define its overall five year strategy into a year by year action plan. According to the company's Global head of resourcing, Ali Gilani, effective SWP can deliver the following key benefits:
A plan that maintains focus on strategy.
A year-by-year action plan that executes that strategy.
Avoidance of bad tactical decisions that could results in long-term problems.
A degree of preparedness for unforeseen situations.
The securing of core jobs and key skills.
"The introduction of SWP presents huge challenges, many of which can only be dealt with through a change of mindset from that of the traditional HR practitioner to something more akin to that of a commercial strategist." Says Ochre House's Parry. "Whatever the difficulties involved, SWP is not just an option, it is an imperative. And its successful implementation may also have the side effect of giving HR what is has campaigned for, for so long. True and lasting credibility at the board or partnership table."
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