With the start of a new financial year fast approaching, now is a good time to look at your staffing needs for the year ahead. Effective workforce planning can help you attract and retain quality talent to maximise company performance.
5 Steps to Effective Workforce Planning
Here are just some of the ways you can ensure that your business has the right staff at the right time…
1. ANALYSE PAST TRENDS
Firstly, analyse business data from previous years. This can help you build a clearer picture of the number of people you’ll need at different times of the year. Start by cross-referencing previous workforce records and sales data as this will alert you to the times that you were under or overstaffed. Also, you can use this information to prepare some valuable forward-looking data for the months ahead.
2. REVIEW CURRENT OPERATIONS
A review of your current operations and a clear plan of your future business goals is also important for successful workforce planning. Identify issues that affect staffing, talent development and/or plans for new hires. For example:
- Planned business growth
- Developments in your industry
- Changes to customer behaviour
Also, review any seasonal demand that affects your business workforce and the skill sets you need.
3. KEEP A RECORD OF STRONG PERFORMERS
Keep a record of hires who performed well during previous peak periods. Then you will be able to recruit them again when you need extra staff. Strong past performers already know your business and understand what’s expected of them. This way you’ll get to save time and money on recruitment and training. Also, previous hires will feel valued keeping work motivation levels high.
4. CONSULT WITH A LABOUR HIRE SPECIALIST
Using a recruitment agency, such as Labourpower, can add value when it comes to strategic workforce planning. An effective recruiter will work closely with your line managers and other key stakeholders. Together, they can forecast and predict potential influxes of staffing requirements. Your recruiter will also ensure the right fit for your business is always on hand when you need them. They achieve this through:
- Effective staff recruitment processes
- Staff incentive schemes
- Training and upskilling programs
- Succession planning and more!
5. MAKE USE OF STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY
When you partner with Labourpower you also get access to a state-of-the-art Online Portal that delivers a best practice HR Workforce management solution. Clients have live access to valuable data including comprehensive reports that give you transparency over your entire labour hire operation.
Hiring the right staff shouldn’t be overwhelming – and that’s where we can help! Labourpower works closely with businesses to provide effective workforce planning solutions tailored to your budget and business needs.
Connect with us on LinkedIn or speak to our experienced recruiters today.