1. RESEARCH
Ten
Workforce
Planning
Practices
That
Leading
Companies
Use
to
Their
Competitive
Advantage
By
Aaron
Sorensen,
Ph.D.,
Partner
and
Juan
Pablo
Gonzalez,
Partner
A X I O M C O N S U L T I N G P A R T N E R S
The
evidence
is
clear:
Strategic
workforce
planning
is
now
seen
as
an
important
source
of
competitive
advantage
at
many
leading
companies.
According
to
the
Society
for
Human
Resource
Management,
more
than
66%
of
organizations
with
more
than
25,000
employees
and
40%
of
all
organizations
surveyed
conduct
strategic
workforce
planning.
Further
evidence
was
presented
at
the
4th
annual
Talent
Management
Alliance
Workforce
Planning
conference,
which
featured
case
studies
from
Proctor
&
Gamble,
PepsiCo,
IBM,
Accenture,
The
Hershey
Company,
and
a
keynote
address
from
Dr.
Alec
Levenson,
Senior
Research
Scientist
at
USC’s
Center
for
Effective
Organizations
.
Furthermore,
there
is
evidence
that
the
discipline
is
maturing.
Axiom
Consulting
Partners
examined
the
workforce
planning
(WFP)
practices
of
10
leading
organizations
in
2014.
Among
the
important
discoveries,
workforce
planning
is
becoming
more
integrated
with
talent
management
practices
and
workforce
analytics
and
is
being
viewed
a
key
component
of
strategic
and
operation
planning.
More
specifically,
our
research
uncovered
10
leading
workforce
planning
practices
that
other
companies
should
consider
to
improve
this
critical
capability
and
build
a
sustainable
competitive
advantage.

2. 1:
Promote
WFP
as
a
“ l ine-­‐owned”
core
business
process
There
was
complete
consensus
among
the
executives
we
interviewed
that
WFP
must
be
a
“line-­‐owned”
core
business
process,
not
simply
an
HR
function.
In
fact,
these
companies
view
workforce
planning
on
par
with
financial
and
operational
planning.
Participants
said
that
WFP
is
most
valuable
when
it
enables
line
leaders
to
make
better
decisions
about
how
to
plan
their
hiring
in
line
with
changing
market
conditions
and
with
shifting
strategic
priorities.
As
one
participant
said:
“The
annual
WFP
plan
is
aligned
with
our
strategic
plan,
and
comes
together
during
the
planning
process
that
the
business
leader
drives.”
The
leaders
among
the
companies
we
interviewed
have
already
taken
the
time
to
lay
the
foundation
for
a
total
view
of
future
talent
needs
by
ensuring
consistent
data
capture
and
management
approaches
across
the
enterprise.
“Someone
needs
to
be
the
steward
of
the
WFP
process
across
the
business,”
said
a
participant.
“Otherwise
all
the
business
units
would
be
doing
it
their
own
way—or
not
at
all.”
Line
leaders
at
both
the
enterprise
and
local
level
expect
the
WFP
function
to
furnish
them
with
complete,
accurate,
and
timely
data
and
analysis
on
workforce
supply
and
demand.
There
was
strong
agreement
that
the
WFP
function
creates
the
most
value
when
it
enables
line
leaders
to
make
better
decisions
about
human
capital.
2:
Establish
a
WFP
“Center
o f
Excel lence”
In
the
leading
companies
we
interviewed,
establishing
a
“Center
of
Excellence”
was
an
important
means
of
promoting
common
WFP
methods
and
tools
to
ensure
consistency
and
integration
across
the
organization.
With
consistent
methods
and
tools,
the
Center
of
Excellence
is
better
able
to
integrate
workforce
data,
which
leads
to
more
efficient
and
meaningful
analysis
by
both
members
of
the
Center
and
the
executive
leadership
team.
In
addition,
having
a
Center
of
Excellence
allows
senior
leaders
to,
as
one
participant
said,
“deploy
members
on
the
team
to
dive
in
and
come
up
with
findings,
insights
and
recommendations”
whenever
a
particularly
vexing
WFP
problem
arises.
3:
Emphasize
proces s
and
env i ronment
over
technology
Process
trumps
technology
when
it
comes
to
creating
the
conditions
for
WFP
success.
Tools
and
technology
are
only
a
means
to
support
the
WFP
process,
participants
said.
In
cases
where
companies
built
their
WFP
processes
around
the
technical
tools
they
planned
to
use,
the
typical
result
was
poor
uptake
amongst
line
leaders
about
the
purpose
and
intent
of
WFP
in
general.
A
veteran
workforce
planning
practitioner
confessed,
“We
made
the
mistake
of
developing
a
very
sophisticated
tool
kit
that
the
HR
Business
Partners
were
to
WFP
CENTER
OF
EXCELLENCE
A
center
of
excellence
is
a
cross-­‐
functional
team
that
is
a
shared
strategic
resource
that
transcends
any
one
functional
area
or
business
unit.
There
are
four
components
to
consider
when
developing
a
center
of
excellence:
People:
A
CoE
brings
together
specialized
expertise
and
provides
education
to
build
WFP
skills
in
distributed
functions.
Process:
A
CoE
establishes
the
decision
rights
and
governance
for
WFP
methods,
tools
and
interpretation.
It
also
develops
and
promotes
industry
best
practices
and
internal
best
practices,
seeking
to
create
repeatable
and
automated
processes
wherever
possible.
Technology:
A
CoE
drives
WFP
technology
decisions
in
broader
context,
helping
to
define
the
right
infrastructure
for
data
management,
analytics
and
disseminating
WFP
insights
across
the
enterprise.
Culture:
A
CoE
promotes
a
collaborative
atmosphere
and
an
appreciation
the
value
WFP.
A X I O M C O N S U L T I N G P A R T N E R S 2

3. use
in
the
field
but
we
failed
because
(the
tools)
were
unsustainable.”
Other
participants
spoke
highly
of
the
value
of
processes
that
engaged
others
in
building
an
appreciation
for
WFP.
As
one
WFP
leader
said:
“Our
ability
to
engage
with
the
leadership
team
and
help
them
understand
the
value
of
WFP
was
key
to
our
success.”
Another
participant
said:
“What
created
the
most
impact
for
WFP
was
listening
to
our
stakeholders
and
ensuring
that
we
understood
their
needs—and
they
understood
our
capabilities
to
address
those
needs.”
The
bottom
line:
To
create
the
conditions
for
WFP
success,
focus
on
process
definition
and
stakeholder
management
first,
before
introducing
tools
and
technology.
4:
Promote
standard
and
f lexible
methods
and
tools
At
leading
companies,
WFP
standards
represent
a
delicate
balancing
act.
There
is
real
value
in
having
centrally
managed
tools
and
methodologies,
but
some
degree
of
flexibility
is
essential
to
accommodate
local
business
conditions
and
needs.
“Our
WFP
Center
of
Excellence
is
made
up
of
consultants
and
‘quants’
that
follow
methodology
and
support
the
process,”
said
one
executive,
“but
the
focus
and
application
is
determined
at
the
local
level.”
The
leading
organizations
invest
more
time
in
understanding
the
needs
of
their
leaders
as
opposed
to
ensuring
strict
compliance
with
the
stated
methodology.
“Our
tools
and
methods
are
centralized,”
one
company
said,
“but
our
process
is
decentralized.”
When
this
is
the
case,
senior
leaders
are
able
to
both
have
an
enterprise-­‐wide
view
of
workforce
demand
and
supply
while
TOP
TEN
PRACTICES
FROM
LEADERS
IN
WORKFORCE
PLANNING
Practice Prevelance
Promote
WFP
as
a
“line-­‐owned”
core
business
process
Establish
a
WFP
“Center
of
Excellence”
Emphasize
process
and
environment
over
technology
Promote
standard
but
flexible
methods
and
tools
Keep
the
WFP
process
agile
Use
pilots
for
proof
of
concept
Integrate
data
capture
with
core
business
processes
Focus
data
collection
internally
Continuously
adapt
talent
taxonomies
Align
line
leaders
around
common
WFP
practices
None
-­‐ -­‐ -­‐ Some
-­‐ -­‐ -­‐ All
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
The
following
practices
were
identified
by
all
participants
as
creating
value
in
workforce
planning.
The
order
that
these
practices
are
listed
is
generally
based
on
the
progression
that
leading
companies
take
to
establish
an
effective
workforce
planning
capability.
A X I O M C O N S U L T I N G P A R T N E R S 3

4. providing
line
leaders
the
flexibility
to
collect
and
analyze
data
in
the
way
that
makes
the
most
sense
for
their
respective
business
units.
5:
Keep
the
WFP
process
agile
At
leading
companies
workforce
planning
is
not
a
“one
and
done”
annual
exercise.
In
addition
to
periodic
calendar-­‐driven
WFP
initiatives,
these
companies
have
the
capability
to
rapidly
deploy
WFP
resources
to
address
emerging
workforce
challenges
across
the
business.
As
one
participant
said,
“Our
WFP
consultants
frequently
conduct
deep-­‐dive
analyses
on
critical
roles
that
are
key
to
our
strategy
or
for
businesses
that
are
experiencing
a
talent
acquisition
challenge
that
cannot
be
addressed
through
the
normal
WFP
process.”
That’s
not
to
say
that
process
discipline
isn’t
important.
The
common
attitude
well
expressed
by
one
study
participant:
“We’ve
built
variability
into
the
process
to
allow
for
the
necessary
flexibility...we’re
trying
to
be
less
rigid
now,
but
where
we
don’t
budge
is
on
the
timing
and
cadence
of
when
and
how
the
plan
must
be
completed.”
A
best
practice
for
workforce
planners,
according
to
our
research,
is
to
proactively
engage
line
leaders
throughout
the
year
in
discussions
about
current
and
future
talent
needs,
rather
than
waiting
for
regularly
scheduled
workforce
planning
tied
to
annual
business
planning.
6:
Use
pi lots
fo r
proof
of
concept
The
example
of
companies
that
have
successfully
embedded
workforce
planning
into
their
operations
is
instructive.
Leading
companies
often
use
a
WFP
pilot
to
create
an
early,
highly
visible
“win.”
One
participant
explained
how
a
particular
situation
provided
the
opportunity
to
conduct
a
pilot:
“We
had
a
market
that
was
doubling
in
size
in
our
international
market
and
turnover
was
off
the
charts,”
he
said.
“We
needed
to
help
the
local
leadership
team
create
a
comprehensive
workforce
plan.
The
success
of
that
pilot
project
established
the
reputation
of
our
WFP
group.”
The
executives
we
interviewed
believe
that
pilot
projects
create
an
environment
where
WFP
can
be
replicated,
scaled
and
“pulled”
throughout
the
business,
rather
than
being
“pushed”
on
skeptical
line
leaders.
As
one
leader
who
piloted
WFP
in
her
company
explained:
“We’re
taken
seriously
because
we’ve
been
able
to
demonstrate
real
value.
Plus,
now
there’s
more
awareness
across
the
business
about
our
talent
priorities.”
7:
Integrate
data
capture
wi th
core
business
processes
In
order
to
keep
their
WFP
processes
efficient,
leading
companies
have
found
ways
to
integrate
data-­‐gathering
efforts
into
their
established
business
processes.
For
example,
an
organization
can
eliminate
inefficiencies
by
allowing
the
WFP
managers
to
collect
workforce
demand
data
from
information
already
A X I O M C O N S U L T I N G P A R T N E R S 4

5. resident
in
ERP
or
CRM
systems
such
as
SalesForce.com.
However,
even
leading
companies
are
challenged
to
proactively
understand
and
quantify
emerging
workforce
demands.
“The
next
frontier
for
us
is
to
build
the
predictive
model
and
develop
a
process
whereby
line
leaders
and
recruiters
can
work
together
to
identify
likely
demand
well
in
advance
of
hiring,”
said
one
executive.
Others
are
anticipating
the
possibilities
of
using
predictive
analytics
to
automate
the
work
of
linking
demand
and
workforce
requirements.
8:
Focus
data
col lect ion
internal ly
Leading
companies
realize
far
greater
value
from
the
collection
and
analysis
of
internal
talent
data
than
from
external
market
data.
The
collection
and
analysis
of
external
labor
market
data
is
commonly
seen
as
too
costly
and
too
general
to
be
useful
when
making
staffing
decisions.
The
information
from
local
labor
markets
is
often
outdated
and
requires
proportionally
more
effort
to
collect
than
it
can
pay
back
in
positive
impact.
As
one
company
noted:
“We
prioritize
our
(external)
data
collection
efforts
because
some
data
and
analytical
methods
are
only
appropriate
for
specific,
critical
roles
or
where
the
talent
supply
is
constrained.”
With
internal
data,
however,
the
WFP
function
can
positively
impact
profit
margins
by
managing
workforce
deployment,
productivity
and
labor
costs,
participants
reported.
9:
Cont inuously
adapt
talent
taxonomies
Across
most
industries
the
roles
employees
play
are
increasingly
specialized.
Hiring
for
more
specialized
jobs
in
turn
necessitates
a
more
specialized
talent
planning
process.
“The
way
we
staff
projects
is
really
changing,”
said
a
senior
executive
who
also
oversees
WFP
efforts
at
a
large
professional
services
firm,
“from
a
very
homogenous
one-­‐size-­‐fits-­‐all
talent
strategy
to
a
more
complex
strategy
where
we
look
to
contractors,
fixed-­‐term
employees,
and
use
of
delivery
centers
across
the
globe
for
specific
expertise
to
fill
projects.”
Moreover,
as
roles
become
more
specialized,
increasingly
specific
talent
taxonomies
are
required.
A
talent
taxonomy
provides
a
common
language
and
hierarchical
framework
for
organizing
talent
data.
Without
sufficiently
detailed
and
comprehensive
taxonomies,
even
leading
companies
have
trouble
matching
the
skills
and
expertise
of
potential
hires
with
the
specific
needs
of
their
business.
“We
haven’t
had
a
very
specialized
approach
to
talent
planning,”
one
participant
said,
“but
now
we’re
moving
in
that
direction
because
it’s
the
reality
of
our
business
model.”
Leading
companies
are
aligning
their
talent
taxonomies
to
the
language
of
the
business
and
making
the
necessary
adjustments
to
their
HR
information
systems.
A X I O M C O N S U L T I N G P A R T N E R S 5

6. 10:
Align
l ine
leaders
around
common
WFP
practices
Successful
companies
expect
their
WFP
function
to
equip
line
leaders
with
the
knowledge
and
self-­‐service
tools
to
address
many
of
their
WFP
needs,
which
in
turn
allows
the
corporate
WFP
team
to
focus
on
the
most
pressing
workforce
challenges.
The
team
establishes
and
prescribes
standards
for
WFP
methodologies
and
tools,
and
then
empowers
the
line
to
utilize
them.
But
that
doesn’t
mean
the
core
WFP
team
walks
away.
One
participant
explained,
“We’ve
established
forums
for
direct
and
regular
communication
with
all
stakeholders,
which
enables
us
to
sustain
WFP.”
A
seasoned
WFP
leader
at
a
company
which
has
HR
Business
Partners
embedded
throughout
functions
and
geographies
said:
“As
a
small
team,
we
knew
that
in
order
to
sustain
WFP
we
need
to
build
the
skills
of
our
colleagues
so
that
they
could
have
key
conversations
with
the
line,
and
know
when
and
how
to
engage
our
group
when
they
faced
more
complex
challenges.”
In
short,
establishing
the
right
mix
of
local
empowerment
and
cross-­‐
department
collaboration
are
keys
to
driving
the
enterprise-­‐wide
success
of
the
WFP
process.
Conclusion
The
progress
that
leading
companies
have
made
offers
important
milestones
for
other
firms
to
follow
in
building
their
own
strategic
workforce
planning
capabilities.
The
companies
we
spoke
with
understand
that
successful
strategy
execution
relies
on
getting
the
right
talent
in
the
right
positions,
in
the
right
roles,
at
the
right
time,
and
at
the
right
cost.
The
recognition
of
the
value
of
superior
workforce
planning
practices
is
pervasive
across
their
organizations,
far
beyond
the
confines
of
the
Human
Resources
department.
These
companies
continue
to
innovative
and
invest
in
improving
their
workforce
planning
capabilities
in
such
areas
as
Centers
of
Excellence,
pilot
programs
and
common
practices.
Agility
is
a
hallmark
of
their
efforts
to
establish
workforce
planning
as
a
core
business
process
throughout
the
organization.
They
adapt
talent
taxonomies
to
marketplace
realities;
manage
costs
by
leveraging
internal
data;
avoid
an
overreliance
on
technological
“silver
bullets;”
and
balance
the
value
of
standards
with
the
line’s
need
for
flexibility.
This
progress
is
impressive
but
we
believe
that
it
is
also
within
reach
of
other
companies
who
want
to
follow
their
example
and
use
workforce
planning
as
a
source
of
sustainable
competitive
advantage.
A X I O M C O N S U L T I N G P A R T N E R S 6

7. About
the
Research
Senior
HR
and
line
executives
from
10
companies
were
interviewed
in
the
Spring
2014.
Industries
represented
include
financial
services,
manufacturing,
high
technology,
global
restaurants
and
professional
services.
Areas
of
inquiry
centered
on
the
maturity
of
the
firm’s
WFP
capabilities;
key
enablers
and
barriers
to
building
and
sustaining
WFP;
the
impact
of
external/industry
changes;
WFP
impact
and
opportunities;
WFP
process
management;
tools,
analytics
and
technology;
and
WFP
critical
success
factors.
In
addition
to
this
qualitative
research,
we
conducted
comprehensive
secondary
research
to
obtain
further
insight
on
workforce
planning
trends,
complications
and
best
practices.
About
Axiom
Consul t ing
Par tners
For
senior
leaders
who
want
to
improve
execution
and
results,
Axiom
Consulting
Partners
is
a
trusted
advisor
that
helps
them
understand
their
situation
more
deeply,
make
choices
with
wisdom
and
take
action
more
decisively.
We
help
clients
create
and
maintain
better
linkages
among
their
strategy,
organization
design
and
talent.
They
value
working
with
us
because
we
listen
more
than
tell,
act
rather
than
just
recommend
and
deliver
solutions
that
leave
a
lasting
impact.
To
learn
more
visit
www.axiomcp.com
Austin
§
Brussels
§
Chicago
§
New
York
§
Washington,
©
2014
Axiom
Consulting
Partners,
LLC.
All
rights
Axiom
Alignment
Model
strategy
organization
About
the
Authors
Aaron
talent
Sorensen,
Ph.D.,
is
a
psychologist
with
a
background
in
statistics
and
advanced
analytics
who
brings
unique
insight
to
organization,
leadership
and
workforce
issues
that
impact
profitability
and
constrain
growth.
Aaron
speaks
frequently
on
the
topics
of
strategic
workforce
planning,
succession
planning,
talent
management,
employee
engagement
and
the
employee
value
proposition,
and
human
capital
metrics.
He
has
shared
his
perspectives
with
such
organizations
as
The
Conference
Board,
The
Institute
for
Corporate
Productivity
(I4CP)
WorldatWork,
SIOP,
HRMAC,
NACUBO.
Aaron
is
frequently
published
and
quoted
in
periodicals
that
include
Workspan,
CFO.com,
and
HR
Executive.
He
is
a
contributing
author
to
The
Talent
Management
Handbook
chapter
on
strategic
workforce
planning.
Aaron
is
a
member
of
the
Society
of
Industrial
Organizational
Psychologists
(SIOP)
and
the
American
Psychological
Association
(APA).
To
reach
Aaron,
write
to
asorensen@axiomcp.com
or
call
312.202.3010.
Juan
Pablo
Gonzalez
has
25
years
of
professional
experience
as
a
management
consultant
and
corporate
executive.
He
is
well
regarded
for
his
work
advising
leading
organizations.
Clients
value
the
insight,
expertise
and
collaborative
approach
that
he
shares
in
helping
them
address
challenging
problems.
His
expertise
spans
a
range
of
critical
issues
including
strategic
planning,
organization
restructuring
and
post-­‐merger
integration,
human
resources
strategy
and
strategic
workforce
planning.
Based
in
Washington,
D.C.,
Juan
is
a
co-­‐author
of
Shockproof:
How
to
Hardwire
Your
Business
for
Lasting
Success
(Wiley,
2011)
and
a
frequent
speaker
and
author
on
the
topics
of
strategy,
organization
design
and
talent.
To
reach
Juan,
write
to
jgonzalez@axiomcp.com
or
call
703.988.3585.