Strategic Workforce Planning in the Organisation Strategy Ecosystem
This time last year, I wrote, summarising the themes of the SWP Conference 2023 in London in November 2023 – largely focussed on how organisations were getting started in their efforts to integrate long-term thinking about people with their organisation’s strategy.
Shortly after, and in connection to Insight222’s raison d’être – to put people analytics at the heart of business, I also wrote about the Organisation Strategy Ecosystem as a holistic framework where workforce planning operates at the intersection of business strategy, organisational design, and operational execution – ultimately placing evidence-based people strategy as both an input to, and output of organisation strategy, operating model design and a critical integration point for business planning to meet execution.
12 months on I was pleased to attend the SWP Conference 2024 and note the development of further themes in the area of practice, many of which align to mine, and Insight222’s thinking.
Far from claiming any powers bordering the oracular, for names more notable than my own have extolled the virtue of integrated business planning, I’d like to share with you my synthesis of the lessons shared at 2024’s conference, and how I see it aligning to the integrated organisation strategy ecosystem.
Strategic Alignment: Connecting Workforce and Business Strategy
Peter Cheese’s keynote emphasised that SWP is a critical element of producing any business strategy. In the organisation strategy ecosystem, this aligns with the need to ensure that workforce planning is integrated into the organisation’s broader strategic goals.
SWP becomes the glue that connects the vision of business leaders with actionable workforce initiatives, driving real business outcomes.
Scenario Planning and Governance: Strengthening the Ecosystem’s Foundations
A recurring theme at the conference was the importance of governance and scenario planning in building resilience. In the ecosystem, governance acts as the backbone, ensuring that workforce decisions are aligned with organisational priorities.
Scenario planning, discussed by Alicia Roach and Chris Hare at eQ8, further strengthens this foundation by preparing organisations to adapt to future uncertainties.
Skills and Capability Management: The Currency of the Ecosystem
Tatiana Villalobos Baum highlighted the shift toward skills-based planning and the evolving nature of job responsibilities in the age of AI.
The organisation strategy ecosystem emphasises that workforce skills and capabilities are the ecosystem’s currency—they determine whether an organisation can execute its strategy effectively. SWP serves as the mechanism to manage this currency, identifying gaps and enabling the organisation to "buy, build, borrow, bot…or other b" capabilities as needed.
Data Integration: Powering the Ecosystem with Insights
Speakers like Amit Mohindra (People Analytics Success) and Danielle Harrison (Tesco) emphasised the importance of accurate data to build credibility and drive SWP success. In the ecosystem, data integration is the fuel that powers strategic alignment, enabling organisations to make evidence-based decisions. Without reliable data, the ecosystem stalls, and workforce planning becomes guesswork.
Technology and Tools: Enablers of Ecosystem Functionality
A key takeaway from the TalentNeuron session was that no single technology can manage all aspects of SWP. This resonates with the construction of the ecosystem, where technology acts as an enabler rather than a solution. Integrated tools must support processes across strategy, planning, and execution, ensuring the ecosystem functions seamlessly.
Change Management and Leadership: Navigating Ecosystem Evolution
Andrew Kilshaw’s warning about change fatigue and the need for prioritisation reflects a focus on the dynamic nature of the ecosystem.
As organisations adapt to market shifts, SWP must balance transformation and continuity. Leaders play a crucial role in navigating this evolution, ensuring that strategic priorities are clear and actionable.
Workforce Segmentation: Designing the Ecosystem’s Components
Danielle Harrison’s discussion of workforce segmentation ties directly to the concept of designing the ecosystem’s components. Segmenting the workforce into meaningful groups—based on roles, geographies, or strategic priorities—enables tailored strategies that optimise the ecosystem’s performance.
Aligning Workforce Planning with Organisational Strategy for Future-Ready Success
At its heart, the organisation strategy ecosystem is about integration—connecting the dots between strategy, workforce, and outcomes. The SWP Conference underscored that for SWP to succeed, it must operate as a core function within this ecosystem, influencing and enabling every layer of the organisation. By aligning workforce planning with the ecosystem principles, organisations can create a more adaptive, resilient, and future-ready workforce.
So, what’s in this for you? I guess that depends on what your role is, in making workforce planning work in your organisation. You likely picked up the red thread in my writing, that to truly make workforce planning sing, it’s got to be deliberately integrated from the get-go, or get to integrated quickly, in order for it to become a business practice.
Enhance Workforce Planning Integration with Insight222
Maybe you’ve not yet launched your efforts to align your business planning practices, or maybe you have, but are seeking opportunities to better integrate across other business segments?
Wherever your stage of workforce planning launch, get in touch to understand how improving maturity against Insight222’s 9 dimensions for excellence in workforce planning can improve the connectedness and integration of your people and business planning.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Senior Director, Insight222
Jordan joined Insight222 in 2023 to be directly involved with client engagements and the Insight222 People Analytics Program®. With degrees in psychology and business, Jordan has worked in HR for two decades. Over 15 of those years have been dedicated to the field of people analytics. He has been based in Australia, Switzerland, and UK, with experience as an external consultant and in internal functions. Jordan has seven years’ experience leading people analytics practices globally with Nestlé and London Stock Exchange Group, with the full scope of analytics responsibilities: data governance, reporting and business intelligence, advanced analytics, workforce planning and strategy, organisation design and employee listening.
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