what is a workforce planning in business terms

Workforce Planning

Ivan Andreev

Demand Generation & Capture Strategist, Valamis

January 17, 2022 · updated April 5, 2024

11 minute read

Taking the time to plan and make decisions as part of a broader strategy improves every aspect of your business, including your workforce. Despite the size or type of company, workforce planning is a valuable HR process that ensures you have the staff to execute your business strategy.

Learn what workforce planning is, how it helps with goals and produces positive outcomes, the benefits it can offer, five key steps in workforce planning, and what it looks like in practice.

What is workforce planning?

Primary workforce planning criteria, the goal of workforce planning, how workforce planning affects hr processes, the benefits of workforce planning.

• The five core workforce planning steps

Workforce planning is the process of analyzing existing employees and planning for future staffing requirements through talent gap assessment, developing employee management procedures, and setting recruitment strategies.

With effective workforce planning, your business is always staffed with the necessary talent, knowledge, and experience to produce positive business results.

Workforce planning requires developing an appropriate and cost-effective strategy for retaining, recruiting, and training your workforce while also continually assessing employee performance.

A survey by the American Productivity & Quality Center (APQC) shows 89% of 236 organizations integrated workforce planning into their business operations.

The plan for your workforce, what it will look like moving forward, and how to strategize for specific goals are unique to your business and depend on many factors. Typical components that affect workforce planning include:

• Talent availability
• Business growth
• Age of the existing workforce
• Current knowledge/skill gaps
• And much more

Strategic workforce planning

Strategic workforce planning is a proactive approach to managing staffing needs and aligns HR processes to business-wide goals. It guides future employee plans and decisions, ensuring they adhere to the company’s long-term vision.

Strategic workforce planning tends to take place at the senior leadership level and focuses on big picture goals such as:

• Structural organization
• Employee redeployment
• Succession planning
• Staffing budgets
• Maintaining capacity
• Reducing risk

Operational workforce planning

In contrast to strategic workforce planning, operational workforce planning focuses on the business’s immediate priorities. For example, which staff level can efficiently meet the current deadlines and objectives?

How to conduct a skills gap analysis and what to do next

Start building your foundation for strategic workforce development.

Criteria to consider when planning for your company’s future workforce include:

• Employee numbers : getting the correct workforce size so the business is not overstaffed and inefficient but not too small to hinder growth and fail to match demand.
• Skillset : having the right mix of skills, capabilities, knowledge, and experience to perform effectively and achieve your goals.
• Budget : finding the optimal staffing expenditure to achieve a high return on investment from employees and maximize profits.
• Flexibility : developing your workforce to be agile and adapt quickly when changes in the market occur.

The primary goal of workforce planning is to create a strategy for your staffing needs that ensures you can meet strategic objectives both now and in the future.

To achieve this goal, workforce planning requires an in-depth understanding of your existing workforce, employee skills, experience, load capability, and potential talent gaps.

Through performance tracking and employee assessment, you can take a birds-eye view of your entire workforce and create actionable plans for the future.

Workforce planning allows companies to understand and design their workforce effectively and efficiently with long-term objectives in mind. It prevents problems from developing and allows management to spot issues early, creating plans to remedy them. Examples could include:

• Identifying understaffed departments and potential bottlenecks
• Staffing requirement to scale operations
• Excess employees for redeployment or termination

Recruitment and employee development

Workforce planning provides the game plan for your company’s recruitment and employee development .

With a clear understanding of your existing workforce and your future goals, you can profile the skills, experience, and knowledge required to meet your needs and develop hiring and training processes to match.

Companies are constantly competing for the same high-end talent. With appropriate workforce planning in place, you can better identify future top employees for your business and develop talent acquisition strategies to attract them to your company.

Plus, workforce planning analysis can help companies formulate proper training and employee development to fill talent gaps while also finding individuals capable of excelling with the correct professional development in place.

This leads us to succession planning and ensuring you maintain successful leadership across your company.

By recognizing the leadership positions currently open or soon to be available, companies can begin assessing existing employees for promotion or targeting outside hires with the right mix of skill and experience.

Workforce planning together with succession planning creates a smooth transition for the critical roles in your company so you can provide an uninterrupted, seamless service or product for your customers.

Performance management

A significant outcome of workforce planning is managing the performance of your employees to increase productivity and efficiency.

With workforce planning, you can understand and develop strategies that get the most out of your employees to increase output and get a higher return on investment from your staffing expenditure.

1. Preparing for the future

With workforce planning, you have a roadmap for your staffing requirements to prepare for the future.

This could mean increasing the number of employees to match growth forecasts or pivoting to a different business model and finding the staff you need to accomplish this.

2. Discovering workforce gaps

Understanding the gaps of your current workforce informs your future personnel strategy in terms of recruitment, redeployment, and training.

Read: Skills gap and skills gap analysis

3. Effective succession planning

By identifying and developing employees with the potential for future leadership roles, you can effectively plan for staff leaving with minimal disruption.

Succession planning can also have a positive effect on employee engagement:

• 62% of employees would be “significantly more engaged” if they had a succession plan at their company.
• 94% of employers said having succession plans in place positively impacted employee engagement .

Succession planning template

It can help you navigate crises and leadership transitions with ease.

4. Improved retention strategies

Effective workforce planning gives you a clear understanding of employee skills and where they can be the most successful in the business.

So rather than terminating employees, you can retain valuable staff through well-planned redeployment.

5. Flexibility

A clear workforce plan with recruitment and training structures in place can make your business more agile, with the ability to efficiently anticipate and react to change.

You can reduce your overall staffing costs by developing plans to:

• Increase your productivity and workforce ROI
• Retain talent and reduce costs associated with employee turnover
• Develop a flexible workforce that can meet customer demand in different circumstances

Labor costs can account for up 70% of total business costs . Workforce planning allows you to map talent to value and ensure you are getting the best results for the costs .

The 5 core workforce planning steps

Successfully implementing new workforce planning strategies is an extensive procedure. However, businesses can break down workforce planning into five core steps to simplify the process.

1. Deciding strategic direction and goals

Workforce planning is a top-down process requiring clear organizational direction and defined strategic goals to inform and guide future decisions.

• What direction do you see your business going in?
• What are you hoping to achieve through workforce planning?
• What are the primary goals/milestones you are targeting?
• Why does your business need new workforce planning structures?

These are vital questions to ask yourself before analyzing your workforce and implementing new employee management strategies.

It is also important to remember that every process in your business affects another. Therefore, your workforce planning must be an organization-wide endeavor and include effective communication between HR and other departments.

Your new workforce plan must be produced with a collaborative approach that generates a consensus amongst all invested parties. Without organizational buy-in and a rationale for new strategies, you cannot reap the benefits of workforce planning.

Consider this step setting the “soft” workforce planning framework that will define the overall strategy to assess future information rather than the plan’s specific details.

2. Analyze existing workforce

The next step is to properly assess your existing workforce.

Common strategies used in this step include:

• Demand planning – Determining the number of employees needed for each role required to reach your goal. Demand planning requires accurate business forecasts to determine your workforce’s future number, structure, and composition.
• Internal supply – Internal supply planning needs accurate talent evaluations, an understanding of the expected employee turnover rate (retirements, resignations, etc.), and the design of training and professional development programs.
• Gap analysis – Identifying the gaps in your workforce and making plans to close them through recruitment, redeployment, and training.

These strategies help to answer the following questions:

• Do you have the right-sized workforce?
• What skills, knowledge, and experience do your current employees have?
• Do your employees need additional training?
• What new resources can improve workforce performance?
• Is your workforce correctly structured? (This includes organizational design, departments, communication channels, etc.)
• What is your current employee turnover rate?

What you have now is the starting point for future workforce plans. You can begin developing workforce planning strategies when you know what you have (step 2) and where you want to be (step 1).

A common pitfall of workforce planning is ensuring it is based on high-quality information from within the organization and external sources. Workforce planning defined by inaccurate forecasts and undeliverable future goals cannot be successful.

3. Develop your plan

This is where companies must take their overall goal, input the assessment of their existing workforce and produce a concrete plan for the future.

Businesses must plan their workforce to reflect the value and revenue it produces. A simple example of workforce planning in action could be:

A company is manufacturing two models of cars. Model A is the business’ flagship car, selling the most and bringing in the most revenue. However, model B is showing significant growth, and the income from model A is beginning to stagnate.

The car company can produce a simple revenue table based on 2023 figures and 2024’s forecasts.

The revenue per employee for model A is $250,000, and the revenue per employee for model B is $300,000.

Based on growth forecasts, you can estimate that staff working on model B will need to increase by 57 to match increased demand. This process assumes the forecasts are accurate and there are no sudden changes in sales or production. At the same time, model A will likely begin to have a surplus of staff in 2024 and need a reduction of 8 employees.

With workforce planning structures in place, you can develop plans to retrain and redeploy staff from Model A to Model B during 2023. This kind of planning minimizes disruption and reduces employee turnover.

Of course, this is just a plan based on forecasts and does not mean you should immediately move eight employees from model A to model B and hire 49 more. Instead, the business should put redeployment, hiring, and training plans in place to execute when key revenue indicators are met and take a gradual approach that matches the shift in focus of their business.

4. Implement workforce planning

Successfully implementing workforce planning requires:

• HR personnel to clearly understand their new roles and responsibilities.
• Strategies and processes for recording all relevant data and information.
• Effective communication channels between all invested parties to support the plan.
• Defined measurement and evaluation criteria to assess the plan’s success.

While the future HR plans for managing your workforce are specific to your business, they will involve some or all of the following:

• Recruitment
• Redeployment
• Outsourcing
• Deploying new technology

With many new processes to implement, workforce planning does not transform your company overnight. Instead, it is a gradual endeavor that optimizes each procedure for the given circumstances to get your business closer to your long-term goals.

5. Monitor results

It is crucial to remember workforce planning is an iterative process whereby progress is monitored and measured against specific milestones and long-term goals.

Post-implementation, your workforce planning processes may need adjusting due to unexpected factors within your business or to meet new realities of your industry.

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Workforce Planning

Workforce planning definition.

Workforce planning is a strategic process used by organizations to anticipate and manage their future workforce needs in order to achieve their business objectives effectively and efficiently. It involves assessing the current workforce, forecasting future workforce requirements, and developing strategies to bridge any gaps in skills, talent, and capacity.

Organizations use workforce planning to align their workforce with their business goals and objectives. It involves forecasting future workforce needs, identifying skill and talent gaps, and developing strategies to ensure that the organization has the right people with the right skills in the right positions at the right time.

Modern workforce planning tools help organizations optimize their human capital, reduce turnover, control labor costs, and ensure they have the right talent in place to achieve their strategic objectives. It’s an essential element of organizational strategy, particularly in industries and markets that are subject to rapid change and evolving skill requirements.

Workforce Planning FAQs

What is workforce planning software.

Workforce planning software, also known as HR workforce planning software or human capital management (HCM) software, is a specialized technology solution designed to streamline and enhance the workforce planning process within organizations. This software is used by HR professionals, talent management teams, and organizational leaders to effectively manage, analyze, and optimize an organization’s workforce, ensuring it aligns with the business strategy and future goals.

Key features and functions of workforce planning software include data management, analytics and reporting, demand forecasting, supply analysis, scenario modeling, succession planning, talent acquisition, skills gap analysis, budgeting and resource allocation, integration, compliance and legal reporting, collaboration and communication, and a user-friendly interface.

The specific features and capabilities of workforce planning software can vary among vendors, so organizations should select a solution that best fits their unique needs and objectives. Overall, this software plays a crucial role in helping organizations make informed decisions about their workforce, optimize talent management, and align their human capital with strategic long term goals.

What is the Workforce Planning Process?

While specific approaches may vary depending on the organization’s size and industry, here is a general overview of the key components of the workforce planning process:

Demand Forecasting

Workforce capacity planning enables organizations to assess their future labor needs based on factors such as business growth, changes in market conditions, technological advancements, and industry trends. This involves projecting the number of employees needed and the skills required to meet business goals.

Supply Analysis

Evaluating the current workforce’s composition, skills, and capabilities is crucial. This includes analyzing the existing workforce’s strengths and weaknesses, assessing turnover rates, and understanding retirement trends or other factors that may impact the workforce.

Gap Analysis

By comparing the demand (future workforce needs) and supply (existing workforce capabilities), organizations can identify gaps in skills, knowledge, and talent. Workforce supply and demand analysis helps pinpoint areas where the organization needs to hire, train, or develop employees to bridge those gaps.

Recruitment and Talent Acquisition

Based on the gap analysis, organizations may decide to recruit new talent externally to fill skill shortages. This can involve various hiring strategies, such as recruiting entry-level employees, experienced professionals, or specialized experts.

Training and Development

The process often includes strategies for developing the skills and knowledge of existing employees to meet future needs. This may involve training programs, leadership development, or cross-training to increase employee versatility.

Succession Planning

Identifying and nurturing potential future leaders within the organization is a critical aspect of workforce planning. Succession planning ensures that there are individuals ready to step into key roles when needed.

Flexible Staffing Models

Organizations may consider flexible staffing models, such as temporary employees, contractors, or freelancers, to adapt to changing work demands more efficiently.

Monitoring and Adjustment

Workforce planning is an ongoing process. Organizations continuously monitor their workforce and make adjustments as needed based on changing business conditions.

Technology Integration

Many organizations use technology, such as workforce management software, financial management software and data analytics, to facilitate the workforce planning process. These tools can help in data collection, analysis, and decision-making.

What are the Benefits of Workforce Planning?

Workforce planning offers several significant benefits to organizations, helping them align their human resources with their strategic goals and adapt to changing business environments. Some of the key advantages of effective workforce planning include:

• Strategic Alignment : Workforce business planning ensures that an organization’s workforce is closely aligned with its strategic objectives. This alignment allows the organization to focus its resources and efforts on achieving its long-term goals. Optimized Talent Acquisition : By forecasting future talent needs, organizations can proactively recruit and hire the right talent, reducing the risk of skill shortages and ensuring a more efficient hiring process.
• Cost Control : Workforce planning and analytics help organizations manage labor costs effectively. It allows for more accurate budgeting and resource allocation, reducing unnecessary labor expenditures.
• Enhanced Productivity : A well-planned workforce is more likely to have the right skills and capabilities needed to perform their jobs effectively, leading to improved productivity and operational efficiency.
• Improved Employee Engagement : When employees see that their organization invests in their development and career growth, they tend to be more engaged and satisfied with their work. This can lead to lower turnover rates and higher retention of top talent.
• Talent Development : A robust workforce planning tool will help identify skill gaps within the organization, prompting targeted training and development programs to upskill employees and prepare them for future roles.
• Succession Planning : Organizations can groom future leaders and ensure a smooth transition of leadership through succession planning, reducing disruptions during key personnel changes.
• Adaptability : Implementing a workforce planning framework makes organizations more adaptable to changes in the business environment. It allows them to quickly respond to market shifts, industry trends, and emerging technologies.
• Risk Mitigation : By identifying potential talent shortages or gaps in critical skills, organizations can proactively address these issues, reducing the risk of project delays or operational disruptions.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making : An effective workforce planning strategy relies on data analysis and forecasting, enabling organizations to make informed decisions about their workforce based on real-time and future needs.
• Competitive Advantage : Having the right talent in place when needed can provide a competitive edge. Organizations can seize opportunities, respond to market demands, and outperform competitors with more agile and skilled workforces.
• Legal Compliance : Workforce planning solutions can help organizations ensure compliance with labor laws and regulations, reducing the risk of legal issues related to staffing and employment practices.
• Improved Employee Morale : Employees are more likely to feel secure and motivated when they see that their organization has a thoughtful and strategic approach to workforce planning, as it demonstrates a commitment to their long-term well-being.
• Enhanced Customer Satisfaction : A well-trained and skilled workforce is better equipped to meet customer needs and deliver high-quality products or services, leading to increased customer satisfaction.
• Sustainability : Effective workforce planning promotes long-term organizational sustainability by ensuring that the workforce is adaptable and prepared to meet future challenges.

What is Strategic Workforce Planning?

Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) is a specialized form of workforce planning that focuses on aligning an organization’s human capital with its long-term strategic objectives. The strategic workforce planning framework is a proactive and forward-thinking approach to managing an organization’s workforce to ensure that it has the right talent, skills, and capabilities in place to meet its strategic goals and address anticipated challenges.

A strategic workforce plan is especially valuable for organizations operating in rapidly changing industries or environments where talent shortages, technological advancements, and evolving market conditions play a significant role in long-term success. Strategic workforce planning tools ensure that an organization’s workforce remains agile and capable of supporting its strategic objectives over the long haul.

Workforce planning processes are a continual effort that involves not only retaining, recruiting, and providing training to your workforce, but also routinely evaluating their performance. There are various workforce planning models, each with a different focus. Here are some of the most common models:

Equilibrium Model

In this approach, historical data is scrutinized to identify critical metrics, such as turnover rates, employee retention rates. By conducting this analysis, you can position your company more effectively for the future, leveraging insights derived from the current workforce status. Fledgling enterprises lacking their own data should leverage alternative sources, such as industry benchmarks or competitor data – the earlier the better. There are no rigid rules to adhere to in this model, allowing you the flexibility to tailor it to your specific requirements. The primary objective here is to strategize for the company’s future based on both historical and current trends.

Deterministic Model

This model is centered on anticipating forthcoming developments, such as retirements or promotions. For example, if certain managers are nearing retirement or promotion, it is imperative to proactively plan for their replacements. Numerous foreseeable events can be predicted with reasonable accuracy, often several months in advance. Consequently, these events need to be factored into the analysis of your workforce needs, addressing immediate manpower requirements in the near term as well as the long term.

In this model, the focus is on assessing ongoing changes within the company and posing straightforward questions to determine the appropriate course of action. For instance, if your product development team is in the process of creating a new AI-driven offering, you will need to have sales personnel with AI expertise. The options include hiring new employees, upskilling existing staff, or engaging freelance consultants. To effectively implement this model, company leadership must collaborate closely with the HR team to ascertain hiring priorities based on evolving business goals.

Optimization Model

This model revolves around leveraging existing talent to attain business goals. This approach takes a backward-looking perspective, where business objectives are first defined, and then the path to achieving these goals is determined by working in reverse. Given the complexity of the variables involved, manual design of this model is impractical. Workforce planning software is necessary to facilitate the execution of multiple models and conduct what-if scenarios rapidly. This technological support enhances data analysis, enabling a deeper understanding of the steps required to achieve organizational objectives.

What are Some Workforce Planning Examples?

Workforce planning examples can vary widely depending on the organization’s industry, size, and specific needs. Here are some scenarios and examples of how workforce planning can be applied in different contexts:

Growth and Expansion Scenario : A technology startup has secured funding for rapid expansion into new markets. Action : The organization conducts demand forecasting to determine the number and types of employees needed in sales, marketing, and technical roles in various locations. This includes recruiting, onboarding, and training plans to support opportunities for growth.

Talent Retention Scenario : A large manufacturing company faces high turnover rates among its skilled technicians. Action : The company conducts exit interviews to identify reasons for turnover and develops strategies to improve retention, such as offering competitive compensation packages, career development programs, and a more supportive work environment.

Skills Gap Mitigation Scenario : A financial institution identifies a significant gap in cybersecurity skills among its IT staff. Action : The organization creates a skills development plan, including training programs and certifications, to upskill existing IT employees and address the cybersecurity skills gap. It may also hire cybersecurity experts to fill immediate needs.

Cost Reduction Scenario : An organization faces budget constraints and needs to reduce labor costs. Action : The organization conducts a workforce analysis to identify areas where it can reduce headcount or optimize staffing levels without compromising essential functions. This may involve restructuring, reassigning tasks, or automating certain processes.

Diversity and Inclusion Scenario : A technology company aims to improve diversity and inclusion within its workforce. Action : The organization sets diversity goals, creates recruitment strategies to attract underrepresented talent, implements diversity training programs, and monitors progress toward achieving a more diverse workforce.

Technological Advancements Scenario : A manufacturing company is adopting advanced automation and robotics technologies. Action : The organization assesses the impact of automation on its workforce, identifies which roles will be affected, and develops reskilling and redeployment plans for affected employees.

Does Planful Help With Workforce Planning?

Yes. Integrating workforce planning with FP&A ensures alignment between human resource decisions and financial goals. This involves budgeting for staffing needs, evaluating the financial impact of talent strategies, and understanding how workforce changes affect financial forecasts. By closely linking FP&A and workforce planning, organizations can make more informed decisions, optimize resource allocation, and achieve better financial outcomes.

From talent acquisition to managing the financial performance of the organization’s workforce, Planful helps you tackle every facet of workforce planning . Our platform helps simplify and automate time-consuming tasks and build alignment across departments, giving you more time to create a stronger people strategy.

With Planful, you can easily build models and what-if scenarios with our highly intuitive workforce planning templates , report on key results, and collaborate with leaders across the business to bring your plans to life; solve talent challenges by connecting financial and operational data to highlight gaps, project people costs, and build an optimized headcount planning process; and team up with Finance to conquer HR challenges and gain visibility and insight into budgets, people, and team strategies while building trust across the business.

Future-proof your business with the power of workforce planning. Get up and running with Planful in no time and without the need for IT support with an easy-to-manage platform. Check out our workforce planning demo today to see how Planful can help you build a more resilient, productive workforce.

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What Is Workforce Planning?

Workforce planning is critical for the health and growth of any organization. As an HR professional, you know how much of an undertaking it is to hire the right people with the right skill set at the right time. Then add on the responsibilities of budgeting for new hires and internal promotions, keeping current employees engaged and retention rates high, all while growing a business — it's overwhelming. 

To help you keep calm and workforce plan on, we created a brief guide that covers the basics of workforce planning. Feel free to click on the links below to jump ahead.

Use our template to seamlessly calculate your own employee retention rate.

Table of Contents

What is Workforce Planning?

Benefits of strategic workforce planning, stages of strategic workforce planning.

Workforce planning is the process of auditing, predicting and managing the employment needs of your company in relation to its greater strategic business goals.

Think about it this way, your product team is constantly evaluating the product —  what customers like and want more of — while at the same time predicting what’s going to be the next big thing. Similarly, your company needs to continuously evaluate its people — what they like and don’t like in their roles — as well as how the company is projected to grow and who will need to be hired, promoted or reorganized to meet those needs.

When it comes down to it, the goal of workforce planning is to help your workforce meet  the following criteria as closely as possible:

Workforce planning is a massive undertaking, especially the first time you do it. It can be difficult to know where and how to start as well as what resources are required to build a strategic workforce plan. Before we delve into the details, check out a few benefits of creating a workforce plan that make the effort worthwhile.

Help teams justify additional hires

Save time and money by anticipating growth and change 

Prepare for organizational changes proactively

Support finance team in budgeting for future workforce needs

Collaborate with the strategic business planning process

Recognize gaps in the workforce that need filling

Identify critical roles and teams to expand for growth

Balance business goals alongside hiring

Prioritize employee retention and engagement to reduce hiring needs

Analyze Strategic Direction

In order to plan for future workforce needs, you first need to analyze the current state of your workforce. Start by answering these questions:

What departments are running lean and could use additional support?

What is the manager-to-direct report ratio?

What individual contributors are ready for a promotion?

Do current employees need additional training to advance their careers at the company?

Is there a skills gap among current employees that needs to be filled by an external hire?

How long do employees typically stay at your company?

Why do employees leave your company?

To answer the majority of these questions, you need to take a deep dive into your overall employee lifecycle , which  will also help you better understand why people apply for roles at your company and why they leave.

Additionally, look carefully at your recruitment metrics so you can better optimize your strategy. 

Forecast Workforce Supply & Demand

Now that you've analyzed the current state of your workforce, look more closely at the employees you currently have, otherwise referred to as your workforce supply, and predict how their roles will change over time. These factors play a significant role in how, who and when you should hire candidates. Key areas to consider are: 

Employee retention: Determine roles that can be filled by internal candidates through promotion or professional development 

Turnover: Anticipate turnover by knowing individual employee goals and career paths.

Departmental attrition: Are certain departments or roles becoming obsolete or less valuable to the company, and if so, will you need to downsize or reorganize.

Physical office space: Is there enough physical office space and equipment to sufficiently support more employees?

Recruiting resources: Identify which roles need to be filled by external candidates what resources your team will need to recruit them — professional recruiters, money for job boards and advertisements, etc.

Communications resources: Recruiting and building an employer brand consumes a significant amount of time and resources. Check to see if anyone on your marketing team has the bandwidth to help out.

Once you’ve estimated your current workforce supply, you’ll want to consider the demand of each area. Understanding the difference between supply and demand in your workforce will help you identify gaps between what resources are readily available and what resources your organization needs to grow on track. In terms of workforce demand, you’ll want to look at:

Employment market: Take a look at the recruitment market to see which roles are in high demand and will be difficult to hire. 

Upcoming funding: What roles are critical right now and which ones can wait until you raise more capital?

Skills training: Will you need to train new or current employees skills to ensure they will keep up with change, or will you need to hire already skilled candidates for the roles.

Keep in mind the supply and demand of workforce planning will change over time so it's important to include your team in the workforce supply planning process because the decisions made will ultimately affect their jobs and careers.

Create a Workforce Planning Budget

At this stage, you should have a fairly detailed blueprint of who you have employed today, who you will need in the future and any gaps between the two. Now, you need to start prioritizing your roles by the most difficult to fill, highest priority and cost-per-hire.

How you prioritize roles will also depend on your external hiring and internal retention budgets. To hire talented candidates — and pay them what they’re worth — you need to determine a budget through workforce planning.

Figure out how long it takes to hire someone and how much it will cost by comparing your external hiring budget to your current recruitment metrics. By looking at the metrics, you should also be able to pinpoint areas of the recruitment strategy that need improvement.

Set a Hiring Timeframe 

From here, build out a timeline that prioritizes certain roles and takes into account how long it will take to hire each role. This timeline can span between one year to 10 years depending on your strategy. Regardless of how far out your strategy spans, include intermittent short term goals throughout the plan to ensure you're always pacing on track.

Also, keep in mind this plan is not set in stone, it will fluctuate over time and require adjustments along the way.

Reevaluate Workforce Plan

Once you’ve created a workforce plan, you’re not done. In fact, you will constantly be monitoring the workforce needs of your company as business goals change and your internal workforce evolves. It's important to frequently get feedback and buy-in from employees, especially as the company grows.

If you create a culture that is open to having tough conversations with employees about their roles, performance and future career, you will be significantly better equipped to anticipate and adjust your workforce plan as changes occur. Employees will also be more keen to stay at your company and refer cohorts to open roles, thus further simplifying your recruiting and retention process. Even as the plan you create changes over time, it will always be a guideline for your teams to assess the effectiveness of their strategies and keep them on track over the course of several years.

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Latest blog posts, workforce planning: 6 strategic steps in the right direction.

The workforce planning process can help answer some of your business’s most pressing questions: Who do you need to employ? Who do you have on hand? How do you keep your top talent around? In this article, we answer each, while providing an actionable guide to strategic workforce planning success.

• 1 What is Workforce Planning?
• 2 What Is Strategic Workforce Planning?
• 3 Why Is Workforce Planning Important?
• 4 Who Is In Charge Of Workforce Planning?
• 5 Do You Need Workforce Planning Tools?
• 6 The Six Steps Of The Workforce Planning Process
• 7 How Does Workforce Planning Benefit Employees?
• 8 Start Strategic Workforce Planning With HR Software

What is Workforce Planning?

Workforce planning is the strategic evaluation and management of an organisation's present and future talent requirements. It involves analysing, forecasting and planning workforce supply and demand. The goal is to ensure that organisations have the right people with the right skills in the right places at the right time to drive success.

What is the Purpose of Workforce Planning?

The purpose of workforce planning  is to find out where you have the right people in the right roles. It’s ensuring you have the right number of people, who have the right mix of skills, knowledge and experience to help your organisation reach its goals. These often will include both your short and long-term goals.

What is an Example of Workforce Planning?

Here's an example of workforce planning: Let’s say that your business has ambitions to expand internationally, but your sales staff is centred in one country, in one language and attuned to the needs of one target group. Your workforce p

lanning efforts would involve finding out:

The number of new sales staff you need

The number of languages you want to cover

If those sales staff should be based in other countries

If members of that staff should have certain regional skills or knowledge

A common workforce plan  will often include a brief analysis or summary of your current workforce, your future needs, and how you plan to bridge the gap in between. This might include hiring plans,  learning and development opportunities , or identifying key hires that are not necessarily related to scaling your business (like a new leader or content specialist).

What Is Strategic Workforce Planning?

Strategic workforce planning  is designed to meet scenarios three-to-five years in the future. Therefore, it must be aligned with business needs and objectives. It also requires the knowledge and time to prepare a plan that looks at future business strategy and includes scenario planning.

What Is The Workforce Planning Process?

The workforce planning process encompasses:

Workforce planning might come across as a vague term. Especially when it comes to overall business strategy. But. it has a very straightforward purpose and reasoning behind it.

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Why Is Workforce Planning Important?

In today’s talent-based economy, the key element that keeps successful companies running is people.

But, as  the SHRM  states: “Despite its importance, this asset is often not carefully planned, measured, or optimised. This means that many organisations are not sufficiently aware of the current or future workforce gaps that will limit the execution of business strategy.”

As anyone who has ever experienced staff shortages will know, not having the right talent in place can cause enormous strain on a business. The professional services and HR consulting firm,  Mercer , explains it well: “A weak pipeline or hidden talent issues can shake your organisation’s very foundation before anyone has realised there might be a problem.”

However, if organisations are able to look ahead and plan what roles, skills, and people will be needed to meet their business goals now, and in the future, they are more likely to thrive.

Of course, this is often easier said than done. It involves a systematic, rigorous, and disciplined process combined with a:

Future-forward view of the world

Solid grasp of business strategy

Deep understanding of human talents and capabilities

Strategic, time-conscious, and thoughtful process

Download our guide to discovering solutions for resilient companies today.

Who Is In Charge Of Workforce Planning?

The short answer: a lot of people! In some organisations, there are a multitude of stakeholders in charge of the workforce planning process (HR, sales leaders, even the CEO). In some, it’s simply a mystery left to the C-suite. But, should it be that way? The responsibilities of workforce planning may reveal to us who truly should be in charge of steering the conversation.

After all, HR teams are the ones doing the majority of the sourcing, vetting, recruiting, and hiring. Being accountable to results like those means having a place at the table. This is most often where  strategic human resource management  comes into the equation as a tool to enable HR teams to lead conversations on greater workforce planning.

All of this is to say that the responsibilities of workforce planning will vary by organisation. It really depends on the role an HR team has, and whether or not they have been able to reserve their own spot at the table of management.

Do You Need Workforce Planning Tools?

Workforce planning tools can help offset some of the uncertainty surrounding workforce planning. That’s because it is an attempt to bridge the gap between where your workforce currently stands, and where it can go.

Check out our article about the top five workforce planning tools you can try today.

The Six Steps Of The Workforce Planning Process

The workforce planning process can be categorised into six key steps. As an organisation, it helps to sit down and define answers to each of these to try and bring meaning to each.

And, as mentioned before, while HR may drive the conversation, it is imperative that many key stakeholders find themselves a seat at the table. They all should be able to weigh in, in order to align your ‘people plan’ with your business plan.

Check out our guide to aligning your HR’s goals with the company’s goals today.

1. What Is The Plan?

Where is your business going? Where do you want it to go? What are the current goals of top-level management? Workforce planning needs to start from the top down, and it needs to be set out by some kind of vision or overall goal to work toward. Whether that is doubling headcount or increasing the amount of leaders.

How do you formulate a proper HR strategy, overall? Here’s our guide to the process.

2. Who Do We Have Now?

The next step is to analyse the talent you have on hand. Who do you currently have working for you? What skills or training do they have? What seniority levels do you have a lot of? Take into account everything you currently have, ideally in the form of data and over a period of time to see how you’ve grown to this point.

3. What Do We Do Next?

Think about the space in between your current inventory of talent and your ultimate goal. So, what do you need next? Do you need more people? Different kinds of skills? More leaders? This will begin to inform you in terms of what you should do and what concrete measures you may need to implement.

4. Talent Gaps

Let’s dig a bit deeper. If we think about what we need to do next, first we need to think about what’s missing. What are the most pressing talent gaps in your organisation? Which ones would help you reach your goal sooner? For instance, would hiring the perfect high-level executive help to recruit even more mid-level talent? Which gaps, when solved, turn into their own amazing opportunities for growth?

5. Fixes & Initiatives

To address those gaps, what will you do? Will you focus on campus recruiting, formulating a more compelling remuneration package or rewards for top talent? What kind of fixes will help address those gaps, help you take the next in your workforce plan, ultimately to achieve your goal.

6. Measure Results

Did your fixes work? How much closer are you to your goal? Here, analytics and reporting are absolutely essential, as they can track your progress over time against your goal. And, in a click or two, you should be able to have a report that you can use and bring to executive management.

Here’s how to create reports in an instant with Personio.

Centralise Employee Data In One Ultra-Secure Place

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How Does Workforce Planning Benefit Employees?

Mercer puts it this way in their  Global Talent Trends Report 2020:  “It can’t just be about employee capacity and business unit alignment, [workforce planning] must recognise employees’ potential and engagement and be intertwined with the company’s technology roadmap.”

Sadly, the same report which gathered insights from 7,000+ people from nine industries and 16 regions says that two in five HR leaders say they don’t know what skills they have in their workforce today!

That means that successful workforce planning requires a combination of:

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Start Strategic Workforce Planning With HR Software

Start your workforce planning journey on the right foot with an HR software like Personio. Unlock the power of employee data management, enhanced reporting, and improved decision making. Upgrade your people operations for now and into the future by starting a free trial with Personio today .

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The Empuls Glossary

Glossary of Human Resources Management and Employee Benefit Terms

Workforce planning encompasses a systematic approach to anticipate and align future staffing needs with the organization's strategic goals. It goes beyond traditional HR functions by integrating workforce data, talent analytics, and organizational strategy to inform decision-making. By forecasting demand and supply of talent, businesses can proactively address skill gaps, mitigate risks, and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

What is workforce planning?

Workforce planning is the process of strategically aligning an organization's human capital with its business goals and objectives. It involves forecasting the future workforce needs of an organization, determining the necessary skills and competencies, and developing strategies to meet those needs efficiently.

What is strategic workforce planning?

Strategic workforce planning is a subset of workforce planning that focuses on aligning the organization's workforce requirements with its long-term strategic goals. It involves analyzing current workforce capabilities, identifying future workforce needs, and developing strategies to acquire, develop, and retain talent to support the organization's strategic objectives.

What does workforce planning include?

Workforce planning includes various elements such as:

• Analyzing current workforce demographics, skills, and capabilities.
• Forecasting future workforce needs based on business goals and objectives.
• Identifying gaps between current and future workforce requirements.
• Developing strategies to address those gaps, including recruitment, training, development, and retention.
• Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of workforce planning efforts and making adjustments as necessary.

What is the purpose of workforce planning?

The purpose of workforce planning is to ensure that an organization has the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time to achieve its business objectives. It helps organizations anticipate and proactively address workforce challenges, minimize disruptions, and optimize resource allocation.

Why is workforce planning important?

Workforce planning is important for several reasons:

• It helps organizations adapt to changing business environments and market conditions.
• It enables better strategic decision-making by aligning workforce strategies with business objectives.
• It improves workforce productivity and efficiency by ensuring that resources are allocated effectively.
• It helps organizations identify and address talent gaps and skills shortages.
• It enhances employee satisfaction and engagement by providing opportunities for development and advancement.
• It reduces costs associated with turnover, recruitment, and training by promoting workforce stability and retention.

What are the 5 key elements of workforce planning?

The five key elements of workforce planning are:

• Strategic alignment with business goals and objectives.
• Analysis of current workforce demographics, skills, and capabilities.
• Forecasting future workforce needs based on business projections and industry trends.
• Identification of gaps between current and future workforce requirements.
• Development and implementation of strategies to address those gaps, including recruitment, training, development, and retention initiatives.

What are the benefits of workforce planning?

The benefits of workforce planning include:

• Improved alignment of workforce strategies with business goals and objectives.
• Enhanced organizational performance and competitiveness.
• Increased workforce productivity and efficiency.
• Reduced talent shortages and turnover.
• Greater employee satisfaction and engagement.
• Cost savings associated with turnover, recruitment, and training.
• Better strategic decision-making through data-driven insights.

What are the critical focus areas in developing workforce plans?

The critical focus areas in developing workforce plans include:

• Understanding the organization's strategic goals and objectives.
• Developing and implementing strategies to address those gaps, including recruitment, training, development, and retention initiatives.

What are the five steps in the workforce planning process?

The five steps in the workforce planning process are:

• Assessing current workforce capabilities and needs.
• Forecasting future workforce requirements based on business projections and industry trends.
• Analyzing workforce gaps and identifying areas for improvement.
• Developing strategies to address identified workforce gaps, including recruitment, training, development, and retention initiatives.
• Implementing the workforce plan and monitoring its effectiveness, making adjustments as necessary to align with changing business conditions.

How are workforce plans related to business and HR strategies?

Workforce plans are closely linked to both business and HR strategies. They align workforce requirements with business goals and objectives, ensuring that the organization has the necessary talent to execute its strategy effectively. HR strategies, such as recruitment, training, and development, are developed in alignment with workforce plans to support the organization's overall strategic direction.

How to implement workforce planning?

To implement workforce planning effectively, organizations should:

• Gain leadership support and commitment.
• Establish clear goals and objectives for the workforce planning process.
• Allocate resources, including time, budget, and personnel, to support workforce planning efforts.
• Engage stakeholders across the organization, including HR, business leaders, and employees.
• Collect and analyze relevant data to inform workforce decisions.
• Develop and implement strategies to address identified workforce gaps.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of workforce planning efforts and make adjustments as necessary.

Employee pulse surveys:

These are short surveys that can be sent frequently to check what your employees think about an issue quickly. The survey comprises fewer questions (not more than 10) to get the information quickly. These can be administered at regular intervals (monthly/weekly/quarterly).

One-on-one meetings:

Having periodic, hour-long meetings for an informal chat with every team member is an excellent way to get a true sense of what’s happening with them. Since it is a safe and private conversation, it helps you get better details about an issue.

eNPS (employee Net Promoter score) is one of the simplest yet effective ways to assess your employee's opinion of your company. It includes one intriguing question that gauges loyalty. An example of eNPS questions include: How likely are you to recommend our company to others? Employees respond to the eNPS survey on a scale of 1-10, where 10 denotes they are ‘highly likely’ to recommend the company and 1 signifies they are ‘highly unlikely’ to recommend it.

Based on the responses, employees can be placed in three different categories:

• Promoters Employees who have responded positively or agreed.
• Detractors Employees who have reacted negatively or disagreed.
• Passives Employees who have stayed neutral with their responses.

How does workforce planning help a business?

Workforce planning helps a business in several ways:

• It enables the organization to anticipate and address future workforce needs.
• It aligns workforce strategies with business goals, improving organizational performance and competitiveness.
• It enhances workforce productivity and efficiency by ensuring that resources are allocated effectively.
• It reduces talent shortages and turnover by proactively addressing skill gaps and promoting employee development.
• It supports strategic decision-making by providing data-driven insights into workforce capabilities and requirements.

How to create a workforce plan?

To create a workforce plan, follow these steps:

• Understand the organization's strategic goals and objectives.
• Analyze current workforce demographics, skills, and capabilities.
• Forecast future workforce needs based on business projections and industry trends.
• Identify gaps between current and future workforce requirements.
• Develop strategies to address those gaps, including recruitment, training, development, and retention initiatives.
• Implement the workforce plan and monitor its effectiveness.
• Continuously evaluate and adjust the workforce plan as needed to align with changing business conditions.

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Practicing the Discipline of Workforce Planning

Workforce planning is the process an organization uses to analyze its workforce and determine the steps it must take to prepare for future staffing needs.

Any business plan deals with resource requirements, and, just as financial requirements need to be addressed, the business plan needs to ensure that the appropriate workforce mix is available to accomplish plan goals and objectives. In workforce planning, an organization conducts a systematic assessment of workforce content and composition issues and determines what actions must be taken to respond to future needs. The actions to be taken may depend on external factors (e.g., skill availability) as well as internal factors (e.g., age of the workforce). These factors may determine whether future skill needs will be met by recruiting, by training or by outsourcing the work.

Whether handled separately or as part of the business plan, workforce planning involves working through four issues:

• The composition and content of the workforce that will be required to strategically position the organization to deal with its possible futures and business objectives.
• The gaps that exist between the future "model" organization(s) and the existing organization, including any special skills required by possible futures.
• The recruiting and training plans for permanent and contingent staff that must be put in place to deal with those gaps.
• The determination of the outside sources that will be able to meet the skill needs for functions or processes that are to be outsourced.

While many see workforce planning as purely a staffing tool for anticipating employment needs, it can also be a critical tool for staff training and development and succession planning. To be successful, organizations should conduct a regular and thorough workforce planning assessment so that staffing needs can be measured, training and development goals can be established, and contingent workforce options can be used to create an optimally staffed and trained workforce able to respond to the needs of the business.

Roles of HR and Senior Management in Workforce Planning

Often, a workforce plan is completed simultaneously with organizational strategic planning and is updated with the same frequency as the strategic plan. While the HR department is typically responsible for the bulk of workforce planning initiatives, other members of senior management may be involved in the workforce planning process, including the CEO, COO, CFO and other leaders responsible for organizational strategy. To ensure the effectiveness of a workforce plan, leaders should evaluate the ability of the plan to anticipate and respond to future needs so that the organization can make and execute sound business decisions. Performance indicators will include standard organizational performance measures: profitability, ROI, productivity and so on. An effective performance management system can have a positive impact on the performance indicators of the organization. Benchmarks may also be established by relying on industry data.

Tips for Effective Workforce Planning

For the workforce planning process to be successful, human resource professionals responsible for leading workforce planning initiatives should make sure to:

• Designate a specific member of the HR team to manage the process.
• Find a high-level executive to champion the plan.
• Involve key stakeholders in the workforce planning process.
• Align the plan with the company's strategic business plan.
• Coordinate the workforce plan with succession planning and career development initiatives.
• Make workforce planning an ongoing activity, with continuous evaluation of changes in the internal and external environment that may affect the organization's staffing needs.

Steps in the Workforce Planning Process

Several distinct analytical steps need to be taken in workforce planning:

• The supply analysis , also referred to as the "supply model" or "staffing assessment," involves an analysis of an organization's current labor supply.
• The demand analysis, also referred to as the "demand model," includes a review of future business plans and objectives.
• The gap analysis compares the differences in the supply and demand models and identifies skill surpluses and deficiencies.
• The solution analysis focuses on how to address gaps in current staffing and future staffing needs through recruiting, training and development, contingent staffing, and outsourcing.

Step 1: Supply analysis

The purpose of the supply model is to analyze the organization as it currently exists—in other words, the supply of labor and skill sets that are vital to an organization. This analysis should encompass not only the number of employees and their skills, but also factors such as workforce demographics and representation of protected classes. Demographics may be especially important in workforce planning if the organization has large numbers of workers nearing retirement age, or if it has large numbers of young workforce entrants with turnover rates exceeding those of older, seasoned employees. Representation of protected classes will have significance for federal or state government contractors, which must comply with applicable affirmative action plan requirements, as well as for organizations that have a voluntary affirmative action plans and that wish to improve representation of underused protected classes. See   How does the use of trend analysis fit into the overall workplace planning process?

A supply analysis also involves making projections of attrition (due to resignations, retirements, internal transfers, promotions and involuntary terminations) over the planning horizon being used, so that attrition is taken into account in considering the future supply of labor and skill. From this information, the workforce planner can develop a profile of current staff as it would exist in the future if no action is taken in recruiting, training or outsourcing.

Step 2: Demand analysis

The purpose of the demand model is to forecast the organization's future workforce composition. This forecast should take into consideration a broad range of business issues, including new product lines, competitive forces and expansion/constriction in global marketplaces, anticipated workforce availability within geographic boundaries, and myriad other issues.

Internal and external factors need to be considered in the demand analysis. Analyses of internal demand influences may focus on the following questions, among others:

• Will the current workforce, with minimal retraining, have the skill sets necessary to perform new duties with a new product line?
• Will current employees remain loyal to the organization if it has anticipated changes in mind?

Analyses of external demand influences may consider these questions:

• Is labor readily available that possesses the skills and abilities needed by the evolving organization?
• What external pressures will change demand for goods and services that may ultimately affect internal business decisions and, thus, workforce planning needs?

The future composition of the workforce must also be analyzed. This analysis will seek answers to the following questions:

• How many employees will be necessary to achieve business plan goals and objectives?
• What skills and competencies will be required for the new business?
• What is the composition of the available workforce population?
• What will the organization need to do to attract prospective employees?
• What will the organization need to do to attract and retain a diverse group of workers?

Step 3: Gap analysis

The next step in the process seeks to compare the supply model with the demand model to identify gaps between the composition of the current workforce and future workforce needs. The workforce planning professional may want to categorize a variety of future scenarios and then select the future that is most likely to occur, with contingency planning for alternative futures. When conducting this analysis, the planner should identify the additional number of employees needed who have the requisite skill sets, as well as the employees who will no longer be needed due to limited skill sets.

Step 4: Solution analysis

Solution analysis involves the development of strategies to close the gaps identified in the previous step. Approaches for meeting future workplace demands may include recruiting, training and retraining, using contingent staff, or outsourcing. The approaches selected will be dependent on whether the organization will need to expand, contract, restructure or rely on contingent staff to meet new workplace demands.

Recruiting . When external staff is required to meet a workforce expansion due to demands of new product lines, expanded production or service offerings, or new geographic areas to be served, external recruitment may be the logical strategy to address gaps. Recruiting may also be required as turnover occurs, whether due to employees leaving to find other employment opportunities or to retirement, which may be the case for organizations with large numbers of employees nearing retirement age. Employers can choose among a wide variety of tactics for executing their recruiting strategy. These tactics vary depending on market conditions, the type of targeted candidates, diversity-related issues and other factors. Cost and time are major issues in recruitment. Even if the recruitment process is efficient, it typically costs more and takes longer to find, hire and train a new person than to "recycle" a current employee through internal recruitment. So, in many instances, external recruitment should be the workforce planning strategy of last resort. See  Recruiting Internally and Externally .

Training and retraining. Instead of filling the skills gaps through external recruiting, human resource professionals may choose the less costly solution of employee development, particularly for key high-value positions. Employee development builds on current intellectual capital, retains the corporate culture, and motivates and stimulates the workforce. As skill sets become obsolete due to new technology, new services, additional product lines or other competitive forces, the organization should focus on updating skills and capabilities of their employees as a critical workforce planning strategy. Training, retraining and development may include many methodologies, such as classroom training, on-the-job training, e-learning, webinars and job aids. These activities may concentrate on specific job duties and tasks or on leadership and managerial skills for new leaders.  

Contingent staffing. When the current number of employees or their skills sets are insufficient to accomplish the work, given the anticipated business future, contingent staffing may be used to fill that gap. This approach makes sense when the demand model indicates that the numbers of employees will vary significantly and cannot be leveled out through resource allocation strategies. Contingent staffing is often best used when the future is likely to be fluid or highly dynamic; in these circumstances, it may be a better alternative than hiring full-time employees who may not be needed on an ongoing basis. Contingent staffing options include temporary employees, part-time employees, contract workers and consultants. Discussion of each of these types follows.

Temporary workers

Temporary workers may be found internally or externally, depending on the needs of the organization. Although temporary staff is often hired to perform traditional clerical duties, the desire for additional flexibility, as well as early retirement, has resulted in higher-level experienced individuals seeking temporary assignments to meet their personal goals. Today's temporary workers can be hired to work in virtually every level of an organization, including CEOs, controllers, accountants, consultants, IT, marketing and HR.

To maximize the benefits of using temporary workers, human resource professionals should consider whether to use an agency or internal resources, determine selection criteria, ensure successful onboarding, set expectations and effectively manage performance. Organizations will also want to ensure that policies or procedures are established for issues such as screening and selecting temporary agencies, temporary-to-regular employee classification, discipline, work behaviors and legal compliance activities.

Part-time employees

Part-time employees are those who typically work less than a full-time schedule. Many of these employees work a partial day every workday; some work part-week, and some may work part-month. Some may even job-share with another part-time employee. Part-time work can be used to attract diverse workers, including students, parents of young children, older workers and others who need or want to work but do not wish to work a full-time schedule. Most organizations require part-time employees to follow all policies and procedures that their full-time employees must follow. Fewer or different benefits may be offered to part-time employees than to full-time employees.

Contract workers and consultants

Sometimes an organization may need workers who have specialized knowledge or expertise to help meet new business requirements. Independent contractors and consultants may be used to meet these special requirements. Employers should take care in properly identifying contract workers and consultants, as misclassification of these workers can result in violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act or Internal Revenue Service regulations. Classifying a worker as an independent contractor should always be an informed and bona fide business decision, not a subterfuge to avoid the employer's legal obligations to employees. Independent contractor arrangements have drawn increasing scrutiny and significance with the proliferation of workplace laws covering "employees" and the growth of the contingent workforce. Misclassification of an individual as an independent contractor can give rise to a variety of liabilities. See   Employing Independent Contractors and Other Gig Workers .

Outsourcing

Organizations may determine that certain noncore business functions would be better accomplished by outsourcing them to an organization that specializes in those functional areas. Jobs that are prime targets for outsourcing are those that require a skill that is critical, in short supply and needed only periodically. If such needs can be handled through contingent staff—for example, by using retirees—the organization will, of course, be ahead. However, many high-demand, low-supply, leading-edge skill needs may be met only through outsourcing to specialized contractors.

To ensure that outsourced functions are properly managed, HR should consider:

• Selecting the right firm.
• Establishing guidelines for a partnering relationship.
• Communication methodologies and protocols.
• Metrics for measuring and ensuring business results.

Companies and providers should work to structure an outsourcing contract that can adapt to the client's changing needs. See  Outsourcing the HR Function .

Succession Planning as a Workforce Planning Tool

Another aspect of effective workforce planning is succession planning. Succession planning is used by organizations to identify and prepare suitable employees to fill key positions when current employees leave their jobs. An effective workforce planning process will include a review of key leadership and business-critical roles and will identify key incumbents able to progress into these roles. Having a succession plan in place generally ensures a smooth continuation of business when key players leave due to retirement, resignations or transfers within the company.

The types of positions included in a succession plan vary by organization. Traditionally, these plans included only executive-level positions. In recent years, however, companies have been selecting successors for positions throughout the organization. During times of economic upheaval, when the economic security of organizations and their staffs may be uncertain, the need for up-to-date succession plans increases. With a wavering economic outlook, downsizing, mergers and acquisitions become more likely. With these events leading to potential increases in turnover, implementing a succession plan is a key strategy an organization can use to reduce turnover costs and ensure smooth transitions. In addition, a succession plan can help foster employee commitment because it demonstrates to employees that the organization supports their development and internal growth.

Organizations use a variety of models for succession planning, which may range from self-identification or nomination to highly sophisticated software tools that maintain information about individual employees' development plans, training and education completed, classes taken, performance evaluations, and recommendations for future development. See   Engaging in Succession Planning .

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Workforce Planning

Workforce Planning is the process of analyzing, forecasting, and planning workforce supply and demand, assessing gaps, and determining target talent management interventions to ensure that an organization has the right people - with the right skills in the right places at the right time - to fulfill its mandate and strategic objectives.

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2. supply analysis, 3. demand analysis, 4. gap analysis, 5. solution implementation, 6. monitoring progress.

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Workforce Scheduling 101: Definition + How To Guide

If you've ever wondered how businesses have the right people, in the right place, at the right time, this guide is for you.

It’s all about getting one thing right: workforce scheduling.

So in this article, you will get to know:

• what workforce scheduling is,
• why it matters,
• who can find it useful
• and how you can manage it yourself.

What is workforce scheduling?

Workforce scheduling is all about planning who works when and where within a company.

Effective workforce scheduling goes beyond merely filling shifts. It involves strategically aligning the workforce with the varying demands of the business, which can differ daily or seasonally.

💡 For instance, a retail store might need more staff during holiday seasons than on regular days, or a call center may require more agents during peak call times. The goal is to optimize both the employee productivity and the operational costs.

Moreover, workforce scheduling isn’t just about balancing business needs. It also focuses on fair labor practices and employee satisfaction . This means creating schedules that respect work-life balance , adhere to labor laws, and consider individual preferences as much as possible.

For example, some employees might prefer or need a consistent schedule due to childcare responsibilities, while others might seek more varied shifts that fit around their studies or other commitments.

Advanced workforce scheduling can involve sophisticated software that helps predict staffing needs based on historical data and future projections. This technology can assist in creating more accurate and efficient schedules, reduce labor costs, and even improve worker satisfaction.

Why is the workforce scheduling process important?

If you haven't already, you might want to start workforce scheduling for these reasons:

Optimal resource utilization

By matching the right employee to the right task at the right time, businesses avoid wasting resources .

A construction company could schedule experienced workers for complex projects and newer staff for simpler tasks to maximize productivity.

Cost control

Scheduling helps keep a tight rein on operating expenses by optimizing staff deployment.

A retail store might schedule more staff during sales or holiday seasons and reduce the workforce during quieter periods.

Employee satisfaction and work-life balance

When employees have predictable and reasonable schedules, they're generally happier and more productive .

A tech company might let employees submit their availability or preferred shifts, using this information to create a schedule that accommodates personal commitments and reduces burnout.

Compliance with labor laws and legislation

Proper scheduling lets businesses adhere to working hours, rest periods, and overtime regulations. That's how they can avoid legal penalties.

A hospital might use scheduling tools to ensure nurses don't work more than the legally mandated hours.

Efficient task allocation

Thanks to scheduling, every task is covered by someone with the appropriate skills.

A graphic design firm could schedule brainstorming sessions when all creative staff are on shift, all so that the right talents are pooled to maximize creativity.

Adaptation to business requirements

Effective scheduling can quickly adapt to changes in business volume.

An e-commerce company might increase its customer service staff during a product launch or promotion to handle an anticipated increase in orders.

Better customer service

With the right scheduling, businesses have enough staff to offer excellent service without delays.

A restaurant could schedule extra waitstaff and chefs during peak dining hours to keep service smooth and customers happy.

Forecasting and planning

Advanced schedule planning also helps predict future staffing needs based on trends and historical data.

A logistics company might analyze past shipping volumes to forecast peak periods and schedule accordingly.

What industries need workforce scheduling the most? + Tips

At this point, you might be thinking: "Do I really need a solution like that though?"

Well, the chances that you do are pretty high, especially if you operate in one of these industries:

In the retail sector, managing employee shifts is key to meeting customer demands. It's particularly useful during sales or holiday seasons.

• Tip: use specialized tools to predict labor demand and adjust employee availability.
• Tip: implement shift swapping to fill vacant shifts quickly without disrupting the service.

Accuracy and timeliness are necessary in healthcare . After all, this is where the right staffing levels can be a matter of life and death.

• Tip: optimize schedules to have 24/7 coverage with the right mix of skills for each shift.
• Tip: use workforce management tools to comply with labor laws and manage employee fatigue.

Hospitality and tourism

This industry lives off customer satisfaction, which is directly impacted by the staff's ability to manage and deliver services.

• Tip: forecast and control labor costs by adjusting workforce schedules based on seasonal visitor trends.
• Tip: always create accurate schedules that align with guest demand to improve service delivery and employee satisfaction.

Call centers and customer service

Efficient task management is essential here to handle varying volumes of calls and service requests.

• Tip: take advantage of workforce scheduling automation to manage fluctuations in call volumes without overstaffing.
• Tip: allow employees to choose shifts that match their preferred working hours to increase morale and reduce turnover.

Manufacturing and production

Precise scheduling keeps production lines staffed with the right number of skilled workers at all times.

• Tip: use schedules for a steady workflow and meet production targets.
• Tip: implement workforce scheduling software to quickly adapt to changes in production demands.

Transportation and logistics

Timely deliveries and skillful route management depend on well-planned driver schedules.

• Tip: optimize schedules to align with delivery peaks and driving hours regulations.
• Tip: use workforce scheduling automation to synchronize with real-time changes in logistics demands.

Utilities and energy

As demand fluctuates and emergencies arise, managing field staff effectively becomes more than a necessity.

• Tip: forecast labor demand and create flexible schedules to handle emergency outages and routine maintenance efficiently.
• Tip: invest in workforce management systems so staff are available for urgent tasks without excessive overtime costs.

Security and public safety

In industries where safety is paramount, having the right personnel on duty at all times is a priority.

• Tip: use workforce scheduling software to manage shifts around the clock, so all locations are adequately secured.
• Tip: allow for shift swapping and flexible scheduling to quickly cover unexpected staffing gaps.

In each of these industries, adopting advanced workforce scheduling tools can transform operations, boost efficiency, and keep labor costs in check while still meeting the operational demands efficiently.

What to look for in workforce optimization software

Before picking the right solution for your scheduling needs, it's worth creating a checklist of the must-have features.

Ease of use

You don't want to spend hours training your team on how to use this software. A good system will have a clean interface that makes setting up and adjusting workforce schedules simple.

Flexibility

Look for software that can adapt to the unique needs of your business. Whether it's varying shift patterns or unexpected changes, the tool should be able to handle it all with ease.

Customization

Your business isn't a one-size-fits-all, so your scheduling tool shouldn't be either. Customization features let you adjust settings and preferences to match your specific operational requirements.

Integrations

The best workforce optimization tools play well with others. Look for software that integrates seamlessly with your existing HR, payroll, and ERP systems to speed up processes, not slow them down.

Employee self-service features

Motivate your team with the ability to view their schedules , request time off , and swap shifts directly from the software. This not only saves management time but also makes your workers more independent.

Forecasting and demand planning

Accurate forecasting tools help you predict staffing needs based on historical data and future projections. This way, you're never under- or overstaffed.

Compliance and legal requirements

The software should help you stay on top of labor laws and industry regulations. Automatic alerts for potential compliance issues can save you from costly legal problems.

Real-time updates

In a fast-moving work environment, information needs to be up-to-date. Real-time updates keep everyone informed and make it easy to react to changes instantly.

Mobile accessibility

Employees should be able to access their schedules and receive updates no matter where they are, directly from their smartphones. This is even more important if you have a mobile workforce that does not operate from an office setting.

Reporting and analytics

Insightful analytics and robust reporting capabilities can transform raw data into actionable insights. Use these tools to optimize your staffing strategies and improve overall operational efficiency.

Unrubble - your workforce scheduling partner

Do you want to know which tool has all the features we've just mentioned?

It's Unrubble - the powerhouse in workforce scheduling automation that makes creating and managing schedules a breeze.

Whether you're tracking time or juggling shifts, we've got your back.

Easy scheduling: No more headaches of manual scheduling. With Unrubble, everything from setting up shift schedules to handling time-offs and managing business trips is streamlined.

Empower your team: Unrubble puts the power in your employees' hands. With our Employee Self-Service App, your team can manage their schedules, swap shifts without hassle, and stay updated in real time.

Stay connected anywhere: With face recognition and anti-spoofing technology, your team can clock in securely and swiftly, no matter where they are. All thanks to our Mobile Time Clock . Plus, the app keeps you connected with schedule and shift swaps right at your fingertips.

Why Unrubble stands out

• Schedule in a snap: Change your scheduling speed up to 10x. Quick, efficient, and reliable.
• Real-time updates: Keep in sync with your team's schedule changes and updates instantly.
• Robust reporting: Make informed decisions that help optimize your workforce and reduce costs.

Almost 200,000 happy users can't be wrong! They've made the switch to smarter scheduling with Unrubble and have seen their scheduling conflicts disappear. It's time for you to experience the same freedom and efficiency.

Get started for free

No credit card required, no hidden fees. Start unrubbling for free and witness the ease and precision Unrubble brings to your daily operations.

Now that you’ve walked through the basics of workforce schedule-making, you’re better equipped to handle the challenges that come with managing a diverse team.

Are you interested in taking your scheduling skills further? Check out our blog for more insightful content like this.

And don't forget to give Unrubble a try .

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Workforce planning

Last updated 22 Mar 2021

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For most businesses, large or small, the task of identifying what work needs doing and who should do it is a continuous challenge! Workforce planning is the approach most businesses take to address this challenge.

It is rare that a business of any size operates for long without having to recruit or remove employees.

For example, consider why a business might need to recruit staff:

• Business expansion due to
• - Increasing sales of existing products
• - Developing new products
• - Entering new markets
• Existing employees leave:
• - To work with competitors or other local employers
• - Due to factors such as retirement, sick leave, maternity leave
• Business needs employees with new skills
• Business is relocating – and not all of existing workforce want to move to new location

The world of work is also changing rapidly:

• Increase in part-time working
• Increased number of single-parent families
• More women seeking work
• Ageing population
• Greater emphasis on flexible working hours
• Technology allows employees to communicate more effectively whilst apart
• People rarely stay in the same job for life

Businesses need to understand and respond to these changes if they are to recruit staff of the right standard – and keep them!

So what is workforce planning?

Workforce planning is about deciding how many and what types of workers are required

There are several steps involved in workforce planning:

• The workforce plan establishes what vacancies exist
• Managers produce a job description and job specification for each post
• Job description
• Detailed explanation of the roles and responsibilities of the post advertised
• Most applicants will ask for this before applying for the job
• Refers to the post available rather than the person

Job specification

• Sets out the kind of qualifications, skills, experience and personal attributes a successful candidate should possess.
• A vital tool in assessing the suitability of job applicants
• Refers to the person rather than the post
• Workforce planning
• Flexible working

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The foundation of any manufacturing powerhouse isn’t just its state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge technology, or well-oiled supply chain. It’s the skilled workforce at the core of everything it does. In an age where technological advancements are not just a luxury but a necessity to remain competitive, strategic workforce planning is critical to long-term, sustainable success.

The manufacturing sector, traditionally dependent on manual labor, is now being reshaped by automation, analytics, and cutting-edge robotics . This evolution in the industry is not only altering production lines but also redesigning job descriptions, creating new roles, and demanding an entirely different set of skills. This shift calls for planning that integrates human resources with business strategy; a transition that’s delicate, demanding, and, above all, necessary to secure a thriving future for any manufacturing enterprise.

In this blog post, we’ll dissect the crucial nature of strategic workforce planning in the manufacturing sector and arm you with the insights to align your talent framework with the technology that drives the industry forward.

The Art of Anticipating Change in Workforce Dynamics

Before any manufacturing business can map out a strategic workforce plan, it must adopt a proactive mindset, one that anticipates change rather than reacts to it. But what are the changes on the horizon for this industry?

Automation, machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced robotics are not casting a shadow over the human workforce; they’re illuminating a new path forward. For instance, the rise of cobots – collaborative robots – is revolutionizing the shop floor, not by replacing workers outright, but by working alongside them, augmenting their capabilities and boosting production efficiency. The goal of strategic workforce planning is not to stem this tide but to ride it, harnessing technology to elevate human potential.

“Agility is fundamentally led not by technology but by the adaptability, innovation, and collaboration of people.” -Doug Duncan, President of Manufacturing and Supply Chain

In the manufacturing industry, where the life cycle of products can be long and the market demand is volatile, agile planning that incorporates technological developments is essential. The conversation around workforce planning must shift from a defensive, “how do we protect jobs?” to an offensive, “how do we optimize capabilities?”

The Core Components of Strategic Workforce Planning

Strategic workforce planning is more than a conceptual framework – it’s a structured approach grounded in practical insight. It comprises key components, each pivotal to forecasting talent needs and creating a sustainable, versatile workforce.

Analyze and Anticipate Workforce Trends

Understanding current and projected workforce demographics is the starting point. This involves analyzing the age distribution within the workforce, the rate of retirement, and the subsequent loss of institutional knowledge. Simultaneously, you must track industry benchmarks related to workforce performance, such as productivity and employee engagement metrics.

Align Workforce with Business Goals

Every new technology or process on the factory floor should lead to a reevaluation of the skills required. For instance, adopting data analytics tools demands the presence of a skilled workforce capable of interpreting the insights these tools generate. This step necessitates a close collaboration between HR and the relevant business units to ensure alignment.

Engage in Strategic Talent Acquisition and Retention

The manufacturing industry is known for its competitive struggles to attract and retain top talent. This is where branding and talent acquisition strategies play a critical role. Investing in the employer brand and offering continuous skill development can turn the tide in favor of manufacturers seeking to capitalize on workforce planning strategies.

Develop a Flexible Talent Development Strategy

Your workforce strategy should be as agile as your production cycle. Developing a mechanism for talent assessment and development helps in identifying high-potential employees, grooming leaders, and deploying staff where their skills are most needed, whether in new roles created by technology or existing ones.

Monitor and Evaluate

Perfecting your strategic workforce planning requires a commitment to continuous improvement . Regularly monitoring the effectiveness of your strategies and reevaluating against performance indicators and emerging trends is not an imperative but a mindset – one that ensures your workforce is a reflection of your business aspirations.

✨Download MAU’s 2024 Mindset of the Market Survey To Learn More About The Shifting Priorities of the Manufacturing Workforce!

The manufacturing talent of tomorrow.

With each new innovation in the manufacturing industry arises a new set of required skills. The talent of tomorrow is adept at working with technology, not just alongside it. Manufacturers are finding that softer skills complementing technical expertise are also in high demand – skills like critical thinking, leadership, and interpersonal communication.

Investing in upskilling and reskilling programs is not only an investment in your workforce but a vote of confidence in the future. Developing a learning culture within your organization can accelerate the transformation of employees into assets who are adept at navigating their roles in a tech-driven environment.

The conversation around workforce development also extends to inclusivity. The manufacturers of the future must cultivate a diverse and inclusive workforce. This diversity can bring a multitude of perspectives and its own spectrum of skills to the table, enriching your company’s problem-solving approach and community impact.

The manufacturing industry is at an inflection point, where strategic workforce planning is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but a ‘must-have.’ By integrating talent management with technological advancements, manufacturers can overcome the challenges of workforce transformation and thrive in the new industrial revolution.

The road ahead is daunting, and the shifts are seismic, but strategic workforce planning arms you with the foresight to turn these changes to your advantage. It’s about preparing your people for the machines, while also ensuring that the machines work for your people – harmonizing technology and talent to orchestrate a symphony of success in the manufacturing industry.

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Featured Article

A comprehensive list of 2024 tech layoffs

From major layoffs at tesla, amazon and microsoft to small fintech startups and apps.

The tech layoff wave is still going strong in 2024. Following significant workforce reductions in 2022 and 2023 , this year has already seen 60,000 job cuts across 254 companies, according to independent layoffs tracker Layoffs.fyi . Companies like Tesla , Amazon , Google , TikTok , Snap and Microsoft have conducted sizable layoffs in the first months of 2024. Smaller-sized startups have also seen a fair amount of cuts, and in some cases, have shut down operations altogether .

By tracking these layoffs, we’re able to understand the impact on innovation across companies large and small. We’re also able to see the potential impact of businesses embracing AI and automation for jobs that had previously been considered safe. It also serves as a reminder of the human impact of layoffs and what could be at stake in regards to increased innovation.

Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of all the known layoffs in tech that have occurred in 2024, to be updated regularly. If you have a tip on a layoff, contact us here . If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can contact us here .

• January 2024: 19,350 employees laid off — see all January 2024 Tech Layoffs
• February 2024: 15,589 employees laid off — see all February 2024 Tech Layoffs
• March 2024: 7,403 employees laid off — see all March 2024 Tech Layoffs
• April 2024: 22,153 employees laid off — see all April 2024 Tech Layoffs

Laid off roughly 170 workers , impacting a third of its total headcount, in an effort to cut back on annual operating costs. 

Closed Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and more game studios as part of cuts at Bethesda . It’s currently unclear how many employees will be impacted.

Is eliminating 230 employees, about 49% of its workforce, in a cost cutting measure laid out in documents filed with the U.S. SEC .

Is slashing its workforce by 20% . The cuts will affect around 140 employees, and the company is also cutting ties with “the majority” of its contract workers.

Has laid off about 3% of its workforce , impacting 116 people, the company confirmed to TechCrunch in a statement. The cuts come over a year after the company eliminated about 4% of its headcount .

Is laying off 15% of its workforce , affecting about 400 people, as part of a cost-cutting effort. The company’s CEO Barry McCarthy is also stepping down.

Has gutted its charging team in a new round of layoffs , CEO Elon Musk announced in an overnight email to executives.

Has laid off staff across key teams like Flutter, Dart and Python . It is currently unclear how many employees were let go.

Is laying off more employees to “preserve cash,” according to an internal email viewed by TechCrunch . The number of cuts is currently unknown.

Is shutting down operations in the U.S., the U.K. and Europe, impacting at least 6,000 jobs across the closing markets .

Is cutting about 180 jobs in a profitability push and has let go its chief executive Hemant Bakshi, a source familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.

True Anomaly

The space and defense startup laid off nearly 30 people, accounting for about 25% of its workforce, due to “duplication of roles and functions across the company,” TechCrunch exclusively reported.

Is expected to cut employees in its Austin office for the second time this year.

Plans to eliminate 740 employees at its Oregon headquarters this summer, according to a WARN Act notice.

Stability AI

Is eliminating 10% of its workforce following the exit of former CEO Emad Mostaque.

Is laying off workers as part of continued cost cutting measures . The number of employees affected was at the time unknown.

Is reducing its total workforce by 1% . It’s the second round of layoffs for the EV maker this year.

Is laying off 5% of its workforce , affecting around 579 employees. The GTA 6 publisher also announced the elimination of “several projects” in development.

Is eliminating about 20% of its 59 employees in a restructuring effort.

Is cutting “more than 10%” of its global workforce , per an internal email sent by CEO Elon Musk. That could impact more than 14,000 workers worldwide, as Tesla prepares itself “for our next phase of growth” amid a challenging EV market.

Is reducing its global workforce by nearly 4%, impacting up to 140 employees .

Is laying off 250 employees based in Ireland as it restructures its Training and Quality team.

Hinge Health

Cut approximately 10% of its workforce, TechCrunch exclusively learned , as the company prepares for an IPO and aims to reach profitability.

Has laid off 382 employees, amounting to 32% of its total workforce, TechCrunch exclusively learned . The background-screening platform was last valued at $5 billion in April of 2022.

Reportedly laid off a sizable part of its staff in a restructuring effort. The number of employees impacted is currently unknown, but sources told Inc42 that it could be “in the range of 70-100” workers.

Is laying off 614 employees in California after abandoning its electric car project , according to a WARN notice .

Agility Robotics

Has laid off a “small number” of employees as part of a company-wide focus on commercialization efforts.

Ghost Autonomy

Shut down operations. The company, which was backed by OpenAI, employed about 100 people .

Is shutting down Yummly , the recipe and cooking app it acquired in 2017.

Will cut hundreds of jobs across Sales, Marketing, Global Services and its Physical Stores Technology team.

Byju’s

Is laying off about 500 employees , accounting for 3% of its total workforce, as part of a restructuring effort.

Has laid off 20% of its staff after acquiring point-of-sale platform Cuboh. The company previously laid off 100 people in 2022.

Nintendo of America

Is restructuring its testing department, which is largely made up of contractors. A Nintendo spokesperson told Kotaku the changes will end some assignments but will lead to the creation of new full-time positions.

Cut its global workforce by about 6,000 jobs , according to a 10-K SEC filing . The filing reveals the company cut 13,000 jobs in the last year .

Has made cuts to its staff, the company confirmed to TechCrunch . A report in Fintech Business Weekly estimates that 17 people, or about 15% of the company, were impacted. 

Is cutting 195 roles in an effort to become more sustainable, CEO Henry Chan wrote in a blog post . The layoffs impact nearly a quarter of its staff.

Reportedly eliminated 20% of its total workforce in its second restructuring effort in the past year.

Chipper Cash

Conducted another round of layoffs impacting 20 employees, CEO Ham Serunjogi announced in a blog post . 

Has reportedly cut 16% of its staff in a strategic move to support its Textio Lift product. 

Is reportedly laying off around 25% of its workforce . According to Axios, the cuts affect roughly 80 people.

Phantom Auto

Is shutting down after failing to secure new funding, TechCrunch has learned . The remote driving startup, which had cut staff last year, employed a little more than 100 people.

Is reportedly slashing its marketing and communications staff. The company previously announced a strategy to replace upwards of 8,000 jobs with AI.

Inscribe.ai

Cut just under 40% of its staff, equating to dozens of employees, the company confirmed to TechCrunch .

Laid off around 15 people earlier this year , following comments from CEO Chris Caren that the company would be able to reduce 20% of its headcount thanks to AI.

Laid off 13% of its staff based in its New York office as the web3 fantasy sports platform focuses on its Paris headquarters, a source familiar with the matter told TechCrunch .

Is eliminating roughly 7% of its workforce as part of organizational restructuring. The fintech unicorn last conducted layoffs in August 2022.

Is cutting about 13% of its workforce , affecting 40 employees. It’s the second round of layoffs for the battery startup in recent months.

Project Ronin

Is shutting down, resulting in a “permanent mass layoff” impacting around 150 employees.

February 2024

Plans to lay off 15% of its workforce and says it likely does not have enough cash on hand to survive the next 12 months.

Cut 5% of its workforce , impacting 670 employees, as it moves away from the “development of future licensed IP.”

Is letting go of about 350 employees, accounting for 30% of its workforce.

Is likely cutting hundreds of employees who worked on the company’s autonomous electric car project now that the effort has stopped, TechCrunch has learned.

Is laying off 900 employees from its PlayStation unit, affecting 8% of the division’s workforce. Insomniac Games, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla and Firesprite studios will also be impacted .

Will reportedly cut 1,500 roles in 2024 , primarily in its Product & Technology division, accounting for more than 8% of the company’s workforce.

Eliminated roughly 60 employees , or 17% of its workforce. It’s the financial startup’s third major layoff round in the past 12 months.

Is laying off 10% of its salaried workforce in a bid to cut costs in an increasingly tough market for EVs.

Meati Foods

Will lay off 13% of its workforce as it works to “build a financially sustainable business,” CEO Phil Graves told TechCrunch exclusively .

Announced it will eliminate 5% of its employees, impacting more than 4,000 people .

Will lay off about 550 workers in a move designed to promote “operating expense efficiency.”

Announced in an SEC filing that it will lay off roughly 250 employees as part of a restructuring effort.

Is scaling back its investment in a number of products, TechCrunch has learned, resulting in layoffs that will affect roughly 60 employees .

Is laying off 230 employees worldwide as part of the company’s efforts to advance its focus on “the AI-enabled workplace of the future.”

Is cutting 30% of its North American workforce as part of a restructuring.

Is reportedly cutting jobs in its healthcare businesses One Medical and Amazon Pharmacy. The number of impacted roles is currently unknown.

Announced plans to eliminate 6% of its workforce , largely impacting the company’s sales and marketing divisions.

Announced plans to cut 10% of its workforce , impacting roughly 500-plus employees, in an effort to “reduce hierarchy.”

Polygon Labs

Has laid off 60 employees , or about 19% of its staff, CEO Marc Boiron announced in a blog post .

Is laying off approximately 400 employees . The layoffs come almost exactly a year to the day after Okta announced plans to cut about 300 employees.

January 2024

Will lay off 95 workers in New York City, according to a filing with the New York Department of Labor.

Is laying off about 6% of its global workforce , or 280 employees, the company confirmed to TechCrunch.

Conducted another round of layoffs earlier this month, amounting to roughly 15% of its workforce, a source familiar with the situation told TechCrunch. 

Is reportedly laying off around 1,000 people in the Cash App, foundational and Square arms of Block.

Has reportedly begun company-wide layoffs . While it is unclear how many people will be affected, one source told TechCrunch it was expected to be in the “thousands.”

Aurora Solar

Has laid off 20% of its staff of about 1,000 people, TechCrunch exclusively learned. The cuts to the software startup come despite record growth in the solar industry last year.

Is laying off 350 people , or one-third of its headcount, after Amazon’s bid to acquire the Roomba-maker shuttered. Longtime CEO Colin Angle has also stepped down.

Is reportedly laying off 700 workers , or around 1% of its staff. This comes after the company had a significant reduction of 10% of its workforce in 2023.

Is reportedly planning to cut around 20% of its staff in the next few weeks. The company announced similar cuts in October, when founder Ryan Petersen returned as CEO and slashed its workforce by 20%.

Is laying off 1,900 employees across its gaming divisions following its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Blizzard president Mike Ybarra announced he will also be stepping down.

Is cutting about 400 jobs , 7% of its workforce, as the food delivery startup seeks to bring further improvements to its finances ahead of a planned IPO later this year.

Laid off dozens of workers , according to sources familiar with the decision. The autonomous vehicle technology company has since confirmed that about 3% of its workforce has been laid off.

Will lay off 9% of the company’s workforce , affecting about 1,000 full-time employees. In a blog post , the company also plans to cut contract roles in the coming months.

Announced it intends to offer voluntary buyouts or job changes to 8,000 employees amid restructuring.

Laid off 20% of its staff , affecting 282 workers. In a blog post , Co-CEO Pedro Franceschi said that the company is prioritizing “long-term thinking and ownership over short-term gains in our comp structure.”

Eliminated around 60 jobs across the U.S. in Los Angeles, New York, and Austin in addition to layoffs in international markets. The affected roles, according to NPR’s initial reporting, are largely in sales and advertising.

Is cutting 90% of its employees as it shuts down its online used car marketplace and shifts resources into two business units: one focused on auto financing and the other on AI-powered analytics.

Is laying off 11% of its workforce , affecting about 530 employees, as the company focuses on “fewer, high-impact projects.” The League of Legends maker is also sunsetting its five-year-old publishing group , Riot Forge.

Is eliminating 13% of its global workforce , affecting 1,650 employees, in a restructuring effort aimed at cutting layers of management.

Will eliminate 100 employees , a spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch, as part of a restructuring effort in its creator management and operations teams.

Is laying off “hundreds” of employees in its advertising sales team, according to a leaked memo. The cuts come a week after the company did sweeping layoffs across its hardware teams. And more layoffs will come throughout the year, as CEO Sundar Pichai told the company in a memo obtained by the Verge .

Lost Boys Interactive

Reportedly laid off a “sizable” number of employees January 12. The game developer studio was acquired by Borderlands maker Gearbox in 2022.

Is going to lay off employees in 2024, TechCrunch exclusively learned , with the total impacted employees potentially reaching as high as 20% of the animation studio’s 1,300 person workforce. The cutbacks come as Disney looks to reduce the studio’s output as it struggles to achieve profitability in streaming.

Is laying off 5% of its workforce , citing an “increasingly challenging landscape,” according to a leaked memo obtained by Business Insider.

Is laying off 17% of its staff , impacting 170 people. In an internal memo obtained by the Verge , Discord CEO Jason Citron blamed the cuts on the company growing too quickly.

Laid off hundreds of employees across its Google Assistant division and the team that manages Pixel, Nest and Fitbit hardware. The company confirmed to TechCrunch that Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman are also exiting.

Is laying off “several hundreds” of employees at Prime Video and MGM Studios, according to a memo obtained by TechCrunch. The cuts come days after the 500 layoffs at Amazon’s Twitch .

Is reportedly laying off 500 employees , 35% of its current staff, amid a continued struggle to achieve profitability in the face of rising costs and community backlash. The pending layoffs come after hundreds more employees were laid off in 2023.

Treasure Financial

Confirmed to TechCunch that layoffs, conducted in December, had impacted 14 employees, accounting for 60% to 70% of the company, according to multiple sources.

Confirmed it cut 10% of its contractor workforce at the end of 2023 as it turns to AI to streamline content production and translations previously handled by humans.

Rent the Runway

Will cut about 10% of corporate roles as it goes through a restructuring plan following Anushka Salinas’ planned resignation as operating chief and president at the end of January.

Is reducing its workforce by about 25% , or 1,800 people. The video game engine maker went through three rounds of layoffs in 2023.

Laid off two-thirds of its employees as the German startup, which built collaborative presentation software, looks to pursue a “completely different path.” CEO and co-founder Christian Reber also stepped down.

The AI and biomedical startup reportedly cut 17% of its workforce January 8, citing “shifts in the economic environment,” in a LinkedIn post announcing the layoffs. 

Eliminated 38% of its staff January 8 as the online retail logistics company follows up after conducting layoffs in September 2023.

Announced January 8 it is laying off 28% of its staff , or 154 workers, as the small modular nuclear reactor company shifts its focus to “key strategic areas.”

Is reportedly laying off 15% of its workforce focused on computer vision for retailers.

Is shutting down at the end of 2024 after a 12 year run. The design collaboration startup was once valued at nearly $2B.

Is laying off nearly 20% of its workforce as it tries to maintain its battle with Nielsen over media measurement. CEO Ross McCray stepped down from the company.

Orca Security

Is laying off roughly 15% of its staff , totaling 60 employees. The Israel-based unicorn reportedly plans to move some impacted employees into other positions at the company.

Laid off its entire 200-person workforce January 2 after attempts to raise more capital failed, TechCrunch exclusively learned . The mass layoff comes just seven months after the startup acquired rival Zencity . 

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