Strategies for Specific Internal Issues

Strategies for Specific External Issues

Communicating and Implementing the Workforce Plan

 The overall result of this step is a workforce plan that provides ways to ensure that the organization will have the appropriate staff and other personnel, e.g., contingent workforce, to do its mission related work.

The workforce plan identifies workforce strategies that resolve issues surfaced during the analysis of demand and supply data (gaps, surpluses, critical skills issues, and "at risk" occupations).  The plan should address ways to resolve the unique demographic characteristics of the organization's workforce, e.g., aging workforce, and must respond to the human resource issues of the organization's strategic plan and related performance agreements.

Strategies for Specific Internal Issues

Maximizing the extent to which critical skills needs can be filled internally, including addressing diversity objectives and succession planning.

1. Ensuring that career development programs reflect the reality of the organization's future skill needs.
2. Ensuring that learning and development programs make it possible for "at risk" employees to transition to fill skill gaps, and for other employees to train for critical skill areas if they wish.
3. Ensuring that information on "at risk" employees who cannot be transitioned within the immediate organization is shared to determine if these employees can transition to needed skills in other organizations.
4. Ensuring the special needs of the organization's employee population are known and addressed in order to enhance retention.

Strategies for Specific External Issues

1. Developing solid demographic data on the external workforce, with particular regard to the future availability of those with the organization's critical skills.  Data are needed on the future availability of graduates and experienced employees in all projected skill gap areas ensuring recruiting plans take into account external demographics.  For example, projected graduation rates in a critical skill may indicate a shortage of availability at the time needed. It may be necessary to hire at a lower level (or use existing employees) and train internally.
2. Developing recruiting plans where skill gaps or diversity objectives cannot be met internally, and where "feeder" strategies are necessary due to the aging workforce.

 The workforce plan will need to recognize where organizations need to work together.  If your OA is depending on other OAs to get the job done (and vice versa), you will need to be planning together.  The plan should also support the organization's strategies, performance agreements and schedules.

Appendix I provides a prototype workforce plan outline format. Organizations are free to integrate the required workforce planning elements in their strategic plans as appropriate.

Communicating and Implementing the Workforce Plan

 The ultimate outcome here should be that the basis for, and strategies of, the workforce plan have been communicated to employees and that employees understand them.

 Communicating and implementing the plan brings it to life. Effective communication is vital since it will contribute to employees' perceptions of the plan's value. Without implementation and follow-through, the plan has no value.  The tie to the organization's strategic plan/performance agreements must be clear to all.

 The basis of the plan, as well as its elements, should be communicated to all employees.  That is, inform people how the plan was developed, including the assumptions that were used and how it will be applied.

 Involve union representatives in communicating the plan. The more they are involved in the plan's development, the more effectively they will be able to communicate its intent.

 Implement the workforce plan strategies in connection with the requirements of the strategic plan.  If the strategic plan timetable changes, then workforce plan strategies may have to be adjusted.

 A separate action plan may be put in place to implement each strategy of the workforce plan, including accountabilities, schedule, milestones, etc.  The senior management team should periodically review progress against the action plans.

 Many of the internal strategies developed by organizations will touch on issues that may involve the unions or can be best accomplished with their cooperation.  Most issues should be worked out during plan development, but any questions remaining at implementation time should be reviewed by labor relations specialists to ensure implementation is handled properly