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23.09.24
Strategic Workforce Planning Event Highlights
30+ leaders and residents of the House of Visionaries attended a micro event to define and start nailing SWP!
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Strategic Workforce Planning Event Highlights
Strategic Workforce Planning Event
Date: 23rd September 2024 location: bbc Broadcasting House, London, w1b 3df
- Most businesses have mastered short-term workforce planning, but few have tackled its strategic big sister.
- With AI and automation advancing rapidly, companies are scrambling to find the right human-AI balance.
- Those who nail SWP will thrive in the next 5 years; those who don’t may struggle.
Event Agenda
- Icebreaker: Guess Who’s… at risk?
- x3 TedTalk style presentations from SWP experts
- SWP expert lead workshop: Workforce capability segmentation
Ice Breaker – Guess who…’s at risk?
To get our headspace into this topic we played a game of Guess Who with a human board of leaders playing the roles of everything from Quantum Algorithm Researcher to Call Center Agent. With the onset of AI and what looks likely to be the most transformational workforce change for generations, we looked at some headline stats and how that might affect roles in our businesses.
Demand for STEM occupations will grow by 17% by 2030
Source: McKinsey
Many a TA/HR leader is kept up at night battling with the lack of supply of these skill sets. Those who posses them are amongst the least likely to be at risk and form a crucial part of realising business strategies.
Artificial intelligence (AI) could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs
Source: Goldman Sachs
Outside of those niche STEM and technical roles we kicked around the idea of what roles would be fully replaced and be at risk and which roles would be only at risk in certain aspects of them.
Up to 30 percent of hours worked could be automated by 2030, boosted by gen AI, leading to millions of required occupational transitions
Source: McKinsey
Data and analytics professionals, once a highly sought after skill set could soon become much less in demand as AI matches out outperforms capability in this regard. Even those is professional and highly skilled (but common) roles like legal, finance, marketing are likely to face significant change.
60% workers will require training before 2027. Analytical thinking, is set to account for 10% of all training initiatives
Source: World Economic Forum
We landed on the side that whilst significant change was coming, a relatively small number of roles in the types of businesses we lead would become totally obsolete. The societal implications all point to a world with much more aggressive re-training and upskilling programmes.
SWP Expert Presentations
gemma mcnair
Tech Advisory Board Member @ code first girls
Our opening expert covered the reason why SWP is so important. Shipping more value to customers faster and more cost effectively is what’s on offer if you can get this right. That’s not all, she shared how building your workforce in non traditional ways can also benefit society too. She brought this all to life through a story from her days at NatWest and the partnership with Code First Girls. Building out their software engineering team with brilliant female talent from local communities and a diverse set of backgrounds was a game changer.
Andrés García Ayala
group head of people analytics & workforce planning @ legal & general
A thoughtful presentation about where AI and automation will play a role in our future functions. Andres shared how he has setup the talent acquisition team at Legal & General to scrutinize the value our new toolset brings. A controlled test environment will reveal whether this is all just hype or the material time / cost savings on the table if you get it right.
adam gibson
Strategic Workforce Planning Leader @ EY
Author of the SWP bible “Agile Workforce Planning”, Adam walked the audience through the precise steps and framework a large complex organization would take to make SWP work for them. Built from his extensive experience in the field, he set the scene for our workshop. He gave us a common language and an approachable methodology to delve deeper into together.
Our workshop
Armed with new ways of thinking about SWP the room tackled a conversation with their peers about the makeup of their workforces back at HQ. Using a capability segmentation methodology from Adam’s book, guided by SWP experts in each breakout group the room was left inspired to tackle more SWP activities back in their businesses.
Capability segmentation framework
Source: adapted Lepak & Snell (1999) model from Adam’s book
Bucket 1 = Specialists
Highly unique capability
Relatively low-value capability
– Not in demand in other industries
– Very specialized roles with high initial training costs
– Only person who knows how to do aspects of role
Think:
London Underground Tube Driver
Legal specialist in data protection
Workforce planning mode: alliance & partnership
Borrow and bring in just enough of this type of resource. Fractional arrangements would be commonplace. You are less likely to need these skills full time but want to be able to access it
Bucket 2 = Operators
Low uniqueness
Low value capability
– Minimal training required
– Entry level roles
– More administrative roles
Think:
– Call centre staff
– Marketing assistants
Workforce planning mode: contracting
There are lots of people able to do these roles. Be very clear on expectations, define clear, repeatable processes with prescriptive outcomes and deliverables. Performance manage and replace those who don’t meet those expectations. The relationship will be more transactional between business and employee
Bucket 3 = Criticals
High uniqueness
High value
– Unique within the industry
– Create comparative advantage to the business
– Increase probability of achieving business strategy
Think:
Chief Technology Officers
Think niche STEM skillsets from Guess Who
Workforce planning mode: internal development
You want to attract, retain and develop these individuals given their scarcity and the value they present to the business. Most graduates in specialized and technology driven courses follow this path.
Bucket 4 = Professionals
Low uniqueness
High value
– Common capabilities across industries
– Add high value
– Often characterized by a professional accreditation
Think:
Chief Marketing Officer
Financial Director
Head of HR / TA
Workforce planning mode: buying
Buy in these individuals who require minimal training. Retention efforts are less necessary as those skills are ubiquitous and can be replaced relatively easily.
Other SWP Experts
In preparation for our event @Ben Rutter spent weeks networking with the crème de la crème of SWP experts in the UK.
On his SWP journey, he spoke to Peter Trussell. Pete, Head of Strategic Workforce Planning & Talent at the UK Space Agency, shares his top tips for getting off your SWP blank page and figuring out if you’re ready for it. They plan over 5-10 year time horizons!
Check out the infographic or read on to learn more.
Pete Trussell
Head of Strategic Workforce Planning & Talent @ UK Space Agency
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