Workforce planning matters in today's economic environment

In today’s economic climate, is workforce planning still a necessity? To companies forced to make layoffs and who are aware of high unemployment rates, it may seem as if talent shortages are a thing of the past and that now the focus should be on cost-cutting rather than on workforce planning and development.

The truth, though, is that while the downturn has affected how companies approach workforce planning, it has also made this process an even more critical component of success. The global economic recession and the talent surpluses it has seemed to create are simply masking long term talent shortages brought on by shifting demographics and aging workforces – which will take center stage again as the economy recovers. Moreover, the greater uncertainty in today’s business environment actually increases, rather than decreases, the need for rigorous, numbers driven workforce planning.

It’s not difficult to find tangible evidence of this growing workforce challenge. Oil and gas companies are delaying major exploration and production projects at a time of record prices. Aerospace companies are not able to meet ramped-up delivery schedules. Some rail and trucking firms are searching in vain for the next generation of engineers, drivers and maintenance workers. Power companies are faced with skill development times of five to 10 years for some critical jobs. Health care providers remain in constant search for nurses and technicians, who, once found, are even harder to keep.

Why attend

Participants will come to understand the keys to getting workforce planning right in today’s uncertain environment. They will also hear about what successful organizations are doing to make smart decisions, so that the actions they take today do not jeopardize their future viability. Participants will gain insight into Mercer’s top ten recommendations for starting a successful workforce planning program.

Who should attend

Any HR professional, from executive management through analyst level; finance, operations or line of business executives or operators responsible for business performance and/or workforce analysis and planning.

Speakers

Pat Milligan, Norwalk

Matt Stevenson , Washington