And many employers need to strengthen workforce planning if they're going to realise productivity gains and keep their best people over the medium term. Currently, almost half of employers fail to plan their workforce a year in advance and just 13% plan for two years.

HR has an essential role in moving their organisations toward a more robust, inclusive and long-term approach to workforce planning. This is the only way to ensure they have the right skills in the pipeline to meet both today's needs and future requirements.

Here are our top 5 tips for improving your workforce planning.

Review your existing talent and include managers and employees at all levels - particularly those whose functions will be critical to your future success.
Consider the experience, knowledge, skills and capability required for your organisation's successful and smooth functioning.
Assess the current strategic position of your organisation - including factors such as the size and diversity of your workforce, your business goals, any long-term plans for expansion or diversification, and location-specific circumstances.
Remember to consider the broader political, economic, social and technological environment. Your organisation may need to succeed within the next two to five years. (e.g. employment regulation, the number of women in senior roles and outsourcing of HR services are all likely to increase during this time).
Integrate workforce planning into your core strategic planning process and ensure clear action plans are established to measure and review progress.

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