What is workforce planning?

Workforce planning is a key task within Human Resources. It ensures that staffing requirements in a company are met in the most efficient way possible. Only then can a business operate profitably and productively. Realistic and well-structured workforce planning helps to quickly identify and address staffing shortages. It also allows for planning training and upskilling programmes for employees. Often, workforce planning is defined as the forward-thinking anticipation of future staffing actions. It aims to ensure that – in the short, medium and long term – the necessary number and quality of employees are available at the right time, in the right place, and aligned with the company's strategic objectives.

Tools of workforce planning

A distinction is made between active and passive workforce planning tools:

• Active tools include the development of training and further education programmes for employees. These help establish specific skills and expertise within departments. Other effective tools are financial incentives, personalised development programmes, or additional benefits. Important: these measures must be used strategically, as budgets are limited. 
• Passive tools include, for example, involving employees: they can share job postings on their social media accounts or participate in referral schemes. You can also encourage speculative applications to demonstrate openness to new talent. 

Tasks and goals of workforce planning

Tasks:

• Personnel planning aims to optimise both the current and future workforce. 
• The focus is on achieving corporate objectives through the best possible staffing. 

The primary aim is to optimise the current and future workforce based on the company’s objectives. These are typically broken down into five main areas:

• Workforce inventory planning: Describes the current state and serves as a basis for accurate planning. It involves assessing the company’s existing human resources. 
• Workforce requirement planning: Defines the desired future state and anticipates both quantitative and qualitative changes. 
• Staff development: Determines existing skills among employees and evaluates which types of training or development would be beneficial. The aim is to improve motivation and qualifications through targeted learning opportunities. 
• Recruitment: If the requirement planning reveals a shortage of qualified personnel, recruitment becomes necessary. This includes employer branding and active sourcing – the core of external recruitment. Internal recruitment, by contrast, involves reallocating internal resources. 
• Workforce release planning: In cases of restructuring or automation, there may be a surplus of staff. Dismissals aren’t always necessary – alternatives include reassignments, reduced hours, overtime reduction, short-time work or early retirement.

Objectives of personnel planning

The goal is to achieve an ideal staffing structure—balancing employee satisfaction with the company’s strategic goals. The overall setup should be as efficient as possible through optimal workforce utilisation. As a key part of overall corporate planning, personnel planning plays a vital role in maintaining competitiveness. When done well, it increases productivity and efficiency by ensuring that all personnel requirements are met. The ultimate aim is to reach and continuously optimise the ideal staffing state.

Types of personnel planning

Strategic personnel planning

Strategic personnel planning assesses the current workforce situation and initiates measures to reach the target state. It is essential for maintaining long-term competitiveness and achieving business objectives within the intended timeframe. Anticipatory planning is key: understanding how many employees are missing, where training is required, and which other measures might be necessary.

Quantitative and qualitative personnel planning

• Quantitative personnel planning concerns employee inflow and outflow, including resignations, retirements, parental leave, death, or disability, as well as returns from leave, prolonged sick leave, retention of apprentices, or new hires. 
• Qualitative personnel planning evaluates whether employees have the essential skills needed. Are job requirements being met—or is there a need to build additional competencies?