How do you get your team involved in workforce forecasting?

1 Define the purpose and benefits

Before you start any workforce forecasting project, you need to communicate clearly with your team why you are doing it and what benefits it will bring to them and the organization. Explain how workforce forecasting can help you identify current and future skills gaps, plan for training and development, allocate resources efficiently, and improve performance and customer satisfaction. Show your team how their input and feedback can make a difference in the quality and accuracy of the forecasts and how they can use the results to improve their own work and career.

2 Involve them in data collection and analysis

One of the key steps in workforce forecasting is to collect and analyze data on your current and future workforce demand and supply. This involves looking at factors such as customer demand, market trends, business objectives, turnover rates, productivity levels, and skills profiles. To get your team involved in this process, you can ask them to provide data on their own work activities, skills, preferences, and aspirations. You can also invite them to participate in surveys, interviews, focus groups, or workshops where they can share their insights and opinions on the workforce issues and challenges they face or anticipate. By involving them in data collection and analysis, you can increase their awareness and understanding of the workforce forecasting process and make them feel more invested and responsible for the outcomes.

3 Share the results and action plans

After you have completed your workforce forecasting project, you need to share the results and action plans with your team. This will help you demonstrate how their input and feedback have been considered and incorporated into the forecasts and how they align with the organizational goals and strategies. You also need to explain how the forecasts and action plans will affect your team's work and what changes or opportunities they can expect. For example, you can show them how the forecasts can help you plan for staffing levels, work schedules, skill development, performance management, and career progression. You also need to solicit their feedback and suggestions on how to implement the action plans effectively and address any concerns or issues they may have.

4 Encourage ongoing communication and collaboration

Workforce forecasting is not a one-time event, but a continuous process that needs to be updated and revised regularly to reflect the changing needs and realities of your organization and your team. Therefore, you need to encourage ongoing communication and collaboration with your team throughout the workforce forecasting cycle. You can do this by creating a feedback loop where you can share updates, monitor progress, evaluate results, and identify areas for improvement. You can also create a culture of learning and innovation where you can encourage your team to share best practices, ideas, and solutions for workforce challenges and opportunities. By fostering ongoing communication and collaboration, you can keep your team engaged and motivated and ensure that your workforce forecasting process is relevant and responsive to your team's needs and goals.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?