Workforce management refers to activities engaging in:
- Workforce planning
- Recruitment and retention practices
- Ensuring seamless transition of processes, roles and responsibilities
- Supporting staff engagement
- Developing talent
The table below includes examples of the subcategories within workforce management, along with the associated activities and capabilities that are built through this workforce management.
Table 3.2 Workforce Management Strategies
Strategy subcategory | Sample Activities | Capabilities Addressed |
---|---|---|
Strategic workforce planning | Summarize likely future retirement trajectory for key position types | Aligning Skills to Needs Technology Adoption Operations Focus |
Recruitment and retention | Modify position descriptions and job postings | Aligning Skills to Needs Attracting & Retaining Workforce Technology Adoption Operations Focus |
Succession planning | Identify critical positions and potential successors | Aligning Skills to Needs Agility & Resilience Technology Adoption Operations Focus |
Employee engagement | Employee satisfaction surveys | Attracting & Retaining Workforce Agility & Resilience Transparency |
Professional development | Leadership training | Aligning Skills to Needs Attracting & Retaining Workforce Agility & Resilience Technology Adoption Transparency Operations Focus |
Outsourcing | Identify functions to outsource | Aligning Skills to Needs Agility & Resilience Technology Adoption Operations Focus |
California Statewide Workforce Planning
California’s 2016 Statewide Workforce Planning Report California Department of Human Resources, Statewide Workforce Planning Report: An Analysis of Agency and Department Interview Findings, 2016. Available: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/workforce-planning/Documents/wfp-statewide-workforce-planning-report-2016.pdf details a number of challenges and trends related to its workforce, including:
- Inability to recruit qualified candidates
- Complex civil service hiring process
- Lack of essential competencies
- Lack of diversity
- Retention issues
- Lack of advancement opportunities
In response to the report, the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) developed a Statewide Strategic Plan and required agency plans. Since then, CalHR has developed a comprehensive set of workforce planning tools to help the state’s agencies, including the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans), manage workforce and succession planning. California Department of Human Resources, “Workforce Planning Toolkit,” Statewide Workforce Planning, 2019. Available: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/state-hr-professionals/Pages/Workforce-Planning-Toolkit.aspx.
Their Workforce Planning Toolkit for State Supervisors and Manager includes:
- Strategic Workforce Plan
- Strategic Succession Plan
- Guides and templates
- Statewide Onboarding Program
- Articles
- Leadership competency model
- Mentoring Handbook
They also provide a set of tools by category to assist practitioners in:
- Analyzing workforce data
- Reviewing noteworthy practices in other states
- Implementing a workforce plan
- Evaluating a workforce plan
- Networking with other HR professionals
- Understanding current workforce trends
By incorporating statewide workforce planning, California has increased their agency capability to recruit and retain staff with skills needed for the future, developed capability to manage [workforce] change and incorporated a workforce management system to facilitate the capability to create [and support] a learning culture.