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Developing and Deploying Talent: Exploring New Trends in Workforce Planning

In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, organisations must adapt to stay competitive. Workforce planning plays a crucial role in achieving this adaptability by ensuring that the right talent is in the right place at the right time. 

Effective workforce planning offers several benefits, including a reduction in labour costs, improved workforce deployment, and enhanced flexibility. To achieve these outcomes, organisations must gain a deep understanding of their skills gaps, plan the necessary training, and strategically deploy identified talent where it is most needed.

Emerging Trends in Workforce Planning

In this article, we will delve into the emerging trends in workforce planning and how organisations can leverage them to develop and deploy talent effectively.

Deploying based on strengths and weaknesses

When it comes to deploying talent, there are two general approaches to consider: deploying based on strengths and deploying based on weaknesses. Deploying based on strengths allows for a quicker and more seamless transition, leveraging employees’ existing skills and expertise. On the other hand, deploying based on weaknesses can serve as a catalyst for creativity and innovation. It encourages employees to step out of their comfort zones, explore new perspectives, and develop new competencies. Exposing employees to different work practices, even for a limited period, can help them see things from a fresh perspective and tap into their hidden potential.

Diversity and its role in workforce planning

Diversity is not just a nice-to-have but a logical necessity in workforce planning, much like creating a diverse financial portfolio. Just as investors strategically diversify their investments across various industries and companies to manage risk, organisations need to ensure their talent pool is diverse. This means embracing differences in perspectives, experiences, and ways of thinking. By doing so, organisations can effectively address challenges and identify opportunities from a range of viewpoints. Just as a diversified investment portfolio protects against sector-specific downturns or losses in specific companies, a diverse talent pool provides resilience and adaptability in the face of changing business environments. It enables organisations to tap into a wealth of diverse skills and expertise, ensuring ample variations in problem-solving approaches and innovative thinking. Ultimately, diversity in workforce planning empowers companies to navigate the complex landscape of business with agility and resilience, fostering sustained success.

Assessing for learning potential

Assessing employees based on learning potential rather than learning outcomes is a forward-thinking approach. By using tools and assessments, organisations can identify individuals’ capabilities and determine their capacity for growth and adaptability. This approach allows for more targeted training and development interventions that align with employees’ potential, maximising their performance and contribution to the organisation.

Personalising learning and development with AI

Personalised Learning and Development is a critical aspect of effective workforce planning. By leveraging AI strategies on our Fuse platform, organisations can tailor training content to individual employees’ needs, preferences, and performance metrics. This approach ensures that employees receive the right training at the right time, leading to increased engagement, knowledge retention, and skill development.

In Closing

In a rapidly evolving business environment, organisations must proactively develop and deploy talent to stay ahead. Partnering with a trusted training provider like Summit empowers businesses in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa to create a skilled and adaptable workforce, driving success in the ever-changing market landscape.

Remember, workforce planning is not just about filling roles; it’s about unlocking the full potential of your workforce to thrive in an uncertain future.

About the Author

Matt Lambert, Managing Director

Matt has a passion for innovation and doing things differently, which comes from his broad experience in front line and management roles within Business Intelligence, Sales, New Business Development and Commercial Finance held within blue chip companies. Matt has worked across five continents and 19 countries to launch new products, establish sales operations and lead strategic projects.

His passion for education comes from a desire to address fundamental structural issues within Africa. Matt has extensive experience within International Hotel School heading up its Durban Campus before taking over the online business, and then moving to Operations Director, before taking over and growing Summit since the beginning of 2018.