Topic 21 - Workforce Planning

Question 1

Reasons for Workforce Planning

Answer 1

New Staff:
- to meet increasing demand for existing products
- to develop new products to satisfy demand
- to assist in opening new stores/factories
- to help enter new markets
- to respond to flexible working arrangements

Staff removed:
- to respond to falling sales/demand for products
- to take up positions with competitors
- because employees retire, take sick leave, go on maternity leave
- the business needs different employees with new skills

Question 2

Benefits of Workforce Planning

Answer 2

• Identifies business’s future training needs
• Identifies shortages of suitable skilled staff
• Identifies when new staff will be needed in the future
• Avoids overstaffing
• Avoids understaffing

Question 3

Steps in Workforce Planning

Answer 3

1) Analyse potential demand for goods/services and decide how many staff are needed and what skills are required to meet this demand
2) Conduct a staffing forecast to highlight if any staff are due to leave and if there is a shortfall or surplus of staff.
3) Analyse the profile of current workforce to determine the need for new staff and the skills that need to be developed in existing staff
4) If there is a surplus of staff then staff may have to be removed. If there is a shortfall then the business closes the gaps to ensure it has the correct workforce required by:
- recruiting and selecting new staff
- training existing staff
- retaining existing staff through motivation methods
5) Review process and make changes if necessary

Question 4

Application Form

Answer 4

Document containing questions that applicants answer to provide details of their skills, experience and qualities.

Advantages:
- Can be easily compared as all candidates answer the same questions
- Business gains all required information from the candidate

Question 5

CV

Answer 5

Document listing work experience, qualifications and personal experiences.

Advantages:
- Can be compared to the person specification to see if the candidate has the required skills

Question 6

Interview

Answer 6

Can be one-to-one, panel, telephone, successive, or online.

Advantages:
- Can see how applicant reacts under pressure
- Can see applicants personality and character

Disadvantages:
- Applicants may not perform their best under pressure
- Applicants can say what the interviewer wants to hear but may not be right for the job

Question 7

Testing

Answer 7

Can provide additional information about candidates.

Advantages:
- Can measure knowledge and skills of candidates
- Can compare performance of candidates

Disadvantages:
- Time consuming
- May put candidates under too much pressure to perform their best
- Candidates may be more prepared on the day of the test but may perforce worse in real life

Question 8

Testing Methods

Answer 8

• Attainment test - allows applicant to demonstrate their skills
• Aptitude test - assesses candidate’s natural abilities and personal skills
• Psychometric test - assesses candidate’s personality and mental suitability for the job
• Intelligence test - measures candidate’s mental ability
• Medical test - measures candidate’s physical fitness levels

Question 9

Assessment Centres

Answer 9

Provides extra information about a candidate’s suitability for the job through practical assessments.

Advantages:
- Business can scrutinise applicants over a longer period of time
- Can see how applicants interact with others
- Can see how applicants react to role-play scenarios that mimic real work situations
- Reduces chance of interviewer bias

Disadvantages:
- A venue may need to be hired
- Managers need to assess candidates
- Time consuming