Workforce Planning: A Literature Review

Sinclair A | HR Network Paper MP37 | Institute for Employment Studies | Sep 2004

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Workforce planning has been around for a number of years but there has been a resurgence of interest in this HR practice as organisations have begun to realise that the need for planning is greater than ever.

The business climate of intense competition and increasing speed of delivery means that organisations need to plan ahead in order to survive. The fluctuating economy means that they need to be prepared for possible downturns as well as upturns.

Also, changing demography, in particular the ageing of the workforce, means that organisations need to make efforts to avert an impending loss of skills as a large portion of the workforce retires.