This guide introduces you to workforce planning and provides you with an overview of how to do it. It examines the key stages involved in workforce planning and offers a practical structure for determining your strategy, with examples to guide practice.

This guide shows you how to develop a workforce plan by walking you through two methodologies for workforce planning: a six-stage planning framework and a seven ‘rights’ model. The planning framework offers six stages for conducting workforce planning in the right order; the seven ‘rights’ principle lists seven areas of the business that you need to consider.

People practitioners can use this guide to structure their workforce planning, to identify the workforce challenges they may face ahead of time, and to put in place the appropriate actions to ensure organisational readiness and success.

To continue reading, log in or become a member

Affiliate membership offers instant access to CIPD resources without the need for assessments or study, or explore your options to become a professional member of the CIPD to demonstrate your commitment to the world of work.

  • Access to exclusive, up-to-date resources
  • Become part of a community to learn, debate and connect with other people professionals
  • Free access to a series of CIPD learning courses and a discount on the rest of our catalogue

More on this topic

Data

Data hub

Explore the evidence behind workforce trends

Factsheet

Workforce planning

Explores the benefits of workforce planning, the activities involved and the stages of the workforce planning process

Factsheet

Job design

Explores the purpose and evolution of job design, its role in creating good work, and assessing job quality.

A thumbnail image of a woman and man in conversation
Guide

Supporting your workforce through exceptional events

Key considerations and resources to help you support your people in uncertain times

Latest guides

Guide

Employee voice channels: Guide for people professionals

Practical advice for people professionals to maximise the impact of engaging with all employees through employee voice channels

For Members
Guide

People manager guide: Managing stress at work

Practical guidance for managers on preventing and reducing stress at work

For Members
Woman sitting at a laptop with notebooks
Guide

Learning and development for people professionals

This guide provides a practical introduction to the role of an L&D function in an organisation. It offers support on the key steps to offering effective L&D, including creating a learning strategy, undertaking a learning needs analysis, designing learning interventions and measuring the impact of learning.

For Members
Guide

Fertility challenges, investigations and treatment: Guide to offering workplace support

A guide for people professionals to provide effective support

All guides