Varying economic and demographic conditions, retention challenges, differing supply and demand of skills and even the effect of turbulence itself are currently affecting organisations’ workplace planning strategies around the world, according to workforce planning strategy specialists.

At the same time, organisational attention to workforce planning and analytics is increasing globally, said Peter Howes, a specialist expert and vice president of business execution firm SuccessFactors.

“I have seen a significant uptake in the magnitude of workforce planning and workforce analytics across organisations. It’s happening in more mature countries - Western Europe, Japan, North America, Australia - where they’re more likely to have an ageing workforce. And organisations are starting to recognise risks of potential shortages in critical occupational groups,” Howes told Recruiter.

From a geographic perspective, current workforce planning in Asia is focused on how to support the region’s economic growth. However in the UK, managing costs is under the manpower planning spotlight, say experts from training organisation develop global.

“In Asia, it’s all about how to keep staff because there are so many opportunities out there for them” with staff being wooed by new employers by better paying jobs, development global director Shirley Dalziel told Recruiter. “In Europe, there’s a shortage of jobs, and organisations are having to meld several jobs into one and cut back on their numbers,” she added.

“A big theme we’re seeing is how organisations respond to turbulence in the market,” added Annette Perry, principal consultant at develop global. Particularly affected is the public sector, currently the source of massive job cuts.

Even potential benefits in the workforce such as technological advancements can have a destabilising effect on workforce planning as organisations try to map their future staffing needs. “People don’t know what new technology’s going to do or how to train for it,” Dalziel said. “So planning for it is much more difficult. But they still have to think of something they can focus on to try and think about what it might be. Obviously, things might change, but this makes it much harder.”

In the public sector, Dalziel said, organisations such as local authorities are having to consider not only their own manpower needs but also understand requirements and responsibilities of roles in strategic partner organisations, such as police and emergency services, as they consider the provision of services to the public.

Perry said: “If your environment is turbulent, you have to be able to respond to that. I think the key will be to recognise where you can make a difference and prioritise in those areas. Workforce planning really needs to be about action and helping the business to drive change.”