Building business capability through workforce planning

Consultation questions for Business Unit Managers

Try these questions to initiate discussions with managers on workforce planning. To get the most out of the consultations, select the most appropriate questions and tailor them as necessary to reflect the needs of your agency and current status of planning activity.

Operating Environment

What demands are likely to be made on your business unit in 5 years time?
- How confident are you that your unit has the capability to respond quickly and effectively to these (eg to a government policy shift)?
How is your function unique? What could be the implications for workforce planning?
What do you see are the key jobs in your unit for business success?
Is the work being done aligned to strategy?
Is the organisation structured the right way? Your business unit?

Supply-Side Factors

What capabilities make your key jobs critical? (consider technical, generic and leadership)
What are the current levels of capability within your business unit?
Is there an alignment between your current business requirements and the capabilities of your staff?
Do you know what your workforce looks like (eg, age, expected retirements, turnover rates)?

Demand-Side Factors

What are the current and anticipated workload issues for your business unit?
What do you want more or less of in terms of your workforce?
What are the priority capabilities now and into the future?
What do you think are your likely resourcing needs in the next year? 3 years? 5 years? For example:
- Are there/will there be staff shortages in particular areas of work?
- What skills are/will be no longer required?
- If an employee in a critical job left, what would the impact be?
- How long does it take to develop critical skills in your function?
- Where else are the pressure points?

Planning and Direction Setting

If you had a magic wand, what three things would you change about your workforce or associated strategies to meet future requirements?
What might be some of the risks associated with the identified issues?
What strategies do you think are currently in place to mitigate against these risks? What additional strategies are likely to alleviate some of the pressure points?
Where there is a gap in staff capabilities, what strategies can be put in place to manage the development of these capabilities in the transition period?

This question list has been prepared with the assistance of the Department of Transport and Regional Services (DOTARS)

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