Gartner EXP Says a Strategic Workforce Planning Process is Key to Improving an IT Organization's Effectiveness

Business Wire, Nov 14, 2006

STAMFORD, Conn. -- Chief information officers (CIOs) are under increased pressure to improve IT organization effectiveness and contribute to enterprise growth and competitiveness. To do so, it is crucial that companies implement a strategic workforce planning process to align IT resources (the people) to support the execution of business and IT strategies, according to Gartner Executive Programs (EXP), a unit of Gartner, Inc. A strategic workforce planning process that aligns business and IT strategies ensures IT organizations will have the right number of people with the right skills and competencies in the right roles at the right time.

"The workforce supply challenges, coupled with the shift in demand of IT workforce capabilities present an ideal opportunity for CIOs and human resources (HR) leaders to begin strategic workforce planning that focuses on the longer-term," said Lily Mok, research director for Gartner EXP's human capital management content development group.

"One essential differentiator of an effective IT organization is its ability to place the right people in the right place at the right time to meet business goals," Ms. Mok said. "Workforce planning is therefore increasingly indistinguishable from organizational strategic planning in those organizations where human capital is considered the critical factor in their success."

A strategic workforce planning process translates business and IT objectives into current and future IT workforce requirements and plans to fulfill them. It enables organizations to be proactive versus being reactive in addressing business needs. The process typically involves four key steps:

* Align Workforce Strategy with IT Strategy - The workforce plan's first focus is on core competencies and making sure the workforce plan supports the strategic objective of the organization. Its second focus is on setting realistic goals or the ability to allocate the right resource in the right place at the right time to support the IT strategy. The third focus is on planning for the future, and the final focus is on making sure that workforce planning is carried out at the appropriate level of the organization.

* Conduct Workforce Analysis to Determine the Gap - Workforce analysis is the process of analyzing the supply and demand of the workforce and identifying the gap between the two. There are many different techniques that can be used to forecast workforce supply and demand. It is important to understand the pros and cons of each before investing time and effort. Multiple layers of managers and key stakeholders from IT, HR and Finance must be involved throughout this process to ensure senior level commitment and resources.

* Implement a Workforce Plan to Close the Gap - Using the results from the workforce analysis, the next step is to create plans for recruitment, retention, outsourcing, development and organization change to locate talent inside and outside the organization, balance supply and demand, and develop and maximize the value of each employee.

* Improve the Effectiveness of Workforce Planning - Being effective at workforce planning is not just about having a good plan; it's also about being able to regularly monitor and assess progress made and effectively change workforce plans when needed. IT and HR leaders can improve their workforce planning skills and effectiveness by ensuring that they get leadership commitment from the start, they define shared responsibilities, and they continually assess, validate, report and implement ongoing improvements.

"Workforce planning should not just be an annual, one-time event. It must be an ongoing process," said Ms. Mok. "This will be a competitive advantage that IT organization's need to build in order to compete and succeed in the increasing competitive global market."

The Gartner EXP Quarterly Trending Report "Strategic IT Workforce Planning: From Process to Techniques" provides a tactic guide to formulating a strategic IT workforce plan to meet short and long term business needs. Additional information about this report is available by sending an e-mail to surveys@gartner.com.

About Gartner

Gartner, Inc. (NYSE:IT) delivers the technology-related insight necessary for its clients to make the right decisions, every day. Gartner serves 10,000 organizations, including chief information officers and other senior IT executives in corporations and government agencies, as well as technology companies and the investment community. The Company consists of Gartner Research, Gartner Executive Programs, Gartner Consulting and Gartner Events. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A., and has 3,700 associates, including 1,200 research analysts and consultants in 75 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.gartner.com.