Succession and workforce planning are continuous processes used to align the needs and priorities of the organization with the capabilities and capacity of its staff. It is an ongoing balancing act, driven by labour supply and demand. It involves understanding what talent an organization has now, what it needs now and in the future, and how to meet those needs. This means determining which other program activities to use. Organizations will need to determine whether to develop existing staff competencies, recruit, or outsource, and in what circumstances.
Workforce planning is usually broken down into strategic and operational activities. Strategic workforce planning usually covers a 3- to 5-year forecast period and is aligned to business needs and outcomes. Operational workforce planning usually covers a shorter 12- to 18-month period and should align with the organizational planning cycle. With the AM industry facing a global labour supply shortfall, which was the trigger for the development of the AMCF, workforce planning is a real challenge for all Canadian communities.
Succession planning focuses on maintaining the availability of experienced and capable employees to assume roles that become available through staff attrition (turnover and retirement). It is about considering who can fill critical roles in the future of the organization with the right mix of competencies and experience, and ensuring there is an adequate pipeline of talented staff coming into the organization.
Below is a table of example activities that you can use in your Competency Management Program implementation planning and/or competency development planning. Each activity description includes one or more examples of the activity that can be used in relation to the competency noted. The table also notes the suitability of the activity to the scale of the organization.
Succession & Workforce Planning Activity Examples
Activity | Description | Example(s) | Scale Suitability | ||
 |  |  | |||
| Understand the organization’s capabilities, capacity, and talent pool | Apply a systematic process to ensure that there is a high-quality pool of internal candidates who are ready and available to move into key positions at various levels. | Map each staff-member’s competencies and proficiency. Clearly define the competencies required for key roles and evaluate the high-potential candidates relative to those requirements. Identify any critical gaps and target with specific actions to develop or hire. [All AM Competencies] | X | X | |
| Conduct a position review | Take a critical look at the skills and capabilities needed in priority positions to ensure that competency needs are highlighted for business continuity. | Clearly define the competencies required for key roles. This should include a view into future competency needs. Use competency assessments to ensure that critical gaps are identified, and plans are in place to resolve the gaps. [All AM Competencies] | X | X | |
| Conduct a talent review | Assess key talent, highlighting staff who demonstrate the highest capability and potential. Identify and actively groom the next generation of leaders. | Determine readiness based on ability, engagement, and aspiration to take on the applicable roles. Use competency assessment to determine an individual’s capability to take on more senior positions. Understand their desired career paths and competency development plans to complete the readiness assessment. [All AM Competencies] | X | X | X |
| Analyze succession gaps | Identify candidates for priority roles. Mitigate business risk and enable business continuity by identifying risks and gaps in key skill areas. | Build a ‘Replacement Chart’ that offers ‘ready’ candidates for each critical role. [All AM Competencies] | X | X | X |
| Action planning | Determine risk mitigation and development needs, and any critical moves required. | Collaborate on meaningful development plans and actions with key impacted individuals. Allocate resources toward developing those who show the most promise. [All AM Competencies] | X | X | |
| Develop workforce plans | Ensure the organization has access to enough staff with the right capabilities to ensure business needs are met. | Analyze staffing requirements for current and future operations. Consider competency requirements, staff turnover, and retirement numbers. [All AM Competencies] | X | X | |
| Utilize competency mapping in resource planning | Identify project or program resource needs and identify staff with the right competencies to perform necessary tasks. Plan how to optimally utilize resources to successfully execute projects or programs. | Capture competency mapping information in project management systems to integrate competency-based resource planning into standard project management processes. [All AM Competencies] | X | ||
