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11 min read

5 Workforce Planning Examples: How Real-World Companies Prepare for the Future

Global HR

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Author

Lorelei Trisca

Published

January 14, 2025

Last Update

January 14, 2025

Table of Contents

Example 1: Scenario-based workforce planning

Example 2: Demand forecasting for seasonal needs

Example 3: Skills gap analysis and upskilling programs

Example 4: Geographic workforce planning for global teams

Example 5: Contingency planning for sudden changes

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Key takeaways
  1. Strategic workforce planning helps organizations respond effectively to both predictable and unexpected changes.
  2. Analyzing trends and workforce data enables better forecasting, resource allocation, and long-term planning.
  3. Upskilling and development initiatives prepare employees to meet evolving business needs, fostering growth and sustainability.

Anticipating the talent and skills your business might need a year or a decade from now is challenging, to say the least. This type of workforce planning is a never-ending pursuit shaped by data, market trends, and even a pinch of guesswork. But it’s essential, as it allows you to position your organization for success with the right people to get you there.

You can approach strategic planning in many different ways, which we’ll explore in this guide, along with five real-world examples of workforce planning strategies.

Example 1: Scenario-based workforce planning

Scenario-based planning encourages organizations to explore the “what-ifs” that might influence their workforce needs. Prepping for a range of potential outcomes allows the business to be ready and responsive in any situation—whether rapid market growth, economic downturn, or changing customer preferences.

To plan ahead, businesses can develop a tailored strategy for each possible scenario, moving them from a reactive to a proactive state when they need to execute their plan.

For example, you might implement a succession planning scenario to prepare future leaders to take the reins when your current leaders step down. You might also test a strategy for scaling up your product development team if you need to expand your product line quickly.

The benefits of scenario-based workforce planning

Companies that commit to scenario-based workforce planning enjoy:

  • Enhanced agility and flexibility: Businesses can quickly pivot without scrambling for ad-hoc solutions. There’s no better example of this than the COVID-19 pandemic, when companies with robust scenario plans were able to shift gears to remote work while others struggled to adapt
  • Informed decision-making: Scenario planning encourages organizations to analyze data, trends, and market forces comprehensively, leading to more strategic decisions
  • Risk mitigation: Thoroughly exploring worst-case scenarios identifies organizations’ vulnerabilities so they can prepare safeguards for them—for example, a manufacturer should prepare action plans for supply chain interruptions so their business can run continuously during geopolitical conflicts

The challenges of scenario-based workforce planning

Scenario planning can be hard to implement based on:

  • Data complexity: Effective scenario planning requires extensive, accurate data sets, so if these are inconsistent or incomplete, your scenarios won’t be fit for purpose
  • Resource intensiveness: Developing and maintaining multiple workforce what-ifs requires significant time, effort, and expertise, which can be a strain on your HR budget and resources, especially for smaller businesses
  • Uncertain predictions: While scenario planning is designed to handle uncertainty, there’s always a risk that the scenarios you’ve mapped out won’t capture future workforce realities—this can lead to your company leaders becoming overconfident in plans that may never come to life

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Real-world example of scenario-based workforce planning

PwC worked with a client that needed to execute a £164 billion, 10-year procurement plan. The client wanted to develop a workforce strategy aligned with its long-term business goals but also needed to stay flexible enough to adapt as necessary. However, their workforce data was scattered across different spreadsheets and tools, and there was no clear way to see how demand and supply matched up.

PwC ran its Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) Diagnostic, which highlighted major issues, such as inconsistent data and a lack of centralized insights. From there, PwC built a solution tailored to the client’s needs. They introduced standardized SWP principles to get everyone on the same page and created a custom modeling tool using Qlikview, which pulled all the fragmented data into a clear, usable format. They also cleaned up the data and made it more detailed to set up a solid forecasting and scenario planning process.

As a result, the client received a dynamic workforce planning system that could forecast future scenarios five years ahead.

Example 2: Demand forecasting for seasonal needs

Demand forecasting involves analyzing historical data and trends to predict your workforce needs during high-demand periods, such as promotional sales or over the holiday period.

This type of planning allows businesses to anticipate fluctuations to meet peak demands without overcommitting resources. This approach is key to maintaining operational efficiency and customer satisfaction for industries with seasonal or cyclical patterns, such as retail or logistics.

For example, if you anticipate higher-than-usual customer demands over the holidays, you can increase hiring to accommodate the shopping rush. Equally, during the January lull, you can adjust your staffing schedules to match these slower periods.

The benefits of demand forecasting

Companies that implement demand forecasting benefit from:

  • Operational efficiency: By accurately predicting workforce needs, businesses avoid the pitfalls of overstaffing or understaffing so they can maintain high productivity levels
  • Cost control: Precise forecasting reduces unnecessary hiring expenses while preventing the financial losses associated with lack of staff
  • Enhanced customer satisfaction: With the right number of employees on hand, businesses can deliver a seamless service even during busy periods

The challenges of demand forecasting

Demand forecasting is not without its challenges:

  • Seasonal variability: Predicting demand for seasonal businesses can be complex. For example, factors like weather, economic conditions, or consumer behavior can cause year to year fluctuations.
  • Unexpected spikes or drops: Events such as a viral product trend or sudden supply chain disruption can cause demand to deviate from your projections.
  • Scale of implementation: For global companies, demand forecasting must account for regional variations, meaning you’ll need more granular models. For example, a public holiday in one state or country may require different staffing plans to another.

Real-world example of demand forecasting

Amazon is a master of demand forecasting, especially during the holiday season. Every year, the company analyzes past sales data, market trends, and other factors to project staffing needs for its massive operations. For the 2024 holiday season, Amazon announced plans to hire 250,000 workers to meet an expected 4.9% increase in e-commerce spending.

Unsurprisingly, the company leverages its Amazon Forecast tool to refine its staffing models. The goal is to strike the perfect balance of scaling its workforce to meet peak demand but without over-hiring. By doing so, Amazon maintains customer satisfaction and keeps labor costs under control.

Example 3: Skills gap analysis and upskilling programs

A skills gap analysis takes a detailed look at all the skills present in your organizational lineup and compares them to the skills you anticipate you’ll need in the future. Businesses that identify gaps can implement upskilling programs to prepare employees for emerging trends and technologies.

For example, many companies now require more in-house AI skills to keep up with the rapid growth of this technology. Investing in targeted training and development bridges this gap, empowering employees to remain relevant in the talent market while taking your business to the next level.

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The benefits of skills gap analysis and upskilling

A commitment to skills development is a people strategy that reaps the following benefits:

  • Boosted productivity: Employees who have the right tools and training work faster and more effectively
  • Improved retention: When businesses invest in their people, their employees are more likely to stay and advance their careers within the company rather than with a competitor
  • Preparedness for the future: With upskilling, businesses can quickly adapt to industry shifts, whether it’s the rise of AI, new regulations, or changing market demands

The challenges of upskilling programs

Upskilling isn’t always straightforward:

  • Customization: Every organization is different, and training programs need to be tailored to address unique challenges and business objectives. Otherwise, you risk developing skills your business doesn’t need, or that suit individual employees rather than the overall company
  • Time and cost: Creating and delivering effective training requires an investment of both resources and time. In some cases, you may need to convince employees the training is worth their commitment
  • Measuring impact: It’s not always easy to quantify how much upskilling has contributed to organizational success

Real-world example of skills gap analysis

Discover Financial Services (DFS), a Fortune 500 company, needed to advance its employees’ data capabilities. New hires often struggled to adapt to the company’s unique data environment, and even seasoned analysts were stuck using legacy software rather than more modern tools.

To tackle this, DFS partnered with Data Society to create a tailored 40-hour training program. The goal was to equip employees with the skills to navigate their data systems confidently. The program taught them essential data science techniques, from managing relational databases with SQL to using R for predictive analytics and machine learning.

COVID-19 forced DFS to pivot from in-person sessions to virtual learning, using platforms like RStudio Cloud and Zoom to deliver an engaging experience remotely. However, the results were impressive: employees improved their technical knowledge by 28% on average, and the company saw real, measurable outcomes, such as better insights into credit risk and portfolio forecasting.

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Example 4: Geographic workforce planning for global teams

When a company needs to expand its operations and workforce into new regions, geographic workforce planning provides a strategy to address talent shortages, optimize costs, and improve market reach in these areas.

This expansion is becoming more common as businesses tap into global talent pools to fill specialized roles. For example, in regions like APAC, competition for talent in sectors like tech and finance has intensified. According to our APAC Workforce Hiring Report, 93% of large organizations in Singapore are open to recruiting talent from abroad, and 85% already have overseas employees.

Global hiring gives companies access to a broader range of skills while enhancing the diversity and resilience of their teams. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is easy. The shift to a geographically distributed workforce also introduces challenges like navigating local compliance laws and managing payroll across multiple currencies.

The benefits of geographic workforce planning

Companies adopting geographic workforce planning and management experience:

  • Access to diverse talent pools: Expanding recruitment to new regions addresses local talent shortages, especially in high-demand industries like tech and finance. Deel’s report highlights that 70% of leaders in Singapore cite access to a wider talent pool as the primary advantage of global hiring. It also welcomes cultural and professional diversity, which enhances creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving
  • Skill transfer and collaboration: Distributed teams foster the exchange of knowledge and expertise across borders, strengthening organizational capabilities
  • Cost optimization: Hiring in regions with lower labor costs can save money while maintaining high standards of work quality

The challenges of geographic workforce planning

While the benefits are clear, global workforce planning presents challenges:

  • Compliance complexities: Companies must navigate varying local tax regulations, labor laws, and data protection standards. 77% of Singaporean organizations cite compliance as a key concern
  • Payroll and benefits management: Managing payroll in multiple currencies and coordinating benefits across different legal frameworks can be complex and resource-intensive
  • Cultural and operational differences: Distributed teams must overcome time zone challenges, language barriers, and varying work cultures to maintain cohesion and productivity

Read more

Check out our APAC Workforce Hiring report for the latest insights.

Real-world example of geographic workforce planning

Telstra, an Australian telecommunications company, uses geographic workforce planning to tackle talent shortages and prepare for the future of work. As demand for traditional roles like core engineers goes down and new roles like software-defined network engineers grow rapidly, Telstra has started looking for talent beyond Australia. To make this work, they’ve created virtual Agile teams where IT and engineering staff from different parts of the world can work together effectively even though they’re spread across multiple locations.

Telstra is also focused on filling skills gaps. Telstra’s Group Executive, Transformation and People, Alexandra Badenoch, explains, “Most HR teams have talked for a long time about ‘build, buy, borrow.’ We have ‘build, buy, borrow, bot.’ We talk about what we can automate and where we can use different forms of artificial intelligence to fill talent or supply gaps.

They’ve mapped out a five-year plan to see where skills will be needed, where they’ll decline, and how to move staff into roles that are in demand. By thinking ahead and being flexible, they’re solving skill shortages in smart ways while keeping their workforce ready for the future.

Example 5: Contingency planning for sudden changes

Contingency planning is all about preparing for the unexpected. Organizations need strategies to adapt quickly and maintain their regular operations, whether it’s a sudden market change, a PR crisis, or a global pandemic. A strong contingency plan helps businesses remain resilient and flexible, allowing them to respond to unforeseen challenges without losing momentum.

One common approach is to develop a contingency talent pool—a reserve of trained and available workers who can step in as needed.

Complementary resource

Learn more about how contingency planning adds flexibility and stability to your global workforce planning.

The benefits of contingency planning

Organizations that invest in contingency planning gain:

  • Operational resilience: Businesses can maintain continuity in the face of disruption
  • Workforce flexibility: Preparedness allows for quick adjustments to staffing levels, whether scaling up or down
  • Increased confidence: Employees and clients both feel reassured knowing the organization is ready for any challenge

The challenges of contingency planning

While contingency planning offers clear benefits, it also comes with challenges:

  • Balancing priorities: It’s difficult to allocate resources to worse-case scenarios that might never occur when you also need to address immediate, pressing business needs
  • Execution under pressure: Even the best plans can falter if leadership or teams lack the experience or training to execute them effectively during a crisis
  • Constant updating: Plans quickly become outdated as business environments and technologies evolve, requiring frequent revisions and re-evaluations

Real-world example of contingency planning

Care Staffing Professionals, a healthcare staffing agency, developed an Emergency Management and Business Continuity Plan focused on workforce resilience and service continuity. The agency’s plan includes the following key components:

  • Policy statement: This ensures all team members understand their roles during a crisis. Leadership maintains master copies for quick access during emergencies
  • Emergency operations center (EOC): A designated center equipped with printed plans provides centralized access to procedures and critical information
  • Flexible staffing solutions: The plan emphasizes scalable staffing, allowing the agency to meet any sudden surges in demand while ensuring employee safety and well-being

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Care Staffing Professionals demonstrated how effective contingency planning can be. Their well-structured protocols allowed them to maintain uninterrupted service, protect their employees, and meet client needs during an unprecedented global health crisis. By having clear staffing strategies and communication processes in place, they reinforced their commitment to resilience and reliability.

Further reading

Learn more about different types of strategic workforce planning in our detailed guide.

Future-proof your business with strategic workforce planning with Deel

Deel offers a comprehensive platform to help organizations navigate the future of work. With solutions ranging from EOR services and contractor management to talent and workforce planning, Deel enables businesses to hire and develop top talent, whether locally or globally.

Our comprehensive HR platform simplifies complex workforce management challenges by providing tools that make hiring, onboarding, and employee support more efficient and seamless.

Book a demo today to discover how Deel can enhance your workforce planning process and empower your organization to achieve its talent strategy goals.

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About the author

Lorelei Trisca is a content marketing manager passionate about everything AI and the future of work. She is always on the hunt for the latest HR trends, fresh statistics, and academic and real-life best practices. She aims to spread the word about creating better employee experiences and helping others grow in their careers.

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