Workforce Planning and Strategies (Intermediate II) PDF

D I N STITU E RE T RT E O A CH F GE R I A PER S...

D I N STITU E RE T RT E O A CH F GE R I A PER S O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N STUDY PACK WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES I N T E R M E D I AT E I I  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES INTERMEDIATE II @CIPM 2023 FOURTH EDITION CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT OF NIGERIA CIPM House, 1 CIPM Avenue, Off Obafemi Awolowo Way, Opposite Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. Tel: 07001237555 E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Website: www.cipmnigeria.org Facebook/X/Instagram/Youtube: @cipmnigeria LinkedIn: Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria All rights reserved, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise without the permission of CIPM NIGERIA. i  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N FOREWORD This fourth edition of the CIPM study pack is one of the learning resources recommended to persons preparing for certification through professional examinations. It is uniquely prepared to meet the knowledge standards of HR certification bodies and/or degree awarding institutions. The study pack is highly recommended to researchers, people managers and organisations responsible for human capital development in its entirety. Each chapter in the text has been logically arranged to sufficiently cover all the various sections of this subject as itemised in the CIPM examination syllabus. This is to enhance systematic learning and understanding of the users. The document, a product of in-depth study and research, is practical and original. We have ensured that topics and sub-topics are based on the syllabus and on contemporary HR best practices. Although concerted effort has been made to ensure that the text is up to date in matters relating to theories and practices of contemporary issues in HR, nevertheless, we advise and encourage students to complement the study text with other study materials recommended in the syllabus. This is to ensure total coverage of the elastic scope and dynamics of the HR profession. Thank you and do have a productive preparation as you navigate through the process of becoming a seasoned Human Resources Management professional. Olusegun Mojeed, FCIPM, fnli President & Chairman of the Governing Council ii  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS On behalf of the President and Chairman of the Governing Council, Mr Olusegun Mojeed, FCIPM, fnli and the entire membership of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM), we acknowledge the intellectual prowess of Mr. Akinwande Babs AKINPELU, FCIPM in writing this well-researched text for Workforce Planning and Strategies. The meticulous work of our reviewer, Christy Adeyemo, ACIPM has not gone unnoticed and is hereby acknowledged for the thorough review of this publication. We also commend and appreciate the efforts of members of the Education Committee of the Institute, under the chairmanship of Mr. Henry Onukwuba, MCIPM for their unflinching support. Finally, my appreciation goes to my internal project team, led by the Director, Professional Standards and Development, Mr. Gbenga Samuel Odetunde ACIPM, the Team lead, Certification and Licensing, Mr. Samuel Eviewho, ACIPM and Team lead, Professional Examination, Mr. Yinka Oyedere, MCIPM for making this project a success. Oluwatoyin Naiwo, FCIPM Registrar/Chief Executive iii  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: MANNING AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS PLANNING...........1 Learning Objectives............................................................................................... 1 1.0. Introduction....................................................................................................1 1.1. What is Human Resource Management?..........................................................1 1.2. Workforce or Human Resource Planning..........................................................3 1.3. Why do we need Workforce Planning and Strategies?.......................................4 1.4. Objectives of Workplace Planning:...................................................................4 1.5. Procedures and Steps of Workforce Planning....................................................5 1.6. Workforce Planning Process:............................................................................8 1.7. Skill Gap Analysis:..........................................................................................8 1.8. The 21st Century HR Managers’ Role.............................................................14 Review Questions:................................................................................................12 Management case study:......................................................................................17 REFERENCES.......................................................................................................18 CHAPTER TWO: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT........................................19 Learning Objectives:............................................................................................19 2.0. Introduction..................................................................................................19 2.1. Professionalism Defined:...............................................................................19 2.2. Core Values of Professionalism:.....................................................................19 2.3. How to develop, formulate and implement a professional development plan:..22 2.4. Implementation Stage of professional development:.......................................24 2.5. Steps for creating a professional development plan:.......................................25 2.6. Some practical steps to exhibit and demonstrate Professionalism:....................26 Conclusion:.........................................................................................................27 Review Questions:................................................................................................27 Management case study:......................................................................................28 REFERENCES.......................................................................................................29 CHAPTER THREE: SUCCESSION PLANNING................................................31 Learning Objectives:............................................................................................31 3.0. Introduction:................................................................................................31 3.1. The Concept of Succession Planning:.............................................................31 3.2. Steps in Succession Plans:.............................................................................32 3.3. Workforce Recruitment:.................................................................................33 iv  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N 3.4. Recruitment Policy:........................................................................................33 3.5. Scope of recruitment Policy:...........................................................................34 3.6. Characteristics of a Good Recruitment Policy:.................................................34 3.7. Sources of Workforce Recruitment:.................................................................34 Conclusion:.........................................................................................................43 Review Questions:................................................................................................43 Management Case study:.....................................................................................44 REFERENCES:......................................................................................................44 CHAPTER FOUR: WORKFORCE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION............................46 Learning Objectives:.............................................................................................46 4.0. Introduction:.................................................................................................46 4.1. Workforce Plan Implementation Framework:...................................................47 4.2. Principles of Workforce Plan Implementation:..................................................47 4.2.1. Linking HR and business strategies:.............................................................47 4.2.2. Identify and analyze the future needs for talent and skills:.............................48 4.2.3. Analyze the talent supply and undertake a gap analysis:..............................48 4.2.5. Prepare to execute different scenarios..........................................................48 4.3. Five steps to implementation of WF Plans.......................................................48 Conclusion.........................................................................................................48 Review Questions:................................................................................................49 Management case study:......................................................................................49 REFERENCES........................................................................................................50 CHAPTER FIVE: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN WORKFORCE PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT............................................................................................52 Learning Objectives:.............................................................................................52 5.0. Introduction:.................................................................................................52 5.1.0. Key challenges faced in contemporary workforce planning and management: Strategies to effectively address them.....................................................................52 5.2.0. When creating a workforce plan, it is important to be aware of and avoid certain key issues that can hinder its effectiveness. some of these issues are:............54 5.3.0. Impact of Employee wellness & Stress Management on the Organisation:.....56 Conclusion:.........................................................................................................56 Review Questions:................................................................................................57 REFERENCES:......................................................................................................58 v  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N CHAPTER SIX: CHANGING NATURE OF EMPLOYMENT...............................59 Learning Objectives:.............................................................................................59 6.0. Introduction:.................................................................................................59 6.1. Developing and Managing Multigenerational Workforce:................................59 6.2. The following are the five major generations present in the workforce:.............60 6.2.1. Generation Z:............................................................................................60 6.2.2. The Veterans or Traditionalists:....................................................................61 6.2.3. The Baby Boomers:....................................................................................61 6.2.4. Generation X:............................................................................................62 6.2.5. The Millennials or Generation Y:.................................................................62 6.2.6. Generation Z:............................................................................................63 REFERENCES........................................................................................................74 CHAPTER SEVEN: POST COVID WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT IN GLOBAL AND LOCAL HR MANAGEMENT..................................................................76 Learning Objectives:.............................................................................................76 7.0. Introduction:.................................................................................................76 7.1. Clarification of Concepts:..............................................................................76 7.2. Mental Health, Emerging Issues in the Workplace:..........................................78 7.2.1. List of specific wellness program in the workplace........................................78 Conclusion and Summary:...................................................................................78 REFERENCES........................................................................................................79 CHAPTER EIGHT: MIGRATION OF SKILLED WORKERS.................................80 Learning Objectives:.............................................................................................80 8.0. Introduction:.................................................................................................80 8.1. Drivers of Skilled Migration:...........................................................................80 8.2. Benefits of Skilled Migration:..........................................................................80 8.3. Challenges of Skilled Migration:.....................................................................81 8.4. Policy Considerations:....................................................................................81 8.5. Ethical Recruitment and Fair Treatment:..........................................................81 8.6. Future Trends and Implications:......................................................................81 8.7. Underlying Philosophes of Brain Drain and Migration......................................82 8.8. Human Capital Theory:.................................................................................82 8.9. Global Justice Perspective:.............................................................................83 8.10. International Migration of Nigerian Labour:..................................................83 8.10.1. The impact of the brain drain:...................................................................85 vi  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N 8.10.2. The Positive Effects:..................................................................................85 8.10.3. The Negative Effects:...............................................................................85 8.11. Talent Management Strategies:....................................................................85 8.11.1. What is Talent Management?....................................................................86 8.11.2. Who are talented Employees?...................................................................87 8.11.3.The Significance of Talent Development and Management to Organizations:.................................................................................................87 8.11.3. Talent Management Approaches:..............................................................88 8.11.4. Talent Development Gaps:........................................................................88 8.11.5. Talent Competency Mix:............................................................................89 8.11.6. The Talent Competency-Mix can be realigned across the following:.............89 8.11.7. Effective Talent Engagement Steps.............................................................89 8.12. C-Suite Team Talent Development Strategies:................................................91 8.13. Talent Management Process:........................................................................92 8.14. Strategies for Developing and Retaining Talent..............................................93 8.15. Apprenticeships:..........................................................................................96 8.16. Talent Management Model:..........................................................................97 8.16.1. The Talent Creed:.....................................................................................97 8.16.2. The Talent Strategy:..................................................................................97 8.16.3. The Talent Management System:...............................................................97 8.17. The Talent Management Assessment Tools:...................................................98 8.18. Career-Pathing:...........................................................................................98 8.19. Top 5 Career Development Tips.................................................................100 Conclusion:.......................................................................................................101 Review Questions:..............................................................................................101 Management case study:....................................................................................102 vii  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N CHAPTER ONE MANNING AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS PLANNING Learning Objectives At the end of this chapter, learners should be able to: 1. Ascertain the need for Workforce Planning. 2. Highlight and explain the relevance of a staffing plan and gap analysis. 3. Describe the procedure and steps of workforce planning. 4. Identify potential strategies to address future workforce and skill gaps. 5. Discuss the major skills the 21st century Human Resource Managers must possess. 1.0 Introduction Manning and skill requirements planning is a strategic process that organizations undertake to ensure they have the right number of qualified personnel with the necessary skills to achieve the organization's objectives now and in the future. It involves analyzing workforce needs, identifying skill requirements, and implementing strategies to acquire, develop, and retain talent. By aligning workforce capabilities with organizational objectives, organizations can optimize resource allocation, improve productivity, and stay competitive in their respective industries. 1. Clarification and Definition of Concepts: 1.1 What is Human Resource Management? This concept has been defined in various ways. It is simply the process of attracting, developing, motivating and retaining the right people in an organization while helping to develop an appropriate culture and climate that will support the achievement of the organizational objectives. Put differently, or in other words, Human Resource Management (HRM) could be defined as the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment, training, management, and providing direction for the people who work in the organization. Human Resource Management in its simplest definition means the management of organization's manpower or workforce or human resources towards achieving its corporate goals. According to Toyin Oloyede (2015), Human Resource Management is that part of management which is concerned with people at work and with their relationships within 1  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N the organization. It seeks to bring men and women who make up an organization, enabling each to make their own best contribution to its success both as an individual and as a member of a working group. Human Resource Management is the term increasingly used to refer to the philosophy, policies, procedures and practices relating to the management of people within organizations. It is the qualitative improvement of human beings who are considered the most valuable asset of an organization: the sources, resources and end-users of all products and services. Human Resource Management is concerned with planning, organizing, directing and controlling recruitment, selection and placement, induction, training and development, compensation, integration and retention of people for the purpose of contributing to the goals of the organization (Akin Akinpelu 2018) In today's world of work, following Armstrong (2014) the Human Resource Management is supposed to occupy an enviable position in any organization. The major functions of Human Resource Management include the following: i. To acquire, recruit, and retain employees, both new and old in the organization. ii. To maintain adequate information through a database regarding employee's skills and capabilities. iii. To acquire and maintain adequate supply of employees for smooth workforce planning. iv. To conduct orientation, induction and motivate fresh employees in the organization with regards to the do's and don'ts and various other provisions available for them. v. To design a well-considered promotion, transfer and dismissal policies within the organization. vi. To formulate policies towards training and development of the workforce to enable them perform present and future expected jobs. vii. To prepare employees on safety awareness. viii. To help in creating and building a work culture full of loyalties, commitment, dedication and hard work. ix. To liaise with the finance and other departments in preparing and implementing compensation and reward packages for the organization. x. To help in organizing and maintaining welfare and recreational facilities in or outside the organization. xi. To supervise the industrial relations activities within and outside the organization with regards to collective bargaining, trade disputes, grievance issues, among others. 2  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N 1.2. Workforce or Human Resource Planning Workforce or Manpower or Human Resource Planning can be defined as the systematic and continuous process of ensuring that an organization engages the right number (people), with the right skills/competencies, doing the right jobs (placement) and at the right time (specific period). It is the totality of energy, skills and knowledge in an organization, institution, or a country (Akin Akinpelu 2018). According to Akata Grant (2016), Workforce Planning is a process of determining and ensuring that the organization will have an adequate number of qualified and competent persons available at appropriate times, performing jobs which will meet the needs of the organization and provide job satisfaction for individuals involved. It is the systematic and continued process of analyzing an organization's human resource needs under the changing conditions and developing personnel policies appropriate to the long-term effectiveness of the organization. Workforce or Human Resource Planning starts with the assessment of the organization's current Human Resource, forecasts are then made of the future total requirements based on the goals and plans of the organization that will benefit the organization in accomplishing its objectives and in helping its members to satisfy their needs. Simply put, Workforce or Human Resource Planning is an intellectual process of selecting the best alternative method to achieve the laid down objectives of an organization. It is the process of finding answers to the following questions: i. Where are we now? (self-appraisal of strength and weaknesses); ii. Where do we want to go, either short term or long term? Goal setting in clear terms – SMART; iii. How do we get or achieve our goals? - Methods or alternatives that exist to reach the expected goals. Workforce planning can be categorized into four (4) major segments: Short-Term Planning, Medium Term Planning, Long Term Planning and Strategic Workforce Planning Ulrich, D. (2013). 3  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N i. Short-Term Planning/Operational Workforce Planning: It is the process and systems applied to gathering, analyzing, and reporting on workforce planning strategy. It plays an important role and often in different ways. It usually covers 12–18 months and should align with the timeframe of the business planning cycle. ii. Medium Term Planning: It involves establishing objectives by trying to adjust employees' skills to match those that will be needed in the immediate future. The focus includes recruitment, selection, and placement programs as well as performance appraisal system aimed at who in the workforce is available to fill certain positions. It often covers a period of 3-7 years. iii. Long Term Planning: It involves career planning and management succession. It is very difficult for organizations to have 100% clear picture of what and where they will be in 10-20-40 years' time. Hence, this becomes one of the most important tasks of any corporate survival. It covers a period of 10 years and above. iv. Strategic Workforce Planning: This specifically focuses on identifying the workforce implications, current transition, and future of business strategic objectives, including scenario planning. It usually covers a period of 3-5-years forecast and aligned basically to business needs and outcomes. 1.3. Why do we need Workforce Planning and Strategies? It helps every organization in determining the following: i. The right size of employees in an organization; ii. People to be recruited, retrained, promoted, and retained until retirement; iii. People to be exited with, that is, those to be disengaged – through resignation, termination, dismissal, redundancy, retrenchment, etc. 1.4. Objectives of Workplace Planning: Listed below are various objectives of Workforce Planning. It helps: i. To have the right people for the jobs at the right time, place, and appropriate skills. ii. To ensure optimum use of human resources currently employed. iii. To estimate the cost of Human Resources (HR or Staff budgeting). iv. To provide for future workforce needs of the organization in terms of skills, diversity, and dexterity. v. To ensure the constant availability of standard skills, knowledge, ability, and attitude. vi. To serve as employees' retention strategy for consistent highflyers and reduce pressure and dependence on external recruitment. 4  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N vii. To identify training needs and competency mapping. viii. To accommodate future requirements arising not only because of future need but as a result of diversification, technological changes and business continuity and expansion. ix. To minimize hiring costs and improve productivity. x. To align the HR goals with the Business Strategy. 1.5. Procedures and Steps of Workforce Planning Human Resource Management has assumed a vital strategic role in recent years as organizations attempt to compete through people. Historically, Human Resource Management (HRM) was known as personnel management, which deals with the formal system of managing people. As a result of constant change in the world of work, there are some basic procedures and steps that must be included in the workforce plans as stated below: Business Context and Environment Review and evaluate your Analysis of action plans Current Workforce Analyze and Future fill the gap Workforce requirements Source: FT Mastering Management. London Business School 5  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N Step 1: Business Context and Environment: Workforce planning must directly link to the business goals. To this end, the first step is to think about the business context. The following questions and more need to be answered: i. What are the business goals and vision? ii. Where is the business heading? Is it growing, downsizing, transitioning, shifting skills, introducing new technology or is it in a maintenance mode? iii. What are the economic conditions that impact on the industry, sector, markets? Does this impact directly on the business? iv. What is going on internally in the business and how will this impact on the workforce requirements? v. What are the short, medium and long-term goals for the business? vi. What workforce skills and capability are required in achieving these business goals? Step 2: Analyzing the Current Workforce Profile: The development of a workforce planning system requires an inventory of the individuals already employed by the organization. Information about each employee should be obtained and stored in a manner that is easily accessible. Only information that is relevant to the workforce planning system should be kept in the inventory. This is known as Employee or Workforce Profile. The following information and more would be typically useful in an Employee Profile: i. Name of the employee; ii. Present job, category, or current position; iii. Age, Sex/Gender; iv. Skills – including areas of knowledge and experience; v. Educational levels including degrees and certifications; vi. Geographical location if the organization is spread across different regions/zones; vii. Length of Service: time in present position and retirement status; viii. Potentials for development and interests in promotion; ix. Wages and Salaries profile; x. Performance Management and Supervisory Evaluation. 6  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N Step 3: Forecasting Workforce Requirements: This step includes projecting what the workforce needs for the future will be based on, as well as the strategic goals and vision of the organization. It must also bear in mind the need to accommodate external challenges that can affect the organization. Some relevant questions to ask during this stage include: i. Which jobs will need to be filled in the upcoming period? ii. What skill sets will people need? iii. How many staff will be required to meet the strategic goals of the organization? iv. Is the economy affecting the work and ability to appeal to new employees? v. How is the business community evolving or expected to change in the upcoming period? vi. What employee profile will fit into the new or changing business community? Step 4: Analyze and Fill the Gap: This step gives the opportunity to know about the current workforce. What is the management perspective of the future workforce outlook and compare the difference? This process is referred to as gap analysis. This gives a clear idea of the gap between the skills, staff number, job roles and experience between the current workforce and the workforce that will be required to achieve the future business or corporate workforce goals. Once this critical stage is resolved, then the management can start to build a workforce action, plan to manage this gap and achieve its goals. Step 5: Review and Evaluation of your Action Plans: In this step, measurement and appraisal of performance becomes vital, in that responsibility is placed on individuals and teams. This measurement serves as the basis of management control and how the contribution of the business unit to the organization can be measured and recognized. 7  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N 1.6. Workforce Planning Process: In any organization, the Workforce Planning process may occur in the following three stages: Planning, Programming, and Evaluating. PLANNING PROGRAMMING EVALUATION Organizational Strategic Planning HRM Human Human environmental Resources Resources Results scanning Planning activities - Employee Recruitment - Productivity - Labor markets - Demand forecast - Employee Selection - Quality - Technology - Internal Labor supply - Outplacement - Innovation - Legislation - External Labor supply - Training and development - Satisfaction - Competition - Job Analysis - Performance Appraisal - Turnover - Economy - Reward systems - Absenteeism - Labor relations - Health Source: FT Mastering Management. London Business School 1.7. Skill Gap Analysis: A skills gap analysis is a veritable tool that helps in revealing the variances between the existing and the required skill levels, as well as identifying the best strategies to close the gap or reduce the variation. It is usually used to determine the training and or hiring requirements of an employee or group of the organization. The skills required can be easily identified by answering the following questions: i. Which skills does the organization value? ii. Which skills do the employees require to do their jobs both now and in the future? It is important to measure the current skills within an organization. To achieve this, the following steps can be used to measure the existing skills: i. Assessments and surveys. ii. Employee interviews. iii. Performance review feedback. 8  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N Conducting an Effective Skills Gap Analysis: Conducting an effective skills gap analysis helps organizations to move forward. It enables the management gain invaluable insights into the workforce. Skills gap analysis should be done at two levels – at an individual and at a team level. 1. Plan skill gap analysis: It is essential to effectively plan, who will be the team lead who exactly needs to provide required data in different departments to enable the team lead to uncover the skill gaps of the individual employees in their respective departments, etc. 2. Define the organization's future goals: To figure out the required skills from the employees, the following questions must be clearly defined: i. What are organization's strategic goals in the next 3 to 5 years? ii. What skills exist in the current workforce? iii. What skills sets are required from the employees in the future? iv. What areas of business are lacking knowledge or resources? v. What jobs need to be filled to allow the organization to get to where it needs to go? vi. How can appropriate HR strategies be developed to achieve the earlier identified corporate strategies? 3. Consider the future of work trends: As the rapid technological breakthroughs continue to impact the world of work, the organization needs to know and determine the following: i. Which jobs have the potential to become automated? ii. What skills sets are currently on the rise? iii. Which currently not yet existing positions that the organization will need? 4. Determine key skills needed for the future: An organization must be seen to be proactive always to remain competitive. To mitigate against being reactive each time a new skills gap is identified in the workforce, it is essential to adopt new technologies and embrace new practices to achieve corporate growth. Conducting skills gap analysis will help to cope with the speed with which organizations are being bombarded with new developments making it incredibly difficult for companies to constantly find employees with specific skill sets to use these technologies. 9  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N 5. Measure the current skills in the workforce: To achieve this is simply establishing a 360-degree feedback process, to determine the current skill, set. It is basically soliciting feedback from everyone who encounters the employee, such as peers or colleagues, line managers, clients, as well as having the employee themselves appraise and confirm where they see their skills gaps. Appropriate answers must be given to the following: i. What is the organization's current skills inventory? ii. Examine individual employee's Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to determine how each employee contributes to the business. iii. Conduct skills assessments, surveys and/or interviews with employees. iv. Check out individual and team performance reviews to see where employees and teams are lacking certain skills. 6. Find out where the gaps are: Basically, conducting skills gap analysis is expected to reveal what gaps exist and how that differs from where the organization wants to be in the future. As well as identifying the specific challenges an organization is currently facing (or will be) facing in terms of workforce skills. For example, Manufacturing industries are predicting over 2 million manufacturing jobs unfilled in the next decade, due to a shortage of strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) skills in both current and new employees. The financial and business services sector is expected to have a talent deficit of almost 3 million workers due to rapid rise in and adoption of disruptive technologies. The deficit will be a result of a lack of qualified candidates capable of using “disruptive technologies.” 7. Put skill gap analysis findings into action: It is not enough to discover skills gaps; it is important to start planning how to fill them. To achieve this, can be done through a combination of training, learning and development, developing talent pipeline, and talent acquisition. Considering the dynamics in the world of work, the following will help close the gaps between the organization's current skill level and the desired skill level: I. Reskilling ii. Up-skilling iii. Retooling: You will benefit by not only developing their existing skills but by training them for your 10  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N future business needs they are more likely to stick with you because you are investing in their career development. i. You can provide this training yourself or you can draw on the expertise of professional training firms to carry out workshops, conduct training sessions or hold seminars for your employees. ii. As well as training employees to close the skills gap, you could also invest in subscriptions to industry publications, to keep employees abreast of new and emerging technologies. iii. You could run employee mentorship programs to aid transfer of skills and knowledge. iv. Have employees attend industry-specific events or conferences to gain new, much needed skills. v. Develop apprenticeship and internship programs to fill your talent pipeline. vi. Put in place skills assessments to use in your recruitment process. vii. Hire contingent workers. If your skills gap is too wide, consider hiring in new knowledge to bridge the gap. Adapt your hiring process to take into account the potential skills gap that you will encounter in the future. Hire prospectively and screen candidates for the skills that you might require, anticipating those gaps. The aim of this workbook, therefore, is to highlight some essential skills the 21st century employers look for in job seekers. Of course, this may not be perfect for every situation, but it is a good start: 1. Problem Solving skill: The modern employers want to see that job applicants can troubleshoot and solve problems independently. To prove to a Recruitment Consultant during a job interview that you are a problem solver, an applicant would be expected to cite an example from a past job where he identified a unique problem, developed a solution, and successfully resolved the issue. 2. Creativity and Innovations skill: A job seeker should be able to offer a fresh perspective towards the corporate goals. Employers want to know how the job applicants will bring new ideas about how the organization can grow. It is also a good opportunity for the candidates to show what they know about the organization and the research they have done, both of which employers expect from any candidate regardless of experience. 3. Self-motivation skill: This point piggybacks on the last point because, if an applicant can show creativity and innovation, chances are that such individual is a 11  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N self-motivated person. This skill is something important to employers because it ensures that they would not need to walk the new employee through every little decision every step of the way. It also shows that the new employee is interested in growth. 4. Data Analytics & Metrics skill: We are moving into even more of a data-driven world. But numbers alone are useless, unless there is a human who can interpret them. As a result, more employers are searching for job candidates who can understand and utilize data. This is an important skill for everyone, not just for job seekers seeking traditional data jobs. Both employers and employees should have some experience with data analytics and computational thinking. For example, from a recent Job Vacancy Analysis report: a total of 671 job vacancies were published in Nigeria: Manufacturing industry has the highest of 164, Administration and Management profession came tops as the most sought-after profession with 186 advert placements. The Minimum Academic Qualifications (MAQ), has a total of 165 requests for B.Sc. and the combination of B.Sc./HND at 178, making it the most sought after MAQs. Most recruiting activities remain located in the South-West Geo-Political zone, with 460 vacancy placements. Lagos remains the hub of recruitment activities as 300 (44.9%) account for the entire southwest vacancies. 5. Information Technology and Social Media literacy: social media such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn Instagram, and the like, is changing the way organizations do business. Hence, it is one of the top five job skills 21st Century employers seeking in new hires. This is why it is important to not only understand how these tools work but also be able to effectively use them for business purposes. But many job seekers today still are not leveraging on the wide-reaching effects of social media. One way to highlight your social media skills during a job interview is by demonstrating how you use these media to stay on top of industry news and interact with thought or opinion leaders. What types of articles do you share on Facebook? Have you built a strong following on Instagram to show off your eye for the extraordinary? Your social media activity should serve a concrete purpose beyond being a cure for boredom. 6. Resiliency: Modern employers want to see that job seekers can thrive in tough situations. While it is like problem solving, resiliency is more focused on job seekers' ability to recover from setbacks. Instead of crumbling under pressure, “passing-the- 12  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N buck” or blame everybody except self. It is essential that an applicant learns from failure and finds ways to make the best of a bad situation. That is why resiliency is one of the most coveted soft skills in today's job market. 7. Technical skills: Job seekers are expected to identify and articulate their skills, strengths, knowledge, and experiences relevant to the position desired, career goals, and identify areas necessary for their professional growth. The ability to navigate and explore job options, understand, and take the steps necessary to pursue opportunities, and understand how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace is crucial. For example, as a Legal Adviser, he must be an authority in the Industrial Disputes Act. Likewise, an Accountant must have good mastery of fundamental accounting principles and appropriate financial regulatory legislations. 8. Professionalism/work ethics: This is the ability to demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits, such as, punctuality, (team spirit) working productively with others, and time workload management, and understanding the impact of non-verbal communication on professional work image. Ability to demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior, act responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind, and ability to learn from mistakes. 9. Oral/Written communication skill: Ability to articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms to other people inside and outside of the organization is very critical. Public speaking skills: ability to express ideas to others; and write/edit memos, letters, and complex technical reports clearly and effectively cannot be over emphasized. The employers are watchful of the “K.I.S.S principle” which is “Keep It Short and Simple”. 10. Teamwork/Collaboration skill: Being able to build collaborative relationships with colleagues and customers representing diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints. It is the ability to work within a team structure, negotiate and effectively manage conflicts. 11. Global/Intercultural fluency: How can you demonstrate openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity, and the ability to interact respectfully with all people and understand individuals' differences such as values, respect, and learn from diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, sexual orientations, and religion. 12. Willingness to Learn: This may not seem like a skill per say, but willingness to learn new skills is one of the most compelling characteristics job seekers can possess today. It could be through industry conferences, certification courses, online classes, or Meet-up Groups, you should always be taking steps to improve and gain new job 13  ED I N S T I T U ER T RT E O A CH WORKFORCE PLANNING AND STRATEGIES F GE R I A PER S INTERMEDIATE II O NI NN F L E O MA T N A G E ME N skills. Employers want to know: do you have an appetite to learn new things? Do you stay on top of industry trends? Do you push yourself and take on tasks that are outside your comfort zone? Those traits all reflect your desire to enhance your skill set, making you a more valuable worker to any employer. 13. Robust resume/curriculum vitae: One sure-fire way to get an employer's or Recruitment Consultant's attention and convince them to call you in for an interview is to have a “knockout resume/curriculum vitae” that simply highlights not only your skills and relevant job experience, but also the values you would bring to the organization. 14. A high GPA: You might be thinking that is not a skill. Nevertheless, it is worth putting on the list because it is a characteristic that comes more into play, especially for the recent or fresh graduates. A high GPA is something employers look for in new graduates to get the interview, which as we all know is the next step to showing off all of the other skills on this list. However, some employers value interview performance more than the GPA in their ultimate hiring decision, so there is no need to panic! 15. Right Attitude: A lot of job seekers today have “character-deficit issues” or attitudinal problems. Some job seekers are overzealous of their pedigree then neglected and taken for granted the place of character and good relationship with people. Hence, there is need for such people to consciously work on their character and avoid self-sabotage. Remember, Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States of America said, “nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” 1.8. The 21st Century HR Managers' Role According to Grant Akata (2016), for the 21st century HR Manager to impact the organization's bottom line, he should possess 3 major skills which are summarized as follows: a) Strategic focus – Being a business partner, he is expected to: i. Understand the business (mission/vision/value/objectives and operations). ii. Be strategic in thinking and action(s). iii. Focus on value deliverables through people. iv. Drive the 3Es of management functions which are: Efficient, Effective, and Economical. v. Install smart HR processes –Information Technology enabled (time and cost saving) 14  ED I N S T I T U