Step 1: Take an Inventory of Your Current Processes
Next, identify what your company is actually doing in each of the four cells and document that in the matrix itself. Include only those things that you currently have; do not include things that you “should” have or things that you plan to implement. Specifically document each process in the appropriate cell. Don’t just think about the elements; actually write the name of each component in the appropriate cell of your matrix. If you are simply using this tool to analyze the effectiveness of your current processes, it is probably sufficient to simply identify each component. If you are using this tool as a guide for creating a strategic staffing/workforce planning process, however, a more in-depth understanding of each component may be required. If this is the case, actually gather, document, and study each component (e.g., actually obtain and read a copy of the business strategy). If there are multiple versions of the same components (e.g., if there are different vision statements for the business unit you are analyzing and for the company as a whole), obtain copies of all versions.
Here are some examples of what you might find and document in each cell/component of your planning process:
Long term/business planning. List in this cell any efforts that help your organization to identify requirements for or allocate resources over the long term. This might include your company’s mission statement, vision statement, values, strategic objectives, and business strategy.
Short term/business planning. List in this cell any efforts that help your organization to identify requirements for or allocate resources over the short term. This usually includes your operational plan, budget, and headcount control modules.
Long term/staff planning. List in this cell any efforts that help your organization to identify requirements for or allocate staff over the long term. This would include your human resource (HR) and staffing strategies (if they exist). Be discriminating here. Include only those pieces that are truly long term. Exclude those pieces that appear to have some long-term context, but are really implemented on a short-term basis. For example, include your succession planning and development process here if it is truly viewed and applied as a strategic tool, but place it in the short term/staff planning cell if it is primarily an annual process that drives short-term decisions regarding selection, placement, and/or development.
Short term/staff planning. List in this cell any efforts that help your organization to identify requirements for or allocate staff over the short term. This includes staffing and staffing-related processes implemented within your organization that support short-term decisions (e.g., all recruiting and staffing decisions that are made to meet immediate needs). In many organizations, the vast majority of staff planning and actions occurs in the short term and thus should be included in this cell. You may also wish to include processes that directly support the staffing processes (such as training and development). Again, remember how encompassing my definition of “staffing” is.
When conducting your inventory, be as complete and thorough as you can be, but keep your analysis at a big-picture level. It is not necessary to capture every variance and nuance. Figure 12-2 shows what a typical diagnostic looks like once all processes and components have been identified and recorded in the appropriate cell.
