Talent Managers: Work With Your Manufacturing Professionals, Too

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Most manufacturing professionals are experts in managing quality standards, projects, process documentation, audits, and supply chain functions. But what about managing the skill set of their workforce? Talent managers need to work closely with their manufacturing professionals, gathering data about the skill set of their workforce to recruit superior employees and upskill their performance to fill a gap. With manufacturing professionals, compare the existing skill set of your workforce (supply) with the future skill set needed in your workforce (demand) to:

Most manufacturing professionals are experts in managing quality standards, projects, process documentation, audits, and supply chain functions. But what about managing the skill set of their workforce? Talent managers need to work closely with their manufacturing professionals, gathering data about the skill set of their workforce to recruit superior employees and upskill their performance to fill a gap. With manufacturing professionals, compare the existing skill set of your workforce (supply) with the future skill set needed in your workforce (demand) to: 

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  understand the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to achieve your business goals

  understand the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to achieve your business goals 

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  deliver the goods and services required by your customers

  deliver the goods and services required by your customers 

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  develop your future skill set

  develop your future skill set 

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  optimize the use of your existing skill set.

  optimize the use of your existing skill set.

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Here are five critical steps for supply and demand analysis.

Here are five critical steps for supply and demand analysis. 

Step 1: Analyze Demand 

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This step is about knowing the answers to these questions:

This step is about knowing the answers to these questions: 

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  What new or changed goods or services do you foresee in the short and long term?

  What new or changed goods or services do you foresee in the short and long term? 

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  How will your company be structured for tomorrow’s business?

  How will your company be structured for tomorrow’s business? 

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  What skills, knowledge, and abilities will be required to carry out future work functions?

  What skills, knowledge, and abilities will be required to carry out future work functions? 

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  What technology or re-engineering could be used to improve your goods or services?

  What technology or re-engineering could be used to improve your goods or services?

Step 2: Analyze Supply

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This step is about knowing the answers to these questions:

This step is about knowing the answers to these questions:

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  What jobs now exist?

  What jobs now exist? 

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  How many people are working in a particular area?

  How many people are working in a particular area? 

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  How essential is each job?

  How essential is each job? 

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  Are there jobs that are no longer needed?

  Are there jobs that are no longer needed? 

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  What is the benefit of using temporary versus permanent staff?

  What is the benefit of using temporary versus permanent staff? 

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Talent managers should have a database detailing each job in each area, including the:

Talent managers should have a database detailing each job in each area, including the: 

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  professional qualifications and relevant training

  professional qualifications and relevant training 

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  key experience across the key functional areas of the organization

  key experience across the key functional areas of the organization 

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  key competencies.

  key competencies. 

Step 3: Conduct a Gap Analysis

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This step is about comparing your existing workforce with your future workforce and identifying gaps (deficits or surpluses). The process of identifying the gaps between supply and demand will become your road map for your organization’s succession plan. You should prioritize those gaps that are critical to the delivery of your customer needs. Gaps in a workforce can be defined in terms of specific levels, skills, experiences, and education:

This step is about comparing your existing workforce with your future workforce and identifying gaps (deficits or surpluses). The process of identifying the gaps between supply and demand will become your road map for your organization’s succession plan. You should prioritize those gaps that are critical to the delivery of your customer needs. Gaps in a workforce can be defined in terms of specific levels, skills, experiences, and education: 

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  level: executive, management, exempt, nonexempt

  level: executive, management, exempt, nonexempt 

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  skills: professional qualifications, knowledge, abilities, competencies

  skills: professional qualifications, knowledge, abilities, competencies 

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  experience: HR, IT, industrial relations, finance, communication, project management, procurement

  experience: HR, IT, industrial relations, finance, communication, project management, procurement 

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  education: technical, professional, leadership.

  education: technical, professional, leadership. 

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A workforce gap arises whenever the proficiency in level, skills, experience, and education is not being met by any employee or segment of the workforce. By identifying critical gaps in your company, you are ensuring that your company will supply the resources to fill it.

A workforce gap arises whenever the proficiency in level, skills, experience, and education is not being met by any employee or segment of the workforce. By identifying critical gaps in your company, you are ensuring that your company will supply the resources to fill it.

Step 4: Create a Succession Plan

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This step is based on the information collected through the gap analysis and discussions with managers in each department. The information will help you determine the strategies that can be used to eliminate the gaps. By the time you get to this point, you will have a clear picture of the issues and challenges faced across your organization.

This step is based on the information collected through the gap analysis and discussions with managers in each department. The information will help you determine the strategies that can be used to eliminate the gaps. By the time you get to this point, you will have a clear picture of the issues and challenges faced across your organization. 

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These questions will help you formulate your succession plan:

These questions will help you formulate your succession plan: 

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  What are the three most critical workforce challenges facing your company?

  What are the three most critical workforce challenges facing your company? 

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  What are the common themes that emerged from your discussion with managers?

  What are the common themes that emerged from your discussion with managers? 

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  What affect will these challenges have on the company if they are not addressed?

  What affect will these challenges have on the company if they are not addressed? 

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  What, if any, actions are under way to address these challenges?

  What, if any, actions are under way to address these challenges? 

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  Is there enough time to develop the workforce?

  Is there enough time to develop the workforce? 

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  Does the existing workforce demonstrate the potential to develop new skills and assume new or modified positions?

  Does the existing workforce demonstrate the potential to develop new skills and assume new or modified positions? 

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  What labor-market competition exists for future skills?

  What labor-market competition exists for future skills? 

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  Do current job descriptions reflect future competencies?

  Do current job descriptions reflect future competencies? 

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  Do some divisions or sections need to be reorganized to meet business needs and strategic objectives? Is restructuring or rationalization needed?

  Do some divisions or sections need to be reorganized to meet business needs and strategic objectives? Is restructuring or rationalization needed? 

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  What are the recommended strategies that the organization can take to address the challenges?

  What are the recommended strategies that the organization can take to address the challenges? 

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  What will be required in terms of financial resources to carry out these strategies?

  What will be required in terms of financial resources to carry out these strategies?

Step 5: Implement and Evaluate

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This step will monitor the progress of the succession plan to determine progress and results. Here are some important questions in the evaluation process:

This step will monitor the progress of the succession plan to determine progress and results. Here are some important questions in the evaluation process: 

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  Have the implemented strategies achieved the intended results?

  Have the implemented strategies achieved the intended results? 

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  What was the cost or benefit of implementing the solutions?

  What was the cost or benefit of implementing the solutions? 

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  To what extent were the demand and supply projections accurate?

  To what extent were the demand and supply projections accurate?