SHuRePlan

What are the characteristics of the existing workforce?

The starting point for assessing supply is the workforce that you have got now.  This not only tells you how far current demands are being met but will form the core of the future workforce.  Developing the skills of the existing workforce is as important to the supply strategy as recruitment or training of new staff.

The reason we recommend doing some work on demand before collecting information on the current workforce, is that it helps you to focus on what it is you really need to know about your workforce.  Without this focus there is a danger of collecting the wrong information or defining it in the wrong way. 

The detail required will depend on the detail of the demand assessment but the following are likely to be key characteristics:

• Quantify the effective workforce - i.e. the actual hours put in.  This means not just the contract whole time equivalent but also the input from overtime, bank and agency staff, and the impact of absence.  If covering peaks and troughs is a problem it will be necessary to collect data on the available workforce by time rather than a single baseline figure.
  
  
• If possible, identify establishments - Not all units will be able to identify a funded establishment but these can give an indication of the staffing the unit should have.  Differences between establishment and actual staffing may not be reflected in advertised vacancies since units may be using the money to cover the gap in other ways.
  
  
• Characterise the workforce in the way demand is expressed - If demand is expressed in numbers by broad professional group, this may be all that is needed.  However, if demand has been identified in terms of key skills then data on who possesses them in the current workforce will be required.  If demand is identified by service unit, data will be required down to this level.
  
  
• Customised data collection - If the information you require is not collected or is unreliable, you may need to set up a special data collection.  By doing the demand assessment first, you will be able to show managers why the information is crucial to ensuring service delivery.

Characteristics that we have not covered in this section are those that relate to turnover. These are covered in the next section which looks at flows into and out of the workforce.