Question 6: How will the composition of the workforce be analyzed? – Orgvue Knowledge Base

NOTE: This article is part of a six-question series providing a structured process to Meet the business need for insight.

The opportunities for analyzing the composition of the workforce are almost limitless, but as always, the insight you can generate depends on the properties which are available.

The following questions can help inform where to focus attention

Question 6.1: What are the insight requirements of the HR Leadership Team?

Input from across the HR leadership team is strongly recommended as each of the different domain leaders will have different insight needs. It is likely that each domain leader will have their own sources of data and insight, but by integrating data, increasingly rich insight can be unlocked.

Question 6.2: Does the talent and skills profile of the workforce present risk?

Common examples or talent and skills-risk include:

Insufficient bench strength for leadership and critical positions
Flight risk amongst incumbents of critical positions
Lack of critical skills capability across the workforce
- To deliver the current business ambition
- Required for the work of tomorrow
Insufficient insight to identify priority development needs

Without data, you don’t know. Opinions will be plentiful, but the facts required for high quality decisions will be lacking. Explore the extent to which Question 6.3 can be answered with evidence. If the evidence can’t be provided, what data is needed, and what data is available? It’s unlikely to be perfect, but always seek to Break out of the data quality trap; Make do with what you have and build momentum to go further. Helpful questions to identify data sources include:

Is there a common framework for defining the skills needed across the workforce, to perform in different roles, and in leadership positions?
What is the source of content included in job postings and job descriptions?
Is there individual assessment data to reveal the extent to which members of the workforce possess the skills needed to perform in their roles?

Question 6.3: Does the demographic profile of the workforce present risk?

Common examples or demographic risk include:

Insufficient gender diversity across the organization, teams, and at senior and management levels
Gender pay differences
An aging workforce with a high proportion of employees approaching retirement
The workforce tenure profile with insufficient mix of experience and fresh perspectives

Insight on these topics are provided in two template analysis packs: the Gender Diversity Story Pack and the Age and Tenure Story Pack.

It may seem obvious, but the standard definitions (property values) which are required are often lacking: take the time to get agreement on the values which are appropriate for your workforce. For example:

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