Cogent Business & Management

Workforce Planning for the Future: Addressing Marginalization and Enhancing Organizational Strategy

Redundancies disproportionately affect marginalized groups, including women, ethnically minoritized groups, and disabled people. Strategic workforce planning (SWP) is a critical process that ensures staffing is optimized and workforce capabilities are aligned with organizational strategy. When done well, SWP can contribute to meaningful work, strengthen organizational performance and minimize the potential for redundancies by considering future needs and developing the workforce accordingly. Thus SWP, as a human resource management practice, has the potential to enhance organizational efficiency and promote social sustainability by addressing workforce inequalities.

The significance of SWP lies in its potential to reduce workplace inequalities and enhance organizational resilience. Well-planned workforce strategies contribute to higher employment rates, stability, and growth, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goal 8. A central feature of SWP is baselining, which involves understanding the organizational makeup and surfacing workforce inequalities such as pay gaps and underrepresentation. This process prompts organizations to develop strategic plans that reduce these inequalities, contributing to social sustainability. Despite its benefits, only a small percentage of organizations collect data to forecast hiring demands and assess talent supply, highlighting a gap in the effective implementation of SWP. Addressing this gap is crucial for creating a more equitable and sustainable workforce.

This collection explores different aspects of SWP, we are particularly keen on understanding the interface between SWP and workplace inequality. Subtopics include but are not limited to, the disproportionate effects of redundancies on marginalized groups, comparative analyses of SWP methodologies, and strategies for addressing workforce inequalities such as pay gaps and underrepresentation. The collection also examines future workforce needs in the context of technological advancements, aligning SWP with UN Sustainable Development Goals, strengthening strategic human resource management (SHRM) through aligning skills with strategic needs and the importance of data-driven decision-making in SWP. In line with the journal's aims, we welcome articles ranging from in-depth empirical (quantitative and qualitative) studies and comprehensive literature reviews to conceptual papers.

More information on Dr. Ridgway:

"Maranda brings in-depth professional and academic discipline knowledge as a Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Fellow. Committed to impacting policy and practice, Maranda’s research is informed by experience as a senior HR professional. She has led complex, multi-faceted change programs across national boundaries, including acquisitions, business transformations and new entity inceptions in multi-national organizations." (via https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/business/maranda-ridgway)

More information on Dr. Whysall:

"Zara is an Associate Professor of Business Psychology who straddles academia and industry.  She conducts research, consultancy and knowledge-exchange within public and private sector organizations.  Her expertise lies primarily in talent management, organizational culture change and attendance behavior/presenteeism.  She teaches on Executive Education programs such as NTU's Global Executive MBA." (via https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/business/zara-whysall)

Neither Guest Advisor has any conflicts of interest to disclose. 

For more information about the Collection, please contact the commissioning editor, Dr. Molly Cole, at molly.cole@taylorandfrancis.com